This presentation explores BDSM through liberatory frameworks, engaging the Neurodiversity Paradigm alongside crip theory, neuroqueering, and social models of disability. Rather than viewing kink or neurodivergence through a pathological lens, BDSM is positioned as a radical practice of resistance, intimacy, and meaning-making. By weaving research, lived experience, and liberatory theory, we will consider what it means to honor diverse needs, embrace authentic selves, and reimagine BDSM as more than erotic practice—as a transformative site of resilience, resistance, and liberation.

 

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Find more info on THRIVE https://THRIVEVirtualCon.com/

Send a quick message if you would like to suggest topics, present, or support in another way. PKinkingEvents@gmail.com

When does yes mean no? This course explores scholarly research by the presenter into fawning and appeasement responses to threat, in kink negotiations and play, and how those responses provide inauthentic consent. Psychoeducation for recognizing fawning and better engagement in embodied consent will be provided with tips for both tops and bottoms to bring back to their relationships and communities.

 

Are you excited about the THRIVE experience and want to help it continue?

Consider donating to help PK/THRIVE continue to provide education.

PayPal - AffirmingMatters@gmail.com

CashApp - $AffirmingMatters

Venmo - @‌AffirmingMatters

Please include "THRIVE 2026" in the note.

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Check out other events PK is hosting here:

https://www.facebook.com/PragmaticKink

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Find more info on THRIVE https://THRIVEVirtualCon.com/

Send a quick message if you would like to suggest topics, present, or support in another way. PKinkingEvents@gmail.com

Navigating the public kink scene can be scary as a mental health professional (especially when you work with kinksters!) Ask 5 people if they believe professionals can be public with their kinks, and you’ll receive 5 different answers. Torie and AJ have found ways to be professionals involved in their local kink community, and they want to share how they do so, what considerations to take when publicly navigating kink, where ethics fall into this, how to discuss your involvement in the community with clients/patients, self-disclosure, and how to navigate running into clients in kink spaces.

 

Are you excited about the THRIVE experience and want to help it continue?

Consider donating to help PK/THRIVE continue to provide education.

PayPal - AffirmingMatters@gmail.com

CashApp - $AffirmingMatters

Venmo - @‌AffirmingMatters

Please include "THRIVE 2026" in the note.

Get your PK & THRIVE swag! https://www.redbubble.com/people/DevynStone/shop

Check out other events PK is hosting here:

https://www.facebook.com/PragmaticKink

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Find more info on THRIVE https://THRIVEVirtualCon.com/

Send a quick message if you would like to suggest topics, present, or support in another way. PKinkingEvents@gmail.com

This course is a “clinical crash course” in BDSM for healthcare professionals. Participants will gain a foundational understanding of BDSM practices, language, and ethics, empowering them to work confidently with clients who embrace alternative lifestyles. The class emphasizes honoring clients’ identities while maintaining professional boundaries, exploring personal comfort and bias as a provider, and applying ethical principles in care. By the end of the session, clinicians will have increased understanding in how to engage in kink-informed conversations, support clients safely, and provide affirming care that respects both lifestyle and well-being.

 

Are you excited about the THRIVE experience and want to help it continue?

Consider donating to help PK/THRIVE continue to provide education.

PayPal - AffirmingMatters@gmail.com

CashApp - $AffirmingMatters

Venmo - @‌AffirmingMatters

Please include "THRIVE 2026" in the note.

Get your PK & THRIVE swag! https://www.redbubble.com/people/DevynStone/shop

Check out other events PK is hosting here:

https://www.facebook.com/PragmaticKink

https://fetlife.com/PragmaticKink

Find more info on THRIVE https://THRIVEVirtualCon.com/

Send a quick message if you would like to suggest topics, present, or support in another way. PKinkingEvents@gmail.com

When it comes to sex/kink, trans and gender diverse people and our therapists are often hesitant to bring the body and it's sensations into it. In this class, Deirdre (Dee) Church will teach somatic skills around approaching the body in sex/kink with trans and gender diverse clients, as well as common ways we as trans people have adapted to relational and developmental trauma/injury in regards to sex/kink.

 

Are you excited about the THRIVE experience and want to help it continue?

Consider donating to help PK/THRIVE continue to provide education.

PayPal - AffirmingMatters@gmail.com

CashApp - $AffirmingMatters

Venmo - @‌AffirmingMatters

Please include "THRIVE 2026" in the note.

Get your PK & THRIVE swag! https://www.redbubble.com/people/DevynStone/shop

Check out other events PK is hosting here:

https://www.facebook.com/PragmaticKink

https://fetlife.com/PragmaticKink

Find more info on THRIVE https://THRIVEVirtualCon.com/

Send a quick message if you would like to suggest topics, present, or support in another way. PKinkingEvents@gmail.com

This course explores the complex overlap between neurodivergence, gender identity, and BDSM. Led by a neuroqueer psychiatric nurse practitioner, we will dismantle the pathologization often found in these intersections to reveal how unique brains experience identity and pleasure. Participants will examine how sensory processing, executive function, and diverse communication styles influence gender expression and power dynamics. Moving beyond basic awareness, we will discuss practical frameworks for consent negotiation, sensory-friendly scene crafting, and the unique therapeutic potential of kink for neurodivergent individuals. This session offers a roadmap for understanding how neurotypes inform the way we navigate intimacy, identity, and control, fostering a safer, more inclusive approach to sexuality.

 

Are you excited about the THRIVE experience and want to help it continue?

Consider donating to help PK/THRIVE continue to provide education.

PayPal - AffirmingMatters@gmail.com

CashApp - $AffirmingMatters

Venmo - @‌AffirmingMatters

Please include "THRIVE 2026" in the note.

Get your PK & THRIVE swag! https://www.redbubble.com/people/DevynStone/shop

Check out other events PK is hosting here:

https://www.facebook.com/PragmaticKink

https://fetlife.com/PragmaticKink

Find more info on THRIVE https://THRIVEVirtualCon.com/

Send a quick message if you would like to suggest topics, present, or support in another way. PKinkingEvents@gmail.com