Today we’d like to introduce you to Melissa D.
Hi Melissa, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I had lived in Austin back in 2002 but returned in 2018 to work with my mentor Dr. Charla’s Hathaway who started bodyJoy Intimacy School in 2006. She is well known and appreciated for offering quality education to men, women, and couples who needed support in their sex lives- she is quite the fairy godmother of sex. I was fortunate to find her under my school’s directory for practitioners based in Austin who I could connect with about potentially relocating back. Dr. Charla stood out to me because of her mature age, and I could tell she had many years of quality experience ahead of most in the field, so I called her up. She was delighted to talk with me and even offered to mentor me if I wanted to come to Austin and work with some of her clients. Within a month, I was back in Austin, riding bikes through the pecan groves and seeing some of her treasured students. We figured out pretty quickly that our connection was special, and Charla asked if I would be interested in taking over her business as she slowly moved toward retirement. A few months later, I took over BodyJoy Intimacy School and began the exciting re-brand process! It was a lot of fun to take her grounded wisdom and teachings and make them even more accessible online as well as in- person. BodyJoy offers more than talk therapy and intimacy advice to people who are feeling bored. Thrillist listed us as one of the top naughty things to do in Austin, so we received many inquiries from locals and tourists who want something a lil’ different to do with their partners while in town. Not only is our approach fun to learn new erotic skills, but it’s also a game changer for a relationship and intimacy. This is what excited me the most about my work. Currently, I am building a diverse team that offers a variety of teaching skills our clients can learn, such as Shibari (rope play), erotic writing and storytelling, postpartum support, and erotic bodywork. Reading a book or searching online to learn more skills is one thing. People crave this kind of explicit information delivered not only professionally but in a low pressure, relaxed environment too. I am delighted to be a catalyst for happy partnerships and relationships where sex and intimacy skills are just as important as adventure, travel, and growing a business!
You wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been smooth?
Professionally speaking, things have been relatively smooth. My work is a deep passion of mine, and a lot of fun to help others in such a profound way through fun events and powerful sessions. The only difficulty I face from time to time is people viewing my profession as inappropriate, assuming it is smutty, or not seeing the deep value in it. I have faced being ridiculed, dismissed, and even gossiped about by more closed-minded folks. I have found that the challenge typically comes from folks who could benefit from what I offer. Where are people supposed to go for support in this area?
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Bodyjoy Intimacy School is for the bold who are ready to explore new territories, work deeply on themselves, and have more fulfilling intimacy. Working with myself or one of my colleagues is similar to hiring a personal trainer, fitness coach, or dietician- It is necessary for change! Working with a professional makes it possible to reach personal goals, learn new ways of being, get radical support, and be held accountable in all the right and supportive ways. Our approach is different from what a typical counselor or sex therapist may offer in that we provide explicit classes and workshops on various topics that may include hands-on bodywork, and even welcomes couples into the studio for guidance. Some students get to practice with their partners so they can not only talk about concepts but practice them and feel what it is like! The experiential learning opportunities available through my one-on-one client sessions of Sexological Bodywork/Somatic Sex Education can help clients engage in a respectful dialogue with the autonomic nervous system so that physical and emotional processes that usually happen can be held in mindful awareness and transformed. This is great for dissolving trauma and negative past experiences and creating something new and enjoyable!
Sexological Bodywork / Somatic Sex Education is a growing modality that focuses on the body rather than just the thinking mind. People already spend too much time stuck in their heads these days instead of feeling in the body! We support people in addressing various sexual difficulties ranging from premature ejaculation to the inability to orgasm readily or truly “feel” and enjoy pleasure in the body. Couples can learn to navigate sexual differences and explore new erotic possibilities with body-based learning and guided practice versus trying to navigate it on their own without the support of a professional.
We all set limits on the quantity and quality of pleasure we can embody. Limits to pleasure are ubiquitous in a culture that shames sexuality and fails to teach us how to honor and celebrate erotic energy and be in healthy sexual relationships that nourish.
I am most proud of how normalized it is becoming for folks to hire professional help these days instead of quietly living in distress, shame or unhappiness. I love how happy people get when they realize there is hope for whatever they may be experiencing and it can even save a relationship! The men’s retreat that I co-produce with a few close colleagues has also been a powerful experience as well! The Apollo Project is a high end, unique immersive retreat for Men that offers the environment and support to radically explore and empower.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
Vulnerability, professionalism, inclusion, and compassion play a vital role in such an edgy topic as sex and intimacy. BodyJoy Intimacy School makes it easy for folks to ask important or edgy questions and get excited about exploration and getting the results. This can save marriages, enliven relationships and cultivate positive experiences that add to people’s lives!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.bodyjoy.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bodyjoyintimacyschool/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BodyJoyIntimacySchool
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@BodyJoyTV/videos
- Other: https://www.the-apollo-project.com/
Image Credits
Most images are from Alyssa Keyes Photography
