People often ask, how do you keep the spark alive in a relationship? To help answer this question, Sexual Health Alliance called in Dr. Rhonda Balzarini and the top academic researchers in the field of Sexual Health. Presenters from distinguished universities from all over the world joined SHA students for this exciting and informational weekend.
At SHA, we think no one says it better than our students and alumni, so here you’ll see what they thought of SHA’s Keeping the Spark Alive 2024 event!
““This was such an amazing conference, and I am so excited to attend more of these. The presenters were all really knowledgeable with the information they were presenting and answered questions with great discussion and feedback. I also enjoyed that each presentation touched on a piece of another presenter’s topic, further intertwining and creating a full scope of the information presented this weekend as a whole.””
Day 1 Presentations for Keeping the Spark Alive
Dr. Rhonda Balzarini: For Better or Worse: Maintaining Intimacy in a Less-Than-Ideal World
Dr. Rhonda Balzarini introduced several prominent relationship theories—theories of responsiveness, relationship ideals, and self-expansion. She explored how recent findings in these areas can provide new insight into how couples can keep the spark alive in their relationships.
Dr. Andrea Meltzer: Sexual Desire During the Early Years of Marriage: Normalizing Changes Over Time
In this presentation, Dr. Andrea Meltzer discussed the topic of marriage and sexual desire. She presented information that concluded that sex differences in sexual desire are normal and these differences can grow with time. She also shared that couples do not always seem prepared for such change.
Dr. Laurie Mintz: Solutions for Female Orgasm Problems: Helping Clients Become Cliterate
Dr. Laurie Mintz presented striking statistics to demonstrate that during partner sex, cisgender women are having substantially fewer orgasms than cisgender men. She gave an overview of the causes of this gap, making a convincing case that this gap is cultural, not biological.
““The talks about female orgasm and shame were most impactful for me! The program outlined by Laurie Minz was so helpful, not only to me as a therapist, but also as a vulva owner! Shame continues to be a primary concern of many of my individual and relational clients.””
Dr. Shari Blumenstock: Navigating Sexual Desire and Satisfaction in Relationships: Interconnected Personal, Relational, and Psychophysiological Dynamics
This presentation took a deeper dive into the intricate interplay of personal, relational, and psychophysiological factors in shaping sexual desire within romantic relationships. Dr. Shari Blumenstock explored how personal factors such as individual expectations and attachment styles, relational factors including relationship satisfaction and intimacy, and psychophysiological dynamics like arousal patterns contribute to the formation of sexual desire, particularly when directed toward a long-term partner.
Dr. Jessica Maxwell: Beliefs in the Bedroom and Beyond
In this talk, Dr. Jessica Maxwell illustrated how our beliefs about the self, world, and sexuality can have far-reaching consequences for our sexual and relationship satisfaction. She explored how our beliefs about our body shape sexual and relationship satisfaction across sexual orientation groups.
““I feel more educated and ready to discuss these topics when they come up in sessions.””
Kat Kova: Queering Sex Therapy
In this presentation, Sex Therapist Kat Kova discussed how queering sex means challenging the overwhelmingly heteronormative, ableist, and ageist sexual scripts that exist in our world that determine how we should or should not experience sexuality. Attendees learned about various "queer" experiences of sex/sexuality in sex therapy, what queering sex therapy looks like, the role of pleasure, and queering relationships.
Arik Shoikhedbrod: Sexual motivation, need fulfillment, and support within romantic relationships: A self-determination theory perspective
Arik Shoikhedbrod’s presentation focused on understanding sexuality and relationships in terms of what motivates people to have sex with their partners, why sex satisfies basic psychological needs, and how partners can support one another in fulfilling their sexual needs.
““I really enjoyed the bringing together of all these experts into the same space. I learned so much about new and ongoing research that I may not have come into contact with if not for SHA. So thankful for that!””
Day 2 Presentations for Keeping the Spark Alive
Dr. Uzma Rehman: The Role of Shame in Sexual Communication: A Conceptual Overview and Practical Implications
Dr. Uzma Rehman highlighted the complexities of shame and discussed the role of interpersonal patterns in creating a negative sense of self. She spoke with event attendees about the challenges sex therapists face in addressing client issues related to sexuality, the importance of therapists being aware of their own discomfort, and the necessity of respecting client's resistance and engaging with it rather than pushing through it.
““I appreciated the distinction between characterological shame vs transient shame as well as the depiction of shame as a ‘shape shifter’. Shame thrives in silence and continues to hide until it is disclosed and explored.””
Dr. Christopher Quinn-Nilas: From Adversity to Intimacy: Exploring Sexuality After Traumatic Events
Dr. Christopher Quinn-Nilas presented on the complex interplay between trauma and sexuality, focusing on two distinct studies. The first examines individuals who have experienced the death of a partner, delving into the "double taboo" of navigating sexual thoughts and behaviors amidst grief. The second study is a dyad investigation of couples in which at least one partner has endured Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), assessing how early trauma shapes adult romantic and sexual dynamics.
Dr. Jaclyn Siegel: Feeling 'Hot' Can Turn up the Heat in Bed: Exploring the Links between Body Image, Weight Stigma, and Sexual Outcomes
In Dr. Jaclyn Siegel’s presentation, she reviewed fundamental concepts in body image research and explained the ways in which diverse elements of negative body image (e.g., body shame, self-objectification, body image self-consciousness during sex) can adversely influence sexual functioning and satisfaction.
““I really enjoyed Jaclyn Siegel I think she drove so deep into many topics of body image and it really put into perspective how body image can affect all different aspects of sexual desire, sexual communication, etc.””
Dr. Lucia O'Sullivan: Just Because I'm Flirting Doesn't Mean I Want You: Being in a Relationship and Managing Attraction to Others
Dr. Lucia O'Sullivan discussed the relationship maintenance process in the face of attraction to others. Dr. O’Sullivan argued that it is near impossible to “put the blinders on” despite being in an exclusive intimate relationship—we simply are aware of attractive others and often spend more time with them in our work lives than our primary partners. However, there are strategies that are useful for those who want to maintain monogamy in their coupled relationships, just as there are pitfalls that are necessary to avoid.
Dr. Dana Weiser: An intersectional review of the infidelity literature: Implications and future directions
In her presentation, Dr. Dana Weiser will provided a brief introduction to intersectionality theory and discuss the existing infidelity literature. She reviewed the definitions of infidelity, predictors of infidelity, and relationship outcomes following infidelity through an intersectional lens. Dr. Weiser critiqued the current gaps in the infidelity literature and discussed implications for researchers and clinicians.
Dr. Allen Mallory: Understanding the complexity of sexual communication: What we know and future directions
Dr. Allen Mallory provided an overview of the growing field of sexual communication and romantic relationships. He gave a brief overview of the existing theories of sexual communication, the various dimensions of sexual communication and their connection to sexual and relational quality, and what we know about the factors that help and hinder sexual communication. The talk concluded with a discussion of existing interventions for sexual communication and future directions for the field.
““I was so impressed with the quality of research happening right now! As a nurse, and future sex educator, I am all about quality research and peer review! I loved this weekend and all the abundance of both those things. I also was able to make connections with some very interesting people. I cannot wait for the next two I am signed up for!””
Keeping the Spark Alive 2024: A Weekend of Sexual Health Research and Education
This weekend event brought together some of the best sexual health researchers in the field. Not only did they share their work, but also answered questions from event attendees in each post-talk Q and A session. And we have to say, SHA students ask the BEST questions! So what did attendees gain from this weekend event? Event attendees left his event with a wealth of impactful knowledge, better preparing them for their careers in sexuality and sexual health.
““My biggest takeaway was being able to be surrounded by likeminded people. It was the first time I have been in a space that was primarily focused on sex and sexuality. It was incredible to meet all these people, and hear their perspectives and experiences. The presentations were valuable and impactful, and overall a great learning experience.””
Curious about your path in the evolving field of sexuality? Let's find out which SHA certification is meant for you. Take our 'Shape the Future of Sexuality: Which Certification Is Your Calling?' quiz and embrace your future role in shaping sexuality education.