On episode 184 of American Sex Podcast, Sunny Megatron & sex-positive therapist, Kate Loree, look at BDSM through an atypical lens. We chat about the misconceptions we worked through as people who stumbled upon kink later in life and how that perspective is helpful now in our careers. We discuss the headspace & strategy needed to tap into the customizable nature of BDSM, plus dive into the science & psychology behind kinky play--why do masochists like suffering? What happens to the body & mind during the altered states of consciousness subspace & topspace? How do people use kink to be more grounded, regulate the nervous system, explore intense emotional states with minimal risk, and more? There’s a lot more to BDSM than ropes, paddles, and floggers! Guest Bio – Kate Loree, LMFT Kate Loree, LMFT, is a sex-positive licensed marriage and family therapist with a specialty in non-monogamous, kink, LGBTQ, and sex worker communities. In addition to her master’s in marriage and family therapy, she also has an MBA and is a registered art therapist (ATR). She is an EDSE certified sex educator and an EMDR certified therapist with additional training in the Trauma Resiliency Model (TRM) for the treatment of trauma. She has been practicing psychotherapy since 2003. Kate is the author of Open Deeply: A Guide to Building Conscious, Compassionate Open Relationships (release date 4/19/22) and cohosts the sex-positive podcast of the same name, Open Deeply, with Sunny Megatron. She’s been featured in Buzzfeed videos, and has guested on Playboy Radio and many podcasts, including American Sex, Sluts and Scholars, and Sex Nerd Sandra. She’s written for Good Vibrations, Hollywood Magazine and is a frequent public speaker. Guest Bio – Sunny Megatron, CSE Host of the Showtime Original Series, Sex with Sunny Megatron, began teaching about BDSM in 2010. Her area of expertise is the soft skills--which center around things like ethics, cultivating self-awareness, and strategies for effective communication. She received a FROST Certificate of Gratitude in 2020 honoring her service to the kink community, was voted XBIZ Sexpert of the Year in 2021, and Kinkly’s Sex Blogging Superhero in 2017. Her alternative sexuality-focused podcast American Sex was awarded the AASECT Podcast Award in 2020. Sunny also creates curriculum about BDSM for sexuality professionals. Some of her most recent kink-related projects include designing & teaching the BDSM unit for a well-known sex educator certification program plus a lesson for the Sexual Health Alliance’s Kink Informed Certification Program for therapists and other care professionals. Sunny’s first book, Customizable Kink: A Strategic Guide to Erotic Play is scheduled to be released in 2022. Episode 184 Links Kate Loree Website: http://kateloree.com Kate Loree Facebook http://facebook.com/kateloreelmft Kate Loree Twitter http://twitter.com/kateloreelmft Kate Loree Instagram http://instagram.com/opendeeplywithkateloree Kate Loree YouTube https://www.youtube.com/kateloree Open Deeply: A Guide to Building Conscious, Compassionate Open Relationships (release date 4/19/22)  https://www.amazon.com/dp/164742335X/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_ZHACQ8RJHMR2R9HGHBMY Open Deeply Podcast http://opendeeplypodcast.com No Bullsh*t Intro to Kink workshop, Sunny Megatron/Sex Positive World 3/19/22 https://www.sexpositiveworld.org/event-details/a-no-bulls-it-intro-to-kink Resistbot: Send an email to your legislators in 2 minutes via text with https://resist.bot/ @TransTexas/TENT resources for Texas families with transgender kids https://linktr.ee/Transtexas Info from @EqualityTexas “What to do if CPS shows up at your door in regards to your trans child?” https://vm.tiktok.com/TTPdUchp2B/?k=1 Equality Texas Twitter https://twitter.com/EqualityTexas Info about the passing of Milo Winslow, trans rights advocate in Lincoln, Nebraska https://www.upworthy.com/world-has-lost-hero-lgbtq-activist-milo-winslo