I’ve always wanted to be part of real change for women and vulva havers. As a kid, I was already organizing girls’ circles, passing around little forms that asked, “What do you love about yourself today?”—planting seeds of self-worth and peer care. In high school, I made self-care booklets for friends navigating tough times and gifted handmade bath bombs with simple bath rituals to help them slow down, soothe their nervous systems, and feel held. My early dream was to work in the non-profit sector for disadvantaged women, as I grew up with a single disadvantaged mother, so I studied International Relations with a focus on women, culture, and religion. At the same time, I began my own journey of making sense of my confusion around my sexual shadows, kinks, and desires. The more I learned, the clearer it became: most of us never received a meaningful, embodied sex education. Friends started coming to me for guidance, and my path slowly shifted as I began attending more sexuality focused events and courses. To deepen my clinical and theoretical grounding, I completed a postgraduate diploma in sexology, which not only deepened my understanding of human sexuality, but it significantly broadened my understanding of gender studies—from sociocultural theory and minority stress to intersectional health outcomes and affirming practice. I actually grew up in a gender-queer family, so gender non-conformity was commonplace in my familial culture, though through my studies I now had a much deeper understanding about identity, expression, and language. That context shapes how I teach, coach, and design touch protocols. Today my work is intentionally inclusive whether I’m speaking, coaching, or training practitioners, I center inclusive frameworks, clear scope, and client-led goals so people of all genders can access accurate education and embodied care. Another contributing factor to who I am in the field and how I show up is that I was raised by a mother who experienced violence and abuse, including sexual abuse in childhood. Witnessing the ripple effects of that harm is the deepest reason I do what I do. It’s why my work centers consent, boundaries, and bodily autonomy—not as buzzwords, but as everyday practices that change lives. This experience also inspired my children’s sex-education series, Susmita Grows Up. The series equips young people—and the adults who care for them—with clear, age-appropriate language, body literacy, consent skills, and help-seeking pathways. My goal is to create autonomy, confidence and safety, reduce the risk of sexual harm, and build a culture where respect and boundaries are understood from the start. Thirteen years on, I’m still lit up by this work. I’ve watched clients transform—through somatic sex coaching and therapeutic yoni massage—finding steadier boundaries, clearer communication, and a self-authored relationship to pleasure. I’ve seen students step into professional practice with integrity and skill, not only learning a new skill set, but also more deeply about themselves and their sexuality. This is the work of my life.