Shanna has many years of experience working with a variety of individuals and groups, providing both consultations and workshops/classes. Some of her specialties include: safer sex workshops, ally education programs, and sexual assault prevention/consent classes. Her popular “Taking Sex out of the Dark” talk is an intimate session which gives students an opportunity to ask a “sexpert” their deep (and often un-answered) questions. She also does trainings and consultations on LGBTQ issues (both in workplace and school environments), work with human resource departments, alternative sexualities consultations, advice about sex toys/sexual aides and more. Additionally, she works one-on-one with individuals, couples, and small groups as a sexual wellness coach, helping people explore their sexuality in a safe and open-minded manner.

Her focuses include queer sexuality, kink and the BDSM community, sex toy education and safety, and sexuality in regards to disability. She has done trainings, workshops and written curricula for numerous places, including Princeton University (Princeton, NJ), the State University of New York – Purchase (Purchase, NY), the University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA), Widener University (Chester, PA), the Planned Parenthood Association of Bucks Country (Doylestown, PA), Passional Toys (Philadelphia, PA), S.E.X. PhD (Denver, CO), Colorado College (Colorado Springs, CO), Femina Potens Gallery (San Francisco, CA), Sex 2.0 Conference 2009 (Washington DC), The Sanctuary (Denver, CO), the Enclave (Denver, CO) and Hysteria (Denver, CO).

Shanna is a former sex tips columnist for the “popular by women, for women” site Hot Movies For Her, and has an interesting outlook on sexuality from a feminist and sex positive perspective. She worked as the Community Outreach Coordinator for the sex positive company Eden Fantasys; writing reviews, articles and erotica as part of the site’s total view of sexuality.

You can also read her weekly column The Front Range Femme at Out Front Colorado, or on the Advice Panel at The Lesbian Lifestyle, and under the pen name Essin’ Em on many sites. Until her move to Phoenix, AZ, she was the resident Sex Educator with Hysteria, and continues to provide classes, trainings and workshops to a variety of clients in the Denver area (as well as across the country).

Shanna feels that sexuality is something which is a very personalized journey for each individual, and leaves extra time at the conclusion of all of her trainings for people to approach her with individual questions, comments, concerns and more. She understands that many people don’t feel comfortable raising their hands in a group setting, or even asking questions afterward, and allows for this by also being available to answer any and all inquiries via email. She is completely accessible to all of her programs’ participants, even after the fact; she believes in full spectrum sexuality. The journey only continues on after the training is over, and she hopes that the participants of her programs become life long learners, and only continue to reach, expand and grow as they explore their horizons. Even if a participant attends multiple trainings (whether on the same or different topics), it is her hope that each time, they are able to glean something totally new and unique out of each one.

She is also available for consults regarding workplaces and schools, helping with employee transitions, creating LGBTQ inclusive policies and more.

In her personal life, Shanna lives with her rescued cats, Kinsey, Kali and Jasper. She works full time, and in her free time, she enjoys reading, writing freelance, knitting and reffing flat track roller derby. She also runs the well read blog Sexuality Happens, in her “spare” time, and produces a weekly podcast of the same name at Radio Dentata. If you’re interested in buying body friendly toys at a sex positive home toy party, check out Sexuality Happens Toy Parties.