Active Sexlife Solutions

29/09/2025

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Transgender, Non-binary, Inters*x and Irawhiti Takatāpui Trauma-Sensitive Yoga Group for Survivors of S*xual Violence

When: Mondays 4:45-6:00pm, 20 October - 15 December 2025 (no class 27 October)

Where: Wellington Yoga Centre, 1a Kensington St, Wellington

Participants may be fully funded to attend if they have an accepted sensitive claim with ACC - however we also reserve several spaces in each group for those who are not covered by ACC.

For those under ACC:

Lead Providers will need to...

Contact ACC to arrange approval for Kiritaki to attend the group. (i.e. provide rationale, and request attendance at Wellington Transgender, Non-binary, Inters*x and Irawhiti Takatāpui Yoga Group and request 15 hours of SCSGT and 1 hour of SCSGTT with TheraMAS as the Supplier (g09852). Please request a wide date range in case attendance is postponed due to sickness or similar.
On receipt of a valid purchase order, TheraMAS will send you an eform link so that you can register your client to the correct group.
A week or two prior to the start of the group, one of the Group Facilitators will contact the Kiritaki to touch base, explain any requirements and answer any questions they may have
For those not under ACC:

Please contact the facilitators for information about how to enrol.

Trauma Sensitive Yoga

Trauma-Sensitive Yoga (TSY) is a therapeutic, evidence-based approach designed to support healing and recovery through adapted yoga practices. It integrates physical postures, mindful movement, and breathing exercises to encourage self-regulation, enhance body awareness, and foster a sense of grounding in the present moment. TSY aims to create a safe and supportive environment where participants can reconnect with their bodies at their own pace. The practice prioritises internal experiences over achieving specific physical poses, empowering individuals to explore sensations and make choices about their movements. By focusing on agency and body awareness, TSY seeks to alleviate trauma-related symptoms, including those linked to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), while nurturing a deeper connection to oneself and others.

The Groupwork Facilitators

Caroline Mastreani (she/her) is a Yoga NZ (Level 3) and a Yoga Alliance (E-RYT) registered yoga teacher specialising in yoga for trauma. In addition to ACC SCS yoga groups, she facilitates trauma-sensitive yoga sessions throughout the community, including at the Central Region Eating Disorder Service, through Pathways Mental Health Support Services, as well as in private practice.

Denise Nassenstein (she/her) has had intensive training in Dialectical Behaviour Therapy and facilitated DBT skills groups at the Wellington DHB (CCDHB) for 8 years. She is also fully trained in EMDR. She has been an approved ACC/SCS counsellor since 2015 and has been providing ACC clients with individual DBT informed therapy and EMDR to target trauma related symptoms and problems with emotion dysregulation.

As facilitators, we have been successfully delivering TSY groups under the ACC SCS contract to the Wellington region and online since 2018, and to the Transgender, Non-binary, Inters*x and Irawhiti Takatāpui community since 2021. We were the first TSY group work providers in the Wellington region and have provided TSY to many hundreds of Sensitive Claims clients during the past 7 years.

Any questions or concerns, please contact us at the below emails.

Caroline & Denise

Caroline: flowyoganz@gmail.com

Denise: nassensteind@gmail.com

25/09/2025

Reflections from East Africa: Gender, S*xuality, and Resilience

Traveling as a s*x therapist through Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania opened my eyes to how culture shapes intimacy, rights, and resilience — often in heartbreaking, but also deeply inspiring ways
Recently, I returned from a journey through Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania that left me deeply moved — both professionally and personally. As a s*x therapist, I often work at the intersection of intimacy, culture, and social justice. Experiencing these societies firsthand gave me a powerful reminder of how context shapes our bodies, relationships, and freedoms.
Uganda: Contradictions and Constraints
Uganda presents sharp contrasts. While the law imposes severe penalties — even the death penalty — for same-s*x relationships, I also witnessed men walking hand-in-hand in Kampala, potentially, a gesture of friendship rather than romance. Posters around schools reminded young people of their right to education and freedom from harassment, yet gender roles remain deeply entrenched. Women, though present in parliament, are barred from the presidency. Families average five children, and the shadow of AIDS lingers, evident in the number of orphans and single mothers.
Kenya: Community and Custom
In Nairobi, same-s*x relationships are tolerated privately, but rarely acknowledged publicly, and certainly not in rural areas. Privacy itself is scarce — a nightclub called “Bunga” doubles as a place for couples to rent rooms simply to find space for intimacy.
Among the Masai, traditions around gender and family remain strong. Boys and girls both undergo circumcision as rites of passage. Marriages are arranged, and women’s lives are often dictated by polygamy and widowhood. Yet, I was struck by the beauty of Masai jewellery, fertility symbols, and the resilience of women who create meaning within these cultural frameworks.
Tanzania: Hidden Lives and Harsh Realities
Here, the criminalization of same-s*x relationships is even more severe — up to 30 years in prison for men. Women, however, sometimes navigate same-s*x friendships under the guise of companionship. In everyday life, the gender divide is stark: women work tirelessly, often hidden from view, with little autonomy over even their haircuts.
What I Took Away
Across Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania, one theme kept repeating itself: the absence of s*xual rights, body autonomy, and justice. Women are too often treated as commodities, and LGBTQIA+ people live under threat of violence or imprisonment. Yet, in the midst of hardship, I also witnessed beauty, humour, resilience, and love.
Traveling as a therapist gave me more than just insight — it gave me perspective. It reminded me that while cultural practices differ, the human desire for connection, safety, and dignity is universal.
Beautiful. Sad. Wild. Dangerous. Resilient.
That is East Africa — and those are the reflections I carry with me.

08/09/2025

Please review my work on Google. Thanks!
https://g.page/r/CQFu7WMC_DItEAI/review

08/09/2025

Blue September, donate for men and their health, please!

I'm raising money for a cause close to my heart and would love your support.

31/08/2025

Donate or share this to raise awareness for Blue September, please

I'm raising money for a cause close to my heart and would love your support.

27/08/2025

S*x should be more than or**sm. Pleasure need more focus

I’m 64 and have had many lovers, but I can now only climax through ma********on, and frequently find myself faking it in bed

27/07/2025

Can AI solve loneliness? Great article!

The discomfort of loneliness shapes us in ways we don’t recognize—and we may not like what we become without it.

24/07/2025

“Ask your lover” is the universal s*x tip

How do we get better at discussing s*xual satisfaction when our ge****ls are synonymous with the word ‘unmentionables’? It takes no luck, no money and can be learned

21/07/2025

"As remarkable as AI is, availability isn't care. Intimacy requires effort, meaning takes time, and real thinking is gloriously inefficient."

AI isn’t just a tool anymore. It’s becoming our companion, our confidant, even our mirror. But what are we losing when it feels like it truly knows us?

15/07/2025

How to work with clients: “Consultations should begin with open-ended questions. Clinicians are advised to first explore general concerns and then gradually move into more sensitive topics. Each question should be explained clearly using simple and respectful language. The approach should accommodate explicit s*xual terms when necessary and be responsive to signs of anxiety or distress,”

The new SADI update emphasizes a friendly, nonjudgmental approach and seven key questions to capture complete s*xual health history.

24/06/2025

Testimonial from a client:
"I wanted to say thank you so much for your guidance those years ago!...in all of that time I've worked on a lot on my sense of self, my boundaries and through the support I've grown a lot. None of this could have happened without your support! Thank you so much Edit" (J. 2025)

08/04/2025

Please provide a review for my therapeutic work. Thank you very much!

Post a review to our profile on Google