Previous attendants say…
“We are a hetero monogamous couple that attended the Power Exchange Academy intensive this weekend. We must recommend this event to ANYONE who is starting on your kink journey, you won’t find better guides. While the introspection was difficult at times, it was worth doing because it brought our relationship to the next level through honest and open communication. Cat and Joshua led the sessions with compassion and passion, with a definite focus on safety. BDSM can be intimidating but they made the discovery and hands on (non sexual) trialing fun and informative.”
“Our fantasies, unexplored or misunderstood, can wreak such emotional havoc in our lives…. I was given the opportunity not only to face the depth of my own desires but the chance to explore what a safe container for my fantasies looks like. I also practiced the importance of asking for what I want, and I learned negotiation skills applicable to all areas of life. The world of kink was demystified, and the potential it has to heal our deepest psychic wounds was revealed. In the process, I feel as though I’ve found a new and supportive community for my life’s journey as well. I’m simply not the same person coming out as I was going in.”
“Where to start? This is what I need. I was starting to get complacent in my life, not wanting ot trusting anyone in my life to talk about the hard stuff. Or just stagnant in life. Then, here comes the Kink Collective with the People Before Kink workshop. In the beginning of the retreat, Cat said that we will end up crying at the end of the retreat. I was thinking, “nope, why would I cry?”. This is just another event, with a spin. I would learn as much as I could and party. I was completely wrong. I cried so hard at the end. The friendships I built in just 4 days! I now have a new family. How everyone could just be who they are with no judgement. How much everyone was willing to teach and learn. What I learned about myself, and now, working on becoming the best version of myself. The biggest thing that finally hit home for me is not being sorry for who you are .”
“I think that the pandemic had made me numb to my own isolation. Friendships, romantic connections, I stopped looking for them. But being in that setting, it woke me up. It sparked something in me. I felt free to push myself and do new things. I connected to people in ways I never had before. In the end, I looked around the room and realized that for every person in there, I have at least one distinct memory of something meaningful we shared.”
“This experience was life changing! This intensive is very well designed to make you discover parts of yourself you didn’t know existed. The Collective is very knowledgeable and incredibly approachable. I can’t wait to further explore the BDSM aspect of my life and be a part of the next generation. Thank you so much for this opportunity!”
This workshop was more than just about talking to other people, it was about making connections for the benefit of building a safer, more supportive community. It gave me real concrete ways that I could “Be the change I want to see” in my local play spaces. ”Being “new” in the lifestyle now for about 7 months or so, I didn’t really think about what connection is. I thought there is friendship, and romantic relationships. Knowing what I know through my journey, and this workshop, I can now say connection is a wide range. You can have a intimate connection with someone, who you aren’t romantically linked with. You can have intimacy, without intent to have sex, or sexual relations. Craving intimacy the way I do, It was so amazing to make new connections today, and to have tools I can use for future connections I make.”
“I wish this had been available and able to attend before going to my first events. An in depth review of some basic safety and care tenants in BDSM. With the removal of any play aspects, demonstrations or education, I was able to concentrate purely on the person I was with and their motivations, emotions and experiences they were bringing to this environment. Removing the roles, and leaving the human being. It created a safe environment for people to reveal a personal part of themselves they might not have had experience talking about before.”
“I believe the idea of “People Before Kink” should be built into the foundation of BDSM. I loved being part of this discussion and I look forward to seeing new practices form around it.”
“I went into this intensive not entirely sure what to expect, and left feeling more confident in myself and my communication skills, both for kink and non-kink settings. I loved the interplay of learning skills and information and getting to practice building connections while simultaneously practicing introspection. This intensive harnessed the powerful force of communication to build connection, skills, and self awareness necessary for navigating healthy kink, and healthy relationships in general. I feel like people of all skill levels could benefit from it.”
“I had a great experience. What I value the most about it were the points of self introspection that had me realize a few things about myself and also being in a space with others who share very similar values and philosophies. I also very much appreciated sharing of personal experiences with kink and communication from the hosts and some guests.”
“The intensive was very informative and revealing. Not only for myself but also how I interact with others. A lot of introspective work, and a comfortable and refreshing atmosphere to engage in. A great set of tools to help get in touch with, communicate and express parts of myself.”