Anthea is a Consulting Somatic Psychotherapist. She teaches resilience, agility and embodied intelligence using ground breaking peer reviewed research in neuroscience, psycho-linguistics and human social & sexual behaviour.
As a behavioural expert, Anthea believes it is an innate human desire to strive for living an orgasmic life filled with power, passion and purpose. This truth is predicated on our most primitive, vulnerable, human need: to belong. She believes that when you commit to being the 'agent provocateur' of your own life, you exponentially increase your human potential to both achieve and accomplish as well as rest and play. She is here to lead you into this evolutionary way of Thinking, Being and Doing.
We've been getting to know Anthea for almost a year and we simply can't say enough good things about her. Not only does she exude the kind of energy you just want to be around, but she's an expert in all things sex, pleasure and deepening our understanding of our bodies and what *feels* good.
flossy: What is Somatic Psychotherapy and how does it impact sexual wellness?
Anthea: Somatic Psychotherapy combines traditional ‘talk therapy’ with analysis of gesture and posture as it relates and inter-relates to the body-mind connection. ‘Soma’ derives from the Greek word, meaning ‘Living Body’. When working with clients, the fundamental intervention principles of Somatics are sound, breath & movement; delivered in frameworks which may include Somatic Experiencing; Dance Therapy, Mindfulness Meditation; Trauma Release therapy and various forms of bodywork and massage therapies and EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing).
The reason Somatic Psychotherapy is powerful when it comes to sexual wellness is that it provides a safe space for an individual to ‘come home’ to their body. This is most notable to individuals who have experienced sexual and physical trauma that may have caused them to emotionally and intellectually disconnect from their physical bodies. Through the process of conscious guidance into the felt senses and ‘real time’ experiencing of the body, the individual is able to start building a relationship (through intimate awareness) with their body, and in turn, trusting their body, enabling them to permit the body to feel, without limitation - this process - which every form it takes for each individual leads them to a direct and engaged understanding and relationship to what feels good (and what does not) in the body.
flossy: In your own words, how would you define shame-free pleasure?
Anthea: Shame-free pleasure for me is radically claiming and owning my desires. Whether that desire is in the bedroom or the boardroom, our desires are catalysts to leading a purposeful and deeply fulfilling life. Feeling safe to express our desires unapologetically provides deep healing; and the result is an embodied & engaged way of doing life (I call this way of doing life, living in ‘Erotic Inner Sense’).
flossy: What are the biggest barriers people face to experiencing shame-free pleasure?
Anthea: Shame in and of itself is about silence, lies and keeping things hidden. Shame for many of us may be learned and for others, it’s due to traumatic experiences and the way we overcome shame is by being honest, showing up and speaking up about the things that matter to us.
The biggest barrier to shame-free pleasure is that there are not enough safe spaces for us to bring light to our shame. To be witnessed in our shame and to be loved in it. Safe spaces could be relationships, friendships, groups, services, etc. The most important thing we can do for ourselves is to become aware of our stories and beliefs about our desires, and how they make us feel. Conscious Self-pleasure practices are the first step to the awareness, mindset shift and breaking any silence, social expectations and patriarchal ideologies.
flossy: What are some specific tools you might suggest for deepening connection to self, body and pleasure?
Anthea:
- Mindfulness Meditation & Whole Body Breathwork are good foundational exercises to create connection and trust in the body.
- Conscious Self-pleasuring: bring awareness to all your emotions in the process, through sound, breath and movement creates both deep biophysical healing as well as emotional healing.
flossy: What does it mean for a society to be sexually liberated?
Anthea: A sexually liberated society is a healthy, connected and empowered society. When we are sexually liberated, we understand that sex goes beyond the physical experience or orientation – beyond gender identity and beyond social expectations. As sexually liberated beings we will understand that our sexual expression is how we choose to engage with life. It is our creativity, art, ideas and innovations. From a dad who loves cooking for his children to a woman who has amazing business ideas. When we are sexually liberated we are engaged with the pleasures of our life and empowered to be pro-creative, constructive and abundant. Better equipped and enabled to respond to the challenges of life.
flossy: What’s one thing you this everyone should be taught about sex/in sex-ed?
Anthea: All children (and adults) at every age need to learn how to find what lights them up. They need to learn what is a ‘yes’ in their body and what is a ‘no’ in their body, and be taught how to befriend and trust their body as a compass so they are consciously moving more towards their yes (desires) and away from their ‘no’s (potential threats).
flossy: Anything else you’d like to share?
Anthea: Liberation is a self-pleasure practice 🤩
