Leonore Tjia
Leonore Tjia
Occupation: Adult Sexuality Educator
Location: Burlington, Vermont, United States
The Sex in My Business: I educate adults about pleasure, desire, identity, trauma, relationships, and bodies. I see sexual energy as a life force and believe that working on it not only improves the quality of people’s sex lives but is very liberating. I also run group sessions that explore pleasure, boundaries, trust, and voice with clear guidelines and structure, incorporating somatic and expressive arts for healing and witnessing.
A Typical Day: I wake up in the morning, drink Chinese herbs, and then start seeing clients over Zoom. Since the pandemic hit, my life has become pretty reclusive, which suits my introverted style.
The Best Part: My favorite part of the job is helping people recover and reconnect to parts of their identity that are lost, frozen, and disowned. I enjoy helping people become more fully themselves. I also love group work because it helps heal and normalize issues many sat with alone before, as well as fosters empathy and connection that’s needed to transform the shame.
The Worst Part: I can sometimes feel helpless with the vicarious trauma I experience during sessions. It’s also hard to deal with the self-judgment that arises when I struggle with my own sexuality and relationships, which occasionally makes it hard to have compassion for myself.
How I Got Here: In my early twenties, I engrossed myself in feminist organizing and feminist spirituality to help make sense of internalized homophobia and past sexual coercive experiences. After that, I delved into sexuality education, training with different teachers, and studying various modalities, all the while engaging with my own healing, empowerment, and consciousness-raising work.
What Society Thinks: While attitudes can range from avoidance and shutdown to excitement and curiosity, I primarily encounter ignorance. There’s a lack of understanding about the healing power of sexuality professions, as well as general ignorance about the different types of sex work. Thankfully, I have not faced significant backlash or condemnation around my work. I come from a mixed Chinese and white family, and while they don’t always understand, they’ve given me a lot of space to pursue a career that has been clearly meaningful to me.
Sometimes people idealize sexuality professionals and put us on a pedestal. While it can invite sexualization, it’s also validating to be recognized. It’s very affirming when I encounter supportive and welcoming attitudes.
When I’m Not at Work: I love dancing, spending time in the mountains, archery, and reading fiction, especially speculative feminist fiction written by authors of color.
Published in Issue IX: Community