Background
I was at the opening of a sensuality retreat in Iceland. I’d traveled a few thousand miles and was ready for the adventure of my life, and all I could do was sway. It seemed like everyone else had it figured out - do you know that feeling? Like they instinctively knew how to move and experience all the joys of their body. One of the facilitators invited us to “feel the music in your body and let it move…”
Meanwhile, all I could muster was shifting my weight from right to left and back. This really struck me because for most of my life (and previous career leading teen programs) I’d be the one getting others out on the dance floor. No shame in my game - I used to be able to get inner city teens from Baltimore to dance with suburban kids from NJ and they embraced those opportunities to engage, but at this point it was clear that I could barely engage with myself. I realized I had lost a deeply important part of my being.
In hindsight, I think I’d skipped over a lot of the early adulthood milestones in the name of responsibility, maturity and “doing the right thing”. I was married just shy of my 23rd birthday. By society’s standards I had made a “good choice.” My husband was mature, smart, driven, and generous. We knew we wanted to travel and do other “together” things before even thinking about starting a family, but something was always missing.
On paper we looked like a good fit and a happy couple, but in truth, we struggled with connection on many levels. He was rather conservative and “old fashioned” and resistant to seeking any form of support for our marriage or relationship - sexual or otherwise. I was strong in many areas of my life but in my marriage, I was having serious trouble advocating for myself and my needs, and I did the “go along to get along” thing...and things were “fine”.. not good, not great- just “fine”. A lot of what I had learned in my early life made me feel like I should not make waves and things weren’t “bad enough” to make any drastic changes or -heaven forbid- entertain the "D-word".
Even after years of my own talk therapy, something was still off; something deeper was driving me. I started looking for intimacy in the wrong places, trying to put a bandaid on it and grab moments of connection with close friends in similar situations. He found his own ways to escape. I was left dealing with my daughter's health crisis and continually putting my needs on the back burner. Something had to give.
The decline and ultimate end of our marriage was a very long road with several twists and turns. Right before it was final, I found myself on that sensuality retreat in Iceland. I signed up as a sort of gift to myself. This turned out to be a huge underestimation. This was the beginning of my journey of reclaiming.
I Gave Myself the Gift of Me
I gave myself the gift of me, and it has turned out to be the gift that keeps on giving...and it’s only getting better. I not only rediscovered the dancer in me, she was back to her old tricks and wound up co-hosting spontaneous dance parties for fellow retreat sisters. I had broken out of that shell I didn’t even know I was in…and I’m NEVER going back!
I had such a profound, life-changing and empowering experience that I wanted to play a role in this work; supporting clients reclaim their empowerment and access their sexual selves. I pursued training and attended additional retreats & workshops following that experience in Iceland which led me to develop my own approach to sexual transformation.
- I’m a holistic sex educator, well versed in sexual health and sexuality as part of the whole human experience.
- I’m a Somatica® trained sex & relationship coach, educated and experienced in the body’s language and its impact on our capacity for intimacy.
- I’ve spent my career helping people identify their goals and strategically align them with their actions and choices.
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Wendy Leigh, M.S. (pronouns she/her) has spent her career helping others increase self-awareness, coaching them to get in touch with what they truly want, and expressing themselves with effortless confidence and enthusiasm! She has over 30 years experience through her work focused on leadership development in nonprofits and in her own consulting practice. -
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Wendy’s experiences strategizing with organizations, coaching professionals, creating educational content and mentoring teens serves as the springboard into this individualized, empowering and valuable work; supporting others in meaningful ways. For her, this means encouraging their individual erotic expression, deepening intimacy, communication, and sexual satisfaction. -
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Wendy is trained in the Somatica ® Coaching Method, as a Holistic Sex Educator and is certified in various personal development tools (e.g. MBTI, Strengthsfinder, DiSC, TKI). She is a member of the American Association for Sex Educators, Counselors & Therapists (AASECT), holds a Master’s degree in Human Services, Leadership & Organizational Development from Springfield College, and a BA in Political Science and Psychology from Syracuse University.