Several things I want to make known as far as things I will be or have been involved with recently and in the following weeks:
- Sunstone Phoenix: I will be presenting with my colleague Kristin Marie Bennion at Sunstone Phoenix this coming weekend on March 11th for two presentations: Porn, Addiction and Mormonism as well as Kids and Pornography – Having Meaningful Discussion. Follow the link above for registration information.
- Sex Talk with Natasha & Kristin: Kristin and I will be doing a full-day workshop in the Phoenix area on healthy sexuality the following day, March 12th. Press on link for more information and registration.
- Symmetry Solutions: I have started an online practice that specifically focuses on helping individuals, couples and family systems in the areas of faith transitions, mixed-faith marriages, sexuality concerns, LGBT+ support, and mental health issues.
- Sunstone Boise: I will be presenting with my colleague Lisa Butterworth on April 29th in regards to Healthy Mormon Narratives. We are also planning on hosting a Friday night workshop on the 28th in regards to issues relating to faith transitions. More details will become available soon.
- Mormon Sex Info Podcast: I’ve covered a wide variety of topics on this podcast focused on sexual education specifically tailored for a Mormon population that I started just over a year ago. You can now enjoy the almost weekly release at a subscription rate. And I am working on a collaboration with the Open Stories Foundation where archived podcasts will be available for free. The latest podcasts have addressed things like using sex toys and aids not only for pleasure but for different types of sexual dysfunction, understanding some common issues that get in the way of sexual relationships, and sexuality during pregnancy.
- Mormon Mental Health Podcast: I have started releasing regular podcasts again on Mormon Mental Health that address a variety of issues facing LDS members after an almost year long hiatus. I got many requests to keep this podcast going and it needs listener support in donations to keep it a sustainable project. This is a free resource that is meant to help members as well as ecclesiastical/auxiliary leaders with issues they may see come up in their wards and stakes. The latest podcasts have addressed things like dealing with ecclesiastical counsel that is at times inappropriate especially in domestic violence or trauma cases, challenges LDS women within the prison systems face, self-injury, and the battle between emotion and logic.
- Wichita Oasis: Will be presenting on May 21 in regards to Navigating Healthy Sexuality.
- AASECT Conference: Will be taking Carol Lynn Pearson with me to the national AASECT conference, June 15-18, where our proposal was accepted in regards to her book The Ghost of Eternal Polygamy: Haunting the Hearts and Heaven of Mormon Women and Men.
- July of 2017 I will be offering several presentations in the Salt Lake City area including presentations at Sunstone, a sexuality workshop hosted by the Open Stories Foundation and also addressing the WOCA group at one of their gatherings. Again, more information will be forthcoming.
It has been an honor for me to figure out many different ways to support the mental health, faith and sexual journeys of LDS members on a variety of spectrums of belief, activity and experience. I hope to be able to continue to do so for years to come.
Natasha Helfer Parker, LCMFT, CST runs an online practice, Symmetry Solutions, which focuses on helping families and individuals with faith concerns, sexuality and mental health. She writes at The Mormon Therapist for Patheos: Hosting the Conversation of Faith, runs Mormon Sex Info and is the current president for the Mormon Mental Health Association.