About the Author
(Photo credit : In Her Image Photography)
Melissa Fritchle, LMFT
“As an intern in psychotherapy, I worked at a crisis center for sexual assault survivors. There I talked to many people who had healed the trauma but who still were searching for a way to enjoy their sexuality and they were having trouble finding professionals who could support them in this part of their journey. This experience created a passion for me – to be a voice for healthy, diverse, sex positive potential for everyone. We each have a right to claim our sexuality with joy and curiosity.”
– Melissa Fritchle, LMFT
Melissa Fritchle is a Holistic Sex Therapist and Sex Educator with a private practice in Santa Cruz, California. Licensed as a Marriage and Family Therapist (CA Lic#48627), she works with individuals, couples and poly partnerships to help people find more ease and satisfaction in their sexual lives. Her graduate studies in Holistic Counseling Psychology highlighted the intersections of mind, body, spirit and diversity. She is also a Certified Mindfulness Meditation Teacher and considers herself a Pleasure Activist advocating for pleasure as an important aspect of healing.
Melissa is honored to travel in the US & internationally to provide workshops and trainings for professionals. She is currently the director of Trauma-Informed Sex Positive Therapy certification programs. She has worked as core faculty and adjunct faculty for Masters Degree programs in Counseling Psychology in the Bay Area and serves as Clinical Supervisor for select associate therapists at Shine A Light Counseling Center. In 2011, she was awarded the Sexual Intelligence award for her groundbreaking work providing sex positive training for counselors and caregivers in Uganda. Then in 2014 she traveled to Kenya to work with a group of Catholic priests and nuns from throughout Africa on developing sex positive approaches to sexual issues within the clergy.
You can find Melissa as a frequent contributor to online media. She writes the blog, Transformational Pleasure, which was previously Conscious Sexual Self blog, and is working on a new book on our relationship to our bodies.