Loving More is excited to host a wonderful mix of speakers and facilitators bringing their energy, wisdom, and talent to Rocky Mountain Poly Living 2018.
Presenters/speakers subject to change
Keynote
Ruby Bouie Johnson, LCSW
Ruby Bouie Johnson is the CEO, Founder, and organizer for PolyDallas Millennium LLC. Ruby is a clinical social worker and sex therapist who has 14 years of experience in a variety of behavioral health settings. Currently, she is private practice in Plano, Texas. Over the last 4 years, Ruby’s clients are kinky, polyamorous, open relationships, sexually and gender fluid clients. Ruby has a strong family and group theoretical and intervention skill set. She is able to work with triads, quads, and polycules with power dynamics and communication within their relationships. Ruby has published in various journals and in the African American Encyclopedia on Criminology. Ruby has presented at Kinky Kollege, Consent Summit, Association of Black Sexologist and Clinicians, American Association of Sexologists, Educators, Counselors, and Therapists, and her proposal was accepted by National Education Conference. Consent, Negotiation, and Coercion is Ruby’s service area. She is giving a lot of presentations in the Dallas Area. Ruby Johnson is a contributor for HuffPo and guest blogger. Ruby Johnson is on faculty for the Kink Knowledgeable Program. Mrs. Johnson serves on the board for the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom. The 4th Annual Symposium is July 13-15, 2018 in Dallas. www.polydallasmillennium.com. Ruby has a hub of information at www.blacksexgeek.net.
Workshop Presenters
Mim Chapman Ph.D.
Mim Chapman, Ph.D., is the author of “What Does Polyamory Look Like?” as well as the UU poly curriculum being used by congregations to nurture understanding and acceptance of poly families. She is also the author of a sex education performance-art piece, “The VP (vagina-penis) Dialogues.” She is a certified Myers-Briggs trainer and has led workshops in various aspects of diversity, learning styles, multiple intelligences, collaboration, anti-harassment, sex and aging, and the change process for conferences, schools and businesses. She was Toastmaster’s “Communicator of the Year,” the YWCA/British Petroleum “Woman of Achievement,” and serves on the Board of Directors of Loving More. She currently lives in Santa Fe, where she is a relationship coach, surrogate partner, associate professor and keynote speaker. http://mimchapman.com
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Gloria Jackson-Nefertiti
Gloria Jackson-Nefertiti is a poet, public speaker, panelist, singer, photographer, performance artist and long-time artist's model, as well as a former fundamentalist Christian and cult member. She is also a breast cancer survivor. In fact, it was the cancer diagnosis in 2013 that helped her realize how short life is; this served as the catalyst that caused her to come out as sex-positive, bisexual and polyamorous. Most importantly, it helped her to finally set boundaries and refuse to accept shabby treatment (especially shaming) from others. She is very much interested in helping others identify shame, recognize shaming behavior, and finally, to transcend shame. She lives in Seattle, WA.
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Robyn Trask
Robyn is the Executive Director of Loving More® Non-Profit, a national organizer, and leading activist for polyamory awareness. She is a polyamory counselor, workshop facilitator and writer. Since 2004 Robyn has worked to expand media awareness of polyamory appearing in numerous articles, radio shows and TV including Our America with Lisa Ling, Montel Williams, Baisden After Dark, Michael Baisden Bad Boy Radio Show, Alan Colmes Radio Show, Colin McEnroe Show/NPR, and many others. In addition Robyn works to connect the media with other polyamory activists and individuals. Robyn and Loving More were instrumental in the formation of Polyamory Leadership Network. A national speaker and advocate for polyamory she has been a speaker at conferences, taught at universities and been a featured keynote speaker. Robyn has been openly polyamorous for 28 years, raising three children in a polyamorous family. Robyn has been running polyamory support groups, teaching and facilitating relationship and sexuality workshop since 1999. In addition she counsels polyamorous individuals and families. Currently Robyn is working on two polyamory related books. www.robyntrask.com/
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Robert McGarey, M.A.
Robert McGarey, M.A., has a contagious love for life and a quirky sense of humor. He has been leading personal growth groups for forty years, and has been poly for more than thirty five. He has served as the Roving Poly Counselor at five Loving More Conferences. He’s founder and director of the nonprofit Human Potential Center in Austin, Texas, and is the author of the Poly Communication Survival Kit. Contact him by emailing [email protected], calling (512) 441-8988, or visiting www.RobertMcGarey.com.
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Marina Reiko
MarinaWebEdit18Marina was raised in polyamorous family from birth. As a young teen Marina identified as polyamory and bisexual. At age 15 she began assisting in organizing Loving More events from Poly Living Conferences to Pride Fest Booth and Parade in Colorado. In2013 she co-facilitated a presentation on children and raising sex positive kids at Poly Living Philadelphia and at Woodhull in August 2014. Recently Marina started a Teens in Polyamory Facebook page, a place for teens exploring polyamory or those raised in poly families to be able to connect and learn from each other. An aspiring actress Marina performed in the play “Journey to the West” by OpenStage Theatre in Fort Collins in the fall 2014, her first performance with a professional company. Marina is an honors student from GOAL Academy, a statewide online high school currently participating in concurrent enrollment at Front Range Community College in Fort Collins, CO and will graduate this spring. She plans to attend college at the University of Northern Colorado and major in theatre, and hopes to expand from stage acting and modeling to film in the near future. www.facebook.com/polyteenagers/
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Jesus Viramontes Garcia (Chuy)
Jesus is the Board President of Loving More Nonprofit, polyamory activist and leader in the community. He is a native of the San Francisco Bay area who began exploring alternatives to monogamy in 2004. In 2005 he attended his first Loving More Retreat. In September 2006 he was invited to join Loving More’s Board of Directors. He has worked at raising money for many worthy causes and continues to work tirelessly as Loving More Nonprofit’s volunteer Director of IT. Jesus has been presenting on polyamory at conferences, Universities and special events. He is a key coordinator for Loving More conferences and volunteers. In addition Jesus has worked in the computer information technology field since 1995.
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Lee Hencen & Murray Schechter
Lee Hencen has been poly for a long time with poly experiences of being married, single, part of a triad and currently in a domesticating life-partner relationship in Brooklyn, NY with Murray Schechter. She practices a family style of Polyamory which includes long distance relationships. A retired RN, Lee has presented various workshops at Poly Living, Beyond the Love, Loving More East Coast Retreat, Eastern Naturist Gathering, Deepening Connections for B-More Poly and Building Bridges. Murray Schechter has identified as polyamorous since 2004. He’s been part of PLN (poly leadership network) for the past 7 years and served on the Leadership Committee of OLNY (Open Love NY). Murray is a naturist and has presented at various naturist gatherings, Poly Living, Beyond the Love, Deepening Connections for B-More Poly and Open Love NY discussion groups. Lee and Murray have known each other for 12 years and in relationship for the last 8 years. They’ve been living together in Brooklyn for the last two years. Their relationship has a deep commitment to open communication of honesty, integrity, vulnerability and growth which is practiced in their daily lives as well as by attending and presenting various workshops.
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Jessica Fern Cooley
Jessica Fern Cooley is a LGBTQIAPK friendly Relationship Coach and Registered Psychotherapist in Boulder, CO. Jessica loves working with individuals, couples, and Poly loved ones who no longer want to be limited by their reactive relational patterns, cultural conditioning, internalized stories, emotional triggers, insecure attachment styles and past pains, so that they can embody new possibilities in life and love. Jessica holds a Master's in Conflict Resolution and specializes in Somatic Narrative Therapy, Emotional Trigger Work, Non-Violent Communication, Attachment/Trauma Work, Embodying Your New Story and Revising Your Painful Past.
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Chris Deaton & Elisha Thompson
Chris and Elisha recently celebrated 10 years together as a polyamorous couple. They believe that continued growth is important to a successful long term relationship and to that end are continually pushing their own, and each other’s, boundaries. They are both graduate students looking at various kink related topics. Chris is looking at perceptions of hierarchy in long term polyamorous relationships. Elisha is looking at the intersection of perceived benefits of yoga and BDSM participation, for example body image. They can be reached through the survey website at http://polyamory.education. Chris was recently featured on a PolyWeekly podcast and together they have presented various topics at Behind Closed Doors, Loving More's Poly Living, and other venues. They have just begun their second year of leading the Arizona Chapter of Loving More, which can be found on Facebook.
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Melissa Walker, MA, LPC, R-DMT
Melissa Walker, MA, LPC, R-DMT, founder and director for the Embodied Relationships Counseling Center, is a Body-Centered Psychotherapist who specializes in sex and relationship therapy. A graduate of Naropa University in 2009, Melissa weaves together her Masters level training with additional certification in Somatic Archaeology, and training in Couples Therapy, Sex Therapy, Psychodrama, and Authentic Movement. Melissa is currently adjunct faculty at Naropa University teaching Professional Orientation & Ethics for 3rd year graduate somatic counseling psychology students. Through body-centered and contemplative methods, clients are invited to connect with their present-moment, lived experience to shed the cultural and institutional messages that block healthy eroticism, integrate the experiences that frame the sexual self, and unlock innate wisdom toward growth, self-understanding, and healthy, conscious intimate relationships. Melissa supports relationship diversity and how intersectionality of social identity impacts sexuality and intimate justice.
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Nikki Ebright & Billy Van Ark
Nikki has been learning about and practicing polyamory since 2010, and has learned many lessons in that time! She created and runs two fandom conventions and one gaming convention in the Denver area, and has lots of ideas about building community and healthy communicating. Billy has been leaning about polyamory since the early 2000s and practicing since 2013. He believes brains are squishy meat and the more tools we have to help them be less squishy, the better.
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Liz Newsom, LCSW
Elizabeth "Liz" Newsom, LCSW is a sex therapist working with those who identify as kinky and/or practice ethical non-monogamy; cisgender nonconformists, and/or people questioning sexuality; as well as those who need help with things like depression, anxiety, mood disorders, trauma, & more.
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Ben Silver
Ben is a singer, musician and poly and bi activist who has been in an open primary relationship for 26 years. He and his partner started a support group for committed non-monogamous relationships in the ‘80s which met monthly for over 15 years. As a performer, Ben’s music slides through folk, R&B, funk, jazz and back again; he sings about freedom, the environment, LBGT issues, parenting and love. His writing has been published in “Carry it On,” ”Sing Out” magazine and the book “Hearing Everyone’s Voice.”
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Zach
Zach is a self-proclaimed nerd, sex geek and consent junkie. He has been a volunteer facilitator for a weekly Polyamory Peer Discussion Group for two years as well as serving as President of the Board of Directors for the Houston Polyamory Organization. He has been actively polyamorous for ten years and loves nothing more than gaining more poly knowledge and sharing it with others. He has served on polyamory discussion panels and recorded podcast episodes on the subjects of polyamory and non-monogamy. Zach became interested in consent as a topic some five years ago as a personal research project. He will share his knowledge with anyone who will listen and will soon begin training as a social worker to be of even more benefit to his community. He lives, works, laughs, and loves in Houston where he enjoys listening to and playing music, converting from a fat boy to a runner, all things Star Trek, reading, gaming, cooking and being owned and loved by a bulldog.
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Thomas Schnetlage
Tom Schnetlage first became familiar with a non-monogamous lifestyle when he resided with members of the “Harrad West” group marriage during the 1970’s. He and his wife embraced polyamory in 2011, a lifestyle they have enjoyed ever since. Tom actively participates in sex-positive and polyamory communities in the San Francisco region. He regularly attends conferences, workshops and retreats on such topics related to sexuality, polyamory, tantra and kink. He has spoken at and created videos of Dave Doleshal’s Berkeley poly conferences. He hosts and speaks at East Bay Poly Potlucks. Last August he spoke on the topic of seniors and poly at the 2nd International Conference on Non-Monogamies and Contemporary Intimacies in Vienna, Austria. He assists at mini-workshops that introduce people to the Human Awareness Institute “Love, Intimacy and Sexuality” workshops. Tom has been a hospice volunteer for 10+ years. He has hosted Non-Violent Communications practice group sessions. Since retiring in 2014, Tom has written extensively, but, privately about his observations on seniors and poly. He hopes to create a book on the topic.
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Patrick & Kristie
Patrick & Kristie have been in the poly lifestyle for most of their adult lives. They’re fascinated by the intersection of poly, kink, & nerdy board games. They live in Denver Colorado and can be found on any given weekend playing board games in a coffee shop.
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Dawn Davidson
Dawn Davidson is passionate about Love. She believes that no matter who or how many you love, Love is always OK! The author of the KISSable Agreements Workbook, and an internationally-known expert on polyamory, Dawn loves to help open-hearted people experience greater fulfillment in their own lives and loves. Dawn graduated from U.C. Berkeley, is a certified Interchange Radical Counselor and Shamanic Soul Coach, and an Ordained Minister dedicated to Love as a spiritual path. As a counselor, coach, and presenter, she provides insightful, intuitive guidance grounded in 2 decades of experience with real people all over the world. Her private sessions and workshops provide practical tools and wide-ranging resources to help you discover and express your most authentic self, whether individually, or in and through your relationships. Dawn is Kink-Knowledgeable, GLBTQQI-supportive, and a proponent of all forms of loving, respectful relationship. http://www.loveoutsidethebox.com/about-dawn.html
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Chase Johnson
Chase Johnson is a software engineer and he resides in Plano, Texas. He is pursuing his master’s of social work at the University of Houston. Chase is the co-organizer for PolyDallas Millennium. He has co-presented with Ruby on topics such as White Supremacy, Difficult Conversations on Race, and Consent. Occasionally, Chase is called upon to offer his techy skills within the community.
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Rachel Anne Kieran, Psy.D.
An Atlanta-area therapist with knowledge and experience in the areas of sexual, gender and relational diversity. Providing individual therapy that is LGBTQIQ-affirmative, sex-positive, polyamory-friendly and kink-knowledgeable. In addition to therapy services, I often provide talks and lectures on a variety of topics, most often on sexual, gender and relational diversity. These may be to other mental health professionals, or to the public. Licensed as a psychologist in the State of Georgia, I have been providing therapy services for over ten years, and have been in private practice for five. I consider my practice open and accepting to all, and have a particular emphasis on the importance of multiple identities in the lives of my patients. This includes knowledge and experience in areas of sexual, gender and relational diversity including sexual and affectional identity/orientation, transgender issues, queer theory, BDSM and kink, polyamory and other non-monogamies.
Nolan Lawless
Nolan Lawless is a Licensed Professional Counselor and owner of Mount Scott Counseling in Lawton, Oklahoma, and Infinite Heart
Counseling in Denton, Texas. He has over ten years of experience in working with diverse populations, including multiple gender
identities, sexual orientations, and relationship dynamics. His practice focuses on providing a supportive and caring environment for his
clients to navigate the unique challenges of their relationships to overcome obstacles, improve communication, and rediscover the joy
that love can bring. Nolan previously presented at Playground 2015 in Toronto on “Counseling for Diverse and Alternative Relationships
and Sexualities”. He and his wife are co-founders of the polyamory support and social group in Lawton, where they live with their two
very spoiled dogs, Chester and Daisy. www.infiniteheartcounseling.com
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Jeri Lynn Astra Herbert
Jeri Lynn Astra Herbert is founder of Jersey City Poly & Alt relationship Network, and founder/hostess of Jersey City Poly Cocktails. She presented at APW 2016 and has served on the following panels: Widener College’s Human Sexuality Program’s presentation on polyamory, OLNY’s discussion group on Mental Illness and Polyamory. She is founder of JC RetroStyle, which is an organization that sponsors photo shoots, parties, and other events in order to promote community, increase skill sets, provide exposure, and elevate the voices of all genders, nationalities, and sizes in the pin-up and alt fashion universe. Jeri is a dancer with the NYC chapter of PURE (Public Urban Ritual Experiment), an international troupe of dancers and musicians working to promote community, healing, and social change. When she’s not advocating, educating, organizing, or hostessing, she can be found dancing, modeling, working on her art line (Jude the Blackbird), or at her day job in the promotions department of a Manhattan advertising agency. Jeri lives in Jersey City with her amazing anchor partner, and her very large orange tabby cat Frankie.
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Scarlett is a writer, teacher and wild woman with 20+ years of practical insights and experience on polyamory, women’s studies and living intentionally through empowered choice. As a poly educator, she uses her “on-the-ground” knowledge of polyamorous relationships / lifestyle / communication and the latest developing research to build a balanced approach to polyamory and shares these insights through workshops, webinars and conferences. Scarlett is an active Board Member for the Relationship Equality Foundation, a 501c3 educational non-profit in Georgia. Sarah walks in the polyamorous world through thick and thin with her family of the heart including adults, children, cats, dogs, horses and many variations in relationship structure. She is a passionate teacher hoping to find love, friendship and insight through careful consideration, continuous exploration and just the right question at the right time.