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Photo credited to Disabled and Here.

Bottom Line Upfront: Halloween season is upon us.  We’re doing a deep dive into exactly why people should not dress up as a “sexy version” of another culture’s attire, for example a sexy Native American or a Geisha. If you need a nudge on this or are curious to learn more...read on!

The history of how society has molded perceptions of women is a multifaceted narrative that has endured for centuries, influenced by cultural, regional, and media representations. Women have often found themselves defined by preconceived notions imposed upon them by others, commonly men. Within this context, different groups of women have experienced a spectrum of stereotypes, ranging from asexualization to sexualization, hypersexualization, and fetishization. In this week's newsletter, we are privileged to have Jess Gagui, OTD, OTR/L, a biracial Asian/Latina woman, collaborating with me to shed light on common experiences...

I am reflecting on the political landscape these past few weeks and on AOTA's statement about the insurrection & white supremacy and especially the comments in response to that statement that said AOTA and OT should not be political and here are some thoughts I'd like to share.  

It's important to remember that what is happening politically in the US right now is not disconnected from our work as OTs, especially OTs working in sexuality and intimacy. It is our duty to uphold the values of occupational justice and stand up against white supremacy, systematic racism, antisemitism, islamophobia, xenophobia, transphobia, homophobia, ableism, and all other forms of oppression/harm towards others that impact people's self-determination to live as authentic and healthy sexual beings.

 Part of being a culturally humble practitioner involves reflecting on yourself and your own internal biases. It also means knowing the populations you serve and the specific harms by...