Advisory Board
Chris Donaghue, PhD, CST
Director of Clinical Education for The Sexual Health Alliance
Dr. Chris Donaghue is an international lecturer, therapist, and educator. Dr Donaghue is the Director of Clinical Education for The Sexual Health Alliance (SHA), host of the LoveLine podcast, weekly expert on “The Amber Rose Show”, and frequent co host on “The Doctors” tv show. He previously hosted WE tv’s “Sex Box”and Logo tv’s “Bad Sex”. He is published in various professional journals and top magazines, and has been featured on The Today Show, VICE, CNN, HLN, OWN, Nightline, Dr Drew and in Newsweek, New York Times, Daily Beast, Mens Health, Cosmo, and National Geographic. Author of the book, “Sex Outside the Lines: Authentic Sexuality in a Sexually Dysfunctional Culture”. Dr. Donaghue has lectured at prestigious Universities including USC, UCLA, and Princeton as well as being the keynote at various professional conferences such as Chicago Ideas Week, American Association for Sex Educators, Counselors, and Therapists (AASECT), and The Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality (SSSS). Dr. Chris Donaghue is a Doctor of Clinical Sexology and Human Sexuality, Doctoral trained in Clinical Psychology, Licensed Clinical Therapist, a Certified Sex Therapist and a Certified Sexologist. Dr. Donaghue practices general psychology and specializes in individual and couples sex, relational, and marital therapy. His work also includes sexual compulsivity, sexual anorexia, sexual dysfunctions, and non-traditional sexuality, identities, and relationships. His work is also with diverse individuals, including all gender expressions, sexual orientations, and Kink/BDSM/Poly issues. His office is located in Los Angeles.
Heather Mcpherson LPC-s, lmft-S, CST-S
CEO/FOunder of The Sexual Health ALliance
Heather McPherson is the CEO and Founder of the Sexual Health Alliance, a premier education and certification provider for sexuality professionals. Heather also founded Respark, a national brand that encompasses a group therapy practice, Respark Foundation Nonprofit, and ReSpark Retreats. Respark Therapy & Associates (respark.co) is a group practice that serves Colorado, Washington and Texas specializing in sexuality and relationships. She is published in Playboy Magazine as well as Playboy Online, and has been featured on CNN, HuffPost, Rolling Stones, SheKnows, Quartz, Bravo, the Body, the Sun, Sex and Psychology with Dr. Justin Lehmiller, Psychology Today with Dr. David Ley, Parent Harald, and more. Heather McPherson has lectured at prestigious universities including University of Texas at Austin, Texas State University, University of Utah, University of Colorado Denver and Governors State University in Chicago. She is an AASECT Certified Sex Therapist Supervisor, Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist Supervisor (LMFT-S) and a Licensed Professional Counselor Supervisor (LPC-S). She also is the Texas Section Leader for AASECT (American Association for Sexuality Educators, Counselors & Therapists). She has appeared on several podcasts including Loveline with Dr. Chris Donaghue as well as Sex with Dr. Jess. Heather helps clients gain confidence, rebuild trust, increase playfulness, and find passion and meaning in their erotic lives. Heather graduated with honors from Texas State University with a MA in Marriage, Couple and Family Therapy; a CACREP Accredited Program.
David Ley, PH.D., AASECT CST-S
DIrector of SUPERVISION Services and Advisor of The Sexual Health ALliance
Dr. David J. Ley is an internationally-recognized expert on issues related to sexuality, pornography and mental health. He has appeared on television with Anderson Cooper, Katie Couric, Dr. Phil and others. He has been interviewed in publications ranging from the LA Times and the London Telegraph, to Playboy and Hustler magazines. Dr. Ley has published extensively in both the academic and “pop” realms of literature. His latest book, His new book Ethical Porn for Dicks, A Man's Guide to Responsible Viewing Pleasure has endorsements from Dan Savage and Pornhub.com and is a humorous and provocative handbook for men who want to think more comprehensively about porn. The Myth of Sex Addiction (2012) and Insatiable Wives (2009) were revolutionary explorations of sexual issues which blended a powerful client-centered narrative with a rich understanding of psychology, biology and sociology. At the same time, he is Executive Director of a large behavioral health and substance abuse outpatient program, and consults across the country on both mental health and sexuality-related issues. As a result, Dr. Ley is able to bring a broad, practical approach to help mental health clinicians effectively address sexuality-related issues.
Supervisors and Lecturers
Michael A. Vigorito, LMFT, CGP, CST
Michael Vigorito is a sex therapist, author, and mental health consultant specializing in individual, couples, and group therapy. He has extensive training in co-occurring disorders, domestic violence, mindfulness, and HIV-related care.
Co-author of Treating Out of Control Sexual Behavior – Rethinking Sex Addiction with Douglas Braun-Harvey, Michael developed a sexual health assessment and treatment model.
As a consultant for Behavioral Health Systems Baltimore and the University of Maryland Prevention Research Center, he designs training programs on sexual health, risk reduction, and LGBTQ+ topics, emphasizing cultural diversity.
A sought-after speaker, Michael leads workshops on sexual health in psychotherapy, out-of-control sexual behavior, and gender diversity.
Melinda Porter, MA, LPC-S, AASECT CST-S
Melinda Porter, MA, LPC-S, CST, CCTP is a therapist in Carrollton, Texas and is also a licensed LPC in Colorado. Melinda began her career in education, obtaining a Bachelor Education with an Early Childhood Endorsement degree. She then went on to obtain a Master of Professional Counseling degree from Texas Wesleyan University. While her teaching career was fruitful and encompassed 13 years, she decided to venture into counseling – an endeavor that would allow her to work with individuals and their families as a unit. She opened MCP Counseling in 2014 and has been providing care for clients in all communities since that time.
As a Certified Sex Therapist (CST) with the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists (AASECT) and with the Sexual Health Alliance as well as Certified Non-Monogamy Therapist with the Sexual Health Alliance, Melinda provides services to couples and individuals with diverse sexuality concerns, including – but not limited to – loss of desire, discrepancies in desire between couples, erection or ejaculation difficulties, fetishism, issues of gender identity, issues pertaining to sexual identity and sexual orientation, challenges around orgasm, Genitopelvic Pain / Penetration Disorder, sexuality and chronic illness, sexuality and physical ability, polyamory, and sexual trauma.
Melinda is also a trained EMDR therapist. She uses EMDR to help clients move through trauma and places they feel stuck and teaches skills to stabilize and process from a secure place. Melinda is invested in helping clients move at their own pace and is committed to being supportive and present with clients in sessions. Melinda is also a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP).
Melinda has also worked in the queer community since 2012, working with children, teens, individuals, couples, and families to process sexuality and gender questions and/or transitioning. She provides safe space and education on the journey to congruency. Her goal to help her clients find self-understanding and skills to be present in the moment.
Renée LaVail, LMFT, ACS, AASECT CST-SIT
Renée (she/her) is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist, AASECT Certified Sex Therapist & Approved Clinical Supervisor. Working as a psychotherapist for 14 years, Renée began her professional career focusing on family therapy. In 2011, her focus shifted to include sexual health. Renée is passionate about providing a safe and supportive clinical space for the community to address and discuss all areas of sex, sexual health, and relationship diversity. Renée has been a clinical supervisor since 2011 and founded the Clinical Supervisor Academy with colleague Dr. Leandrea Romero, with the support of the Southwest Family Guidance Center & Institute. Renee worked with Southwest Family for 13 years, ending her tenure as its Clinical Director in 2021 to expand her organization. She is a doctoral candidate in Behavioral Health Leadership & is the founding director of Albuquerque Sex Therapy and its guiding organization, the Clinical Assessment Group.
Kelvin Pace, MS, LPC-S, AASECT CST-S
Kelvin Pace, MS, LPC-S, CST Kelvin graduated with a master’s in clinical psychology from the University of Alaska Anchorage in 2009. He has been a LPC supervisor for two years and he has been an AASECT certified therapist for 3 years.
Kelvin is the owner of KpaceCounseling, LLC where he serves clients in private practice. He does contract work with Full Spectrum Health as a behavioral health clinician where he works with an integrated care team delivering evidenced based care to persons of the LGBTQ+ community. Kelvin has worked for a local non-profit delivering mental health services to children and young adults that have suffered from complex trauma. With a firm foundation in trauma, he delivers trauma informed sex positive therapy to his clients. Kelvin provides services to couples and individuals dealing with sexual or relationship issues that include low desire, anxiety surrounding sex, and infidelity. His current focus is on mindfulness based interventions to manage sexual concerns and he works with persons that are either in or looking to explore non-traditional relationship orientations that fall under the umbrella of consensual/ethical non-monogamy.
MIDORI
Known as the “supernova of kink” according to Dan Savage, Midori emerged from the Sex Positive movement in San Francisco in the early 1990s and soon became one of the most highly regarded presenters on sexuality, personal fulfillment, and kinky adventures.
Her reputation as an authority and leading expert on alternative pleasures stem not only from her unique and entertaining process of teaching concrete skills, but in her ability to deconstruct and distill complex matters of desire into surprisingly accessible lessons with eloquence and humanity.
She’s known for tackling challenging topics with fresh and relevant insights. She calls this her “head-heart-hands” method to create a space where people are allowed individual self-exploration. Fundamentally, she is motivated by helping people to create authentic and intimate relationships while emphasizing self-actualization, shame reduction, acceptance, and justice.
Known for her ability to teach with equal parts expertise and heart, her intensives and pop-up classes are often booked months in advance. She is best known for her transformative small-group educational intensives, Rope Dojo and ForteFemme: Women’s Dominance Weekend Intensive.
She is the author of The Seductive Art of Japanese Bondage, Wild Side Sex, and Master Han’s Daughter. She has also contributed her expertise and voice in numerous articles, columns, works of fiction, and instructional books.
When she’s not traveling and teaching, she’s creating provocative and haunting art and performances. For more information about Midori, visit her official website at https://www.fhp-inc.com.
DR. RHONDA BALZARINI
Dr. Rhonda Balzarini is an Assistant Professor at Texas State University and an Affiliated Faculty Member at the Kinsey Institute at Indiana University. Dr. Balzarini is a social psychologist studying the interpersonal processes that enhance and detract from the quality of romantic and sexual relationships. Her recent research focuses on how diverse couples can have satisfying and passionate relationships and successfully navigate challenges through diversifying need fulfillment, engaging in novel and exciting activities, and being responsive during times of conflict or distress.
DR. JUSTIN LEHMILLER
Dr. Justin J. Lehmiller received his Ph.D. in Social Psychology from Purdue University. He is a Research Fellow at The Kinsey Institute and author of the book Tell Me What You Want: The Science of Sexual Desire and How It Can Help You Improve Your Sex Life. Dr. Lehmiller is an award-winning educator, having been honored three times with the Certificate of Teaching Excellence from Harvard University, where he taught for several years. He is also a prolific researcher and scholar who has published more than 40 pieces of academic writing to date, including a textbook entitled The Psychology of Human Sexuality (now in its second edition) that is used in college classrooms around the world. Dr. Lehmiller’s research focuses on topics including casual sex, sexual fantasy, sexual health, and friends with benefits. His studies have appeared in all of the leading journals on human sexuality, including the Journal of Sex Research, Archives of Sexual Behavior, and The Journal of Sexual Medicine. Dr. Lehmiller has run the popular blog Sex and Psychology since 2011, and it now receives several million page views per year. He has been interviewed by numerous media outlets, includingThe Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Chicago Tribune, The Boston Globe, CNN.com, The Atlantic, The Globe and Mail, and The Sunday Times.
Jen Meyer, LPC, LMFT, CST-S
Jen Meyer is the owner and founder of Jen Meyer Therapy, LLC, a private therapy practice in the Cherry Creek neighborhood of Denver, Colorado. As a highly sought-after sex therapist who works with a wide variety of concerns related to sex, intimacy and relationships, Jen strives to provide every client with effective therapy treatment in an affirming and compassionate environment that gives them the greatest opportunity to travel the path towards their best self.. As a highly-motivated professional dedicated to perfecting her craft, Jen travels frequently to obtain training on the latest therapy tools and trends from the best and most well-known minds in the sex therapy world. She is also active within and has been asked to present to various profession organizations both locally and nationally that help maintain her integrated network of healthcare professionals for her clients benefit, including the following: Sexual Health Alliance (SHA), American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists (AASECT), American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (AAMFT), Denver Sexual Medical Alliance (DSMA) and Colorado Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (COAMFT). Jen has also pursued a number of professional certifications along the way, including her CST, LMFT and LPC. She obtained a Masters of Art (MA) in Counseling from Oakland University, a fully accredited program by the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), and has completed a one-year program Sexual Health Certificate Program. Jen takes pride in being surrounded by some of the best sexologists and healthcare professionals in her field, many of whom continue to be dear friends, along with many others who continue to inspire her and make her a better person and therapist.
SHAN BOODRAM
Shan Boodram, widely known as “Shan Boody,” and often called the “Internet’s most sought-after certified sex educator,” is a certified sex educator, best-selling author, and media personality at the forefront of modern sex education. She has spent over a decade making intimacy, relationships, and sexual health accessible through hit podcasts, viral content, and books like The Game of Desire.
Her journey to becoming a certified sex educator included specialized training with the Sexual Health Alliance (SHA), a leader in comprehensive sexuality education. This training was instrumental in earning her AASECT Sex Educator Certification, solidifying her expertise.
Through her engaging, science-backed approach, Shan continues to break taboos and empower individuals with the knowledge to build healthy relationships.
CHARLIE GLICKMAN
Charlie Glickman PhD is a sex & relationship coach, a sexuality educator, a sexological bodyworker, and an internationally-acclaimed speaker. He’s been working in this field for over 25 years, and some of his areas of focus include sex & shame, sex-positivity, queer issues, masculinity & gender, communities of erotic affiliation, and many sexual & relationship practices. Charlie is also the co-author of The Ultimate Guide to Prostate Pleasure: Erotic Exploration for Men and Their Partners. Find out more about him on his website or on Twitter and Facebook. For Charlie’s sex coaching services, visit Make Sex Easy.