CARAS Curriculum Vitae
Community-Academic Consortium for Research on Alternative Sexualities
CARAS
P.O. Box 3835
Berkeley, CA 94703-3835
Publications
Ortmann, D. and Sprott, R.A. (2012). Sexual Outsiders: Understanding BDSM Sexualities and Communities. New York, NY: Rowman and Littlefield.
Sprott, R. A. & Bienvenu II, R. V. (2007). CARAS: An initiative to link alternative sexuality communities and academic researchers. In D. Langdridge & M. Barker (Eds.), Safe, Sane and Consensual: Contemporary perspectives on sadomasochism. (pp. 243-259). New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan.
Hoff, G. & CARAS. (2007). CARAS Presents: Therapy with BDSM clients. San Francisco, CA: CARAS. DVD format.
Alternative Sexualities Conference
Every year, since 2008, CARAS has partnered with a variety of organizations to put on the Alternative Sexualities Conference. Our partners have included the Sexual Orientation and Gender Institute, and the Programs Advancing Sexual Diversity of the Chicago School of Professional Psychology.
September 28, 2013 - San Francisco
May 24, 2012 - Chicago
August 3, 2011 - Washington, DC
September 23, 2010 - San Francisco
May 21, 2009 - Chicago
May 22, 2008 - Chicago
Presentations
2013
Community Presentations
More than Mad Scientists: Community-Based Research on BDSM
Presented at the Cleveland Leather Awareness Weekend (CLAW), April 25-28, 2013
Academic/Professional Presentations
Fifty Shades of Grey in Therapy: Working with BDSM/Kink Sexualities and Communities
Presented at the American Psychological Association convention, July 31, 2013
Continuing Education Workshop, presented with Keely Kolmes, Psy.D., and Ryan Witherspoon.
2012
Community Presentations
The CENA Project: BDSM Educational Needs Assessment
Presented at the Leather Leadership Conference XVI, April 13-15, 2012, Nashville, TN
What Sexual Science Do We Need?
Presented at the Leather Leadership Conference XVI, April 13-15, 2012, Nashville, TN
Community Outreach: Law and Mental Health Professions
Presented at the Leather Leadership Conference XVI, April 13-15, 2012, Nashville, TN
Academic/Professional Presentations
Polyamory, An Emerging Presenting Issue/Relationship Orientation: What do I need to know from researchers and a clinical specialist to improve care?
Presentation at the American Psychiatric Association, May 5-9, 2012, Philadelphia, PA
Panel organized by Bill Slaughter, MD and included CARAS and Elisabeth Sheff, PhD
2011
Community Presentations
Dom and sub headspace: what science says about our kinks
Presentation at Sacramento Valley Leathercorps, July 7, 2011
From the frontlines of sexual research: The current state of the science on kinky sexuality
Presentation at 8th annual Shibaricon, May 27-30, Chicago, IL.
CARAS Roundtable
Presentation at Northwest Leather Celebration, May 20-22, San Jose, CA
Academic/Professional Presentations
Listening to the Alternative Sex Margins: Experiences of Stigma and Healing in Therapy with BDSM and Polyamorous Couples and Families
Keynote address at the American Family Therapy Academy, Baltimore, June 25, 2011
2010
Community Presentations
BDSM and the DSM - consequences and community responses to medicalizing BDSM as psychiatric illness.
Presentation at 7th annual Shibaricon, Chicago, May 28-31, 2010.
The CENA Project: What should presenters know about kinky education?
Presentation at Leather Leadership Conference XIV, Detroit, Michigan, on April 9-11, 2010.
Community-Based Research: Doing Kinky Science Together
Presentation at Leather Leadership Conference XIV, Detroit, Michigan, on April 9-11, 2010.
Academic/Professional Presentations
Medicalizing BDSM sexuality: its history, its impact, the controversy
Presentation at the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists (AASECT), Pittsburgh, PA, June 3-6, 2010.
3rd Annual Alternative Sexualities Conference: Cultural competencies, clinical issues, research. Conference eligible for 8 CE units, from the State of California Board of Behavioral Sciences, for MFT, LCPC, and LCSW licensed therapists and interns. San Francisco, California, September 23, 2010.
2009
Community Presentations
Community-Based Research on Polyamory: CARAS as a model for collaboration. Presentation at Poly Living West, held in San Francisco, CA on May 28-31, 2009.
Research on Alternative Sexualities. Presentation at Sex 2.0 : Intersection Of Social Media, Feminism, And Sexuality, held in Washington, DC, on Saturday, May 9, 2009.
BDSM And Therapy: Getting Good Help When You Need It. Presentation at the Leather Leadership Conference, XIII, held in Atlanta, GA on April 3-5, 2009.
The CENA Project – Community Education. Presentation at the Leather Leadership Conference, XIII, held in Atlanta, GA on April 3-5, 2009.
The Community Health Assessment. Presentation at the Leather Leadership Conference, XIII, held in Atlanta, GA on April 3-5, 2009.
Academic/Professional Presentations
Therapy with Polyamorous Clients. Workshop – Didactic Training for MFT interns/trainees, Pacific Center for Human Growth, held in Berkeley, CA on February 9, 2009.
Are people involved in BDSM at higher risk for disorders? The need for a community assessment. Presentation at the 41st annual American Association for Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists (AASECT), held in Glendale, Arizona, May 14-17, 2009
2008
Community Presentations
Training therapists for our communities. Presentation at the 12th annual Leather Leadership Conference, held in San Francisco, CA. (April, 2008).
How research works and why it’s important: A primer for kink community leaders. Presentation at the 12th annual Leather Leadership Conference, held in San Francisco, CA. (April, 2008).
BDSM Education: What does the community really need?. Presentation at the 12th annual Leather Leadership Conference, held in San Francisco, CA. (April, 2008).
Early leather/Early kink. Presentation at the 12th annual Leather Leadership Conference, held in San Francisco, CA. (April, 2008).
Academic/Professional Presentations
Leather/Kink/BDSM Sexuality: Cultural competence and clinical issues. Workshop co-sponsored by CARAS and the Sexual Orientation and Gender Institute, held in Chicago, IL. (May 2008).
Cultural competence and clinical issues in working with BDSM sexuality. Workshop presentation at the annual conference of the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists, held in New Orleans, LA. (June, 2008).
Variations in Love: A research agenda for studying BDSM sexuality and polyamory.
Panel presentation at the annual conference of the American Psychological Association, held in Boston, MA. (August, 2008).