- Course: Ayahuasca Healing, Science and Indigenous Knowledge - February 10, 2026
- Course: The Science of Psychedelic Healing 2026 - February 9, 2026
- What does art have to offer to psychedelic therapy? - February 4, 2026
Interactive Workshop from Chacruna Explores Sex, Psychedelics, and Pleasure Activism
San Francisco, CA – September 2025 — The Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines is excited to announce a bold and timely new workshop: “Embrace Pleasure: How Psychedelics Can Heal Our Sexuality,” taking place Friday, October 3rd, 2025, from 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM PDT.
Rooted in the groundbreaking new book Embrace Pleasure: How Psychedelics Can Heal Our Sexuality, this interactive workshop invites participants to explore the intersections of psychedelics, sex, trauma healing, desire, and radical pleasure. While most psychedelic discourse focuses on treating trauma, this workshop dares to ask: What about healing through joy, pleasure, and erotic empowerment?
Led by Dee Dee Goldpaugh, LCSW—therapist, educator, and author of the book—this 3-hour session will blend science, somatics, and spirituality to explore:
- How psychedelics support sexual healing, satisfaction, and self-acceptance
- Why pleasure is absent from mainstream psychedelic discourse
- The impact of prohibition and patriarchy on sex and drug policy
- Tools for preparation and integration for sexual trauma survivors and seekers
- Ethical considerations when combining sex and psychedelics
- The role of community, intimacy, and activism in reclaiming erotic power
“In this workshop, we will discuss the current research on psychedelics and sexuality, but go far beyond that to have a critical dialogue about why pleasure has been so omitted from the discourse about psychedelics.”
Dee Dee Goldpaugh
“In this workshop, we will discuss the current research on psychedelics and sexuality, but go far beyond that to have a critical dialogue about why pleasure has been so omitted from the discourse about psychedelics. How psychedelic work can help us to become more erotically empowered beings and how couples and individuals can use psychedelics to connect more deeply with pleasure.” Says Dee Dee Goldpaugh, author of Embrace Pleasure and advisor to Chacruna.
This workshop is ideal for therapists, guides, facilitators, sex educators, and anyone curious about how psychedelics can catalyze the reclamation of joy, deeper erotic connection, and sexual liberation.
Workshop Details
- Date: Friday, October 3, 2025
- Time: 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM PDT
- Price: $150
- CE Credits: Approval Pending
- Scholarships Available
- Chacruna members receive free or discounted access
About the Chacruna Institute
The Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Northern California. Co-founded by Brazilian anthropologist Dr. Bia Labate and American psychologist Dr. Clancy Cavnar, Chacruna advances psychedelic justice by uplifting the voices of women, queer people, Indigenous peoples, people of color, and the Global South. Through research, public education, and community dialogue, Chacruna promotes culturally informed psychedelic integration and decolonial approaches to plant medicine.
Media Contact:
Lorien Chavez
Chacruna Institute
[email protected]
415-390-6157
Take a minute to browse our stock:
Did you enjoy reading this article?
Please support Chacruna's work by donating to us. We are an independent organization and we offer free education and advocacy for psychedelic plant medicines. We are a team of dedicated volunteers!
Can you help Chacruna advance cultural understanding around these substances?
Become a Chacruna Member
To make a direct donation click the button below:
