Workshops
[Our in-person workshops are currently on pause during the COVID-19 pandemic]
Yes, we run workshops too!
Our first workshop (June 2019) was at the Chicago Women's Health Center and our second workshop (November 2019) was at Maze Women’s Sexual Health in New York! The workshops are an opportunity for people with chronic vulvar & vaginal pain and pelvic floor dysfunction to come together, share stories, and talk openly about symptoms and emotions we often keep secret or private. For many of the participants, these workshops are the first time they’ve felt safe and comfortable talking honestly about the shared shame and stigma that surround these conditions.
“It’s really unbelievable to me how much more comfortable I feel having a body that experiences pelvic pain. I feel like I am literally shedding layers of shame and blame. Until yesterday, I had not confronted how much I had been blaming myself for my pain and how ludicrous this actually is. Realizing there’s no way this is my fault or my boyfriend’s fault I think is actually going to be life-changing.”
“I feel like I actually have people I can talk to now. I have heard stories and I know that this doesn’t have to go on forever. I know that it is not my fault. I knew it before but I feel much more of a sense of acceptance. I can now reflect on this if I am having a negative experience and I think it will give me hope.”
Future Workshops
We'll be hosting workshops in other cities in the US in the coming months! Sign up for alerts here if you're interested in participating in a future workshop and we'll make sure you get the info!
FAQs
Who are these workshops for?
The workshops are for people who experience chronic vulvar / vaginal pain or pelvic floor dysfunction. Our workshops are non-binary and trans-inclusive and we welcome anyone with the experience of vaginal or pelvic pain.
How long are the workshops?
Each workshop takes place over a weekend. This gives us time to get to know each other and feel comfortable sharing experiences that may be vulnerable or hard to talk about.
What if I don't know anyone else going?
We make sure to have phone or in-person conversations with everyone coming to the workshop ahead of time both to get to know each other and to have a sense of what each person wants to get out of the weekend.
Workshop Photos by Ana Medina