Workshops are presented by a diverse group of national, international, regional and local presenters.
Below is a partial list of the approved workshops. More will be posted as we receive and approve them.
(click titles to open for presenter bios and full class descriptions)
As those who engage in primary relationships based upon consensual dominance and submission have coalesced into a viable and recognizable community, one of the more interesting developments has been the burgeoning number of Masters with multiple slaves. Is this phenomenon simply a more esoteric form of polyamory? How does one effectively structure multiple D/s relationships? What are the joys and benefits a Master can derive from having more than one slave, and what are the challenges and pitfalls that undoubtedly lie in store? Drawing upon his extensive personal experience as well as the experiences of many of his peers, Master Skip will examine those questions in depth and explore the skill sets—practical and emotional—necessary for navigating such unchartered terrain. As he blows the lid off of the many myths and fantasies that abound when it comes to mastering multiple slaves, one thing will become abundantly clear: wimps need not apply.
In fantasy, the Master is all-powerful, in control of every situation and always on top of things, particularly when it comes to the slave. But life happens, and the reality is that Masters are human and can find themselves distracted, despondent and even depressed when facing such major life challenges as serious illness, the death of a loved one or the loss of a job. During these times it may be all but impossible for the Master to provide the level of dominance and control to which the slave is accustomed and, as a result, the slave may find it equally difficult to refrain from complaining and to not feel resentful when they perceive that their needs are going unmet.
Join slave Rick, a practicing psychotherapist within the BDSM community (www.KinkTherapistLosAngeles.com), as he shares, with his Master’s support and encouragement, the insights he has gleaned from a similar set of circumstances in their own 24 year M/s relationship.
When it comes to relationships, we all have needs. It’s widely understood that those in more conventional relationships will be incapable of meeting the totality of their partner’s needs, and one can only guess as to how much more that applies to those who engage in M/s relationships. What do you do if your relationship doesn’t satisfy all of your needs? How can adjustments and accommodations be made without damaging the relationship or threatening the individuals who comprise it? Who initiates the changes, and who does the adjusting and accommodating? In what promises to be a provocative discussion, Master Skip and slave Rick will candidly share examples from their own 24-year relationship as they examine this sensitive subject. Acknowledging what’s missing in your life need not pose a threat to your relationship, and restructuring the relationship so that your needs or the needs of your Master/slave can be better met has the potential to strengthen the D/s dynamic between you.
Sacred Submission is an in-person class that uses interactive exercises to help you embrace your authentic self and develop a profound sense of self-awareness and empathy. The class aims to empower you to explore your sensuality and sexuality in a safe and supportive environment. You will learn the beauty of true submission, an innate virtue that arises naturally from within. Through role-playing exercises, you will explore different dynamics of submission and dominance, and learn how to negotiate boundaries effectively. The class also focuses on developing communication skills to express your needs and desires in a healthy and respectful way. By the end of the class, you will have a deeper connection with your body and senses, and have the skills to navigate power dynamics in a consensual and safe way.
The Backward by Design model encourages a Household to discuss their structure with an "endpoint" in mind. This participatory workshop aids Households, families, packs, and organizations to keep their members focused and organized. We explore the processes (protocols, rituals, and etiquette) and roles that may intentionally match the values, mission, and vision of a Household. Understanding the endpoint helps the Master focus on addressing what members need to learn, what data needs to be collected to show that members are performing at a level of excellence (desired outcomes), and how to ensure the members will continue to learn and grow.
This workshop will share what many queer peoples have learned about the coming out process in so far as orientation or gender identity, and relate that process to coming out kinky. This workshop will share skills we have developed in dealing with self-disclosure, transparency to others, and managing differing environments of disclosure. You’re in the right place. This workshop is participative and is helpful for both new folx and those that mentor (or want to mentor). Come discover what the kinky coming-out process looks like!
It’s no secret that power exchange dynamics can be difficult to build and maintain. The secret often seems to be “why?”. What is it that those in successful dynamics have figured out? Often it comes down to building a solid foundation based on your personal values rather than the contract you found on google or what sounded sexy when you wrote it up. In this class, attendees will have the opportunity to hear both the Master/Dominant and the slave/submissive perspectives on building and adopting a values-based power exchange dynamic. Beast (he/him) and echo (she/her) will discuss the tools and tricks they used to create a strong and sustainable dynamic, as well as many of the ways they found that did not work for them. This class is an interactive discussion, and attendees need not be in any specific dynamic or in any relationship at all to attend and enjoy the class.
Whether you prefer power exchange, authority transfer, or other terms, these consensually imbalanced relationships can be tricky to navigate. Even the most confident D-type or most dedicated s-type can often find themselves feeling as lost as some of those early sea-going explorers before we learned to navigate using the stars. In this discussion, Beast (he/him) and echo (she/they) will present a different perspective using a nautical metaphor that helped them understand their dynamic in a new way. Will you be setting sail on the Love Boat, or will your three-hour tour leave you stranded on a desert isle?
Some people discover that BDSM and power exchange relationships help them cope with past trauma, depression, impulses to cut or harm the body, ADHD, anxiety, and addiction. On the other side, sometimes these issues can interfere with scenes and Dom/sub interactions. In this presentation, we will explore the healing journeys that people have taken, discuss mental health emergencies in the dungeon, and talk about sub-drop, Top-drop and event drop. Come to share and listen to people's experiences and insights, in conversation with the latest science on mental health challenges.
After you have established protocols, standing orders, and rituals, and after you have figured out how to communicate in ways to support the power exchange, and established greater trust – now what? This presentation presents information and opens discussion on how to go deeper, on challenges to keeping it fresh, and threats to the relationship.
No, we don't mean poly. In this presentation, we will focus on the outside "influences" on our dynamics. Whether you have current influences around you like you kids, friends, work stress, aging parents; former influences that come back to haunt you like what your dad said to you as a kid, ex-partners from prior relationships, trauma, or PTSD; or even just everyday life. We will talk about how we have worked through many of these challenges over the years and what tools we have in our toolbox to help us to stay grounded and connected in times of stress to help us keep our dynamic alive and going strong.
Being neurodivergent encompasses many areas of life. It can cause challenges with learning styles, perceptions in the world, and complicate mental health challenges. In this presentation, we will discuss how we have used protocols and rituals to build on our strengths and allow our dynamic to be setup for success while allowing ourselves to thrive and grow. We also discuss ideas to allow you to lean into your dynamic while navigating the challenges of the world while being neurodivergent.
Alone Is Not an Option: Loss of Your Dynamic (Open Attendance)
Goddess Indigo lost her slave to terminal cancer in 2011. Going from total connection to total loss—whether through death or dissolution—is staggering. This gap creates a vacuum that is difficult to fill. This facilitated discussion covers ways to find support and deal with guilt and other emotions that inhibit us from moving forward. While there are many support groups for those who have lost a loved one due to divorce or death, we don’t have those resources for the intensely inter-dependent dynamic that we engage in. Join us as we celebrate what we had and tear down barriers preventing us from reconnecting. Know you are not alone.
Relationships in our BDSM community are often more complex than marriages. Couples are often new to one another and new to the new D/s “rules” and expectations. “Stuff” can disrupt clear communication. When communications get into trouble, the relationship gets into trouble.
This workshop covers some “out-of-the-box” communication issues. We’ll discuss many topics that are often hidden, such as how we communicate love, how time may be different for each partner, how upbringing may affect your current relationship, how we process information, and so forth.
Many tips and techniques are easy to explain and to learn and provide eye-opening insights about ways you and your partner communicate love. Similarly, couples/triads/etc. often collide over issues that are not at all obvious to either party.
Humans often react to conflict, attack, or stress with a fight, flight, or freeze response. In this class, Tomo will offer the concept from martial arts principles of “Standing in It” to address conflict, applied specifically to Master/slave relationships. Being present without fight, flight, or freeze during stressful situations including conflict can help us be more centered as Masters and slaves. Using a simple hand technique which will be practiced in the class, we will all feel and experience the magic of “standing in it” from both the Master and slave’s perspective in our bodies, minds, and hearts.
A powerful person may be influential, independent, straightforward, and assertive. We will examine personal power, how it can be a tool in our surrender as slaves, and look at the misconceptions that one with a strong will cannot surrender it. Discover how to serve and yield while embracing the power that is within you. Whether you are the manager of a powerful slave, you are powerful and struggle with the concept of combining power and surrender or you seek to find your own internal power, join us as we look at many sides of this issue.
“I won’t be your Master, and you won’t be my slave.” Master Matt said those words to Ghirl Michelle early in their relationship in 2015 … and a few months later, they were Master and slave. When the “leader” is new to authority-based dynamics, and the “follower” is more experienced, it can add a challenging layer of complexity to the relationship. We’ll talk about how those on both sides of the slash can meet each other where they are, even in radically different stages of their journeys, to create a dynamic that helps each of them grow.
Maintaining an M/s dynamic can be complicated. So can maintaining a polyamorous household. What happens when you combine them? Master Matt and Ghirl Michelle have each been polyamorous - in separate households - for nearly 20 years. Join them for a lively discussion about how M/s and polyam dynamics converge. Learn how the intersection of M/s and polyamory can affect decisions about managing time, space, finances, raising children, dynamic development, protocols, interacting with extended bio-families, intersecting polyam families, and more.
Being in a Power Exchange or M/s dynamic does not supercede someone's right of consent. The ability & right to consent remains in full effect despite the dynamic you enter. Regardless of the crazy things we may do together in a dynamic, at the end of the day we are all humans whose voices matter, whose feelings matter, whose needs matter. All of the tasks, play, exchanges and interactions we engage in require trust, communication, care, compassion and knowledge, from ALL parties.
I am a married polyamorous, leather female master, and I'll be talking about the challenges faced when trying to date. Will discuss what polyamory is, the misconceptions people have about what being polyam is, the stigma of what society sees married people dating and how to cope with the pitfalls of it all.
An in-depth look at how two individually successful and high-profile kinksters navigate an Owner/property dynamic without diminishing their public image. This discussion will center around how Bamm and Tye navigated their hyper-independent public personas and arrived at their own flavor of an Owner/property dynamic - how we handle challenges, growth, and experience levels.
Discuss with Bamm-Bamm and Tyesha their activist roles regarding advocating against racism, sexism (and misogyny), and transphobia. They will discuss their own journey and tools used to approach restorative justice and how they did the work within themselves and with the Community to empower voices that are rarely uplifted. Content Warning: This class explores issues including internalized racism, transphobia, sexual assault, misogyny, and misogynoir.
Our cultural customs, behaviors, and beliefs helped mold and shape who we are as people in our own respective corner of the world. What happens when WIIWD intersects with everything we hold true? How do you resolve related beliefs/customs; religious/spiritual beliefs, and simply coming to terms with being “different” than friends or family? Let’s have a lively discussion about the various intersections.
A realistic look at aging and the shift that occurs in an authority-based dynamic. Following on the coat-tail of “Age ain’t nothing but a number in Power Exchange”, we discuss the nuances of authority and age as a general perspective. How do you shift without losing power, diluting service, or becoming numb to a specific headspace? What about age gaps, illness, disability, or retirement? Let's talk about it.
Protocols are the pinnacle of power dynamics; some would suggest that you cannot fully realize a structured dynamic WITHOUT protocols. Which protocols are required, if any? How do you tailor protocols for all aspects of your life? How does a busy life interfere with establishing protocols? Does laziness shatter the foundation of maintaining relationship structure (supported by “required” protocols)?
Come share ideas and perspectives for busy people!
Master/slave relationships provide many benefits: from role clarity to enhanced eroticism to the decoupling of power from control. But how many of these benefits are truly unique to Master/slave? In this class, we compare Master/slave relationships to Egalitarian relationships and Traditional relationships, exploring which benefits are built into the fabric of M/s and which stem from the intentional process of creating an M/s relationship but that could manifest in other types of Intentional relationships. We look forward to your thoughts on what the M/s community can teach the world about creating successful intentional relationships.
Master Nwachi Tafari & Brad Sagarin
At MsC 2022, Master Nwachi Tafari embarked on a research study titled "Uncaged Kink." The goal was to archive the entry stories of people of color into the BDSM lifestyle. Participants were asked to spend 20 to 40 minutes sharing their story and answering a series of interview questions. What was intended to be a guided monologue often turned into a deep dialogue, with interviewees turning the table on Master Nwachi, asking as many questions as they answered. In this class, Master Nwachi will share the results of his study: The challenging and inspiring stories of kinky persons of color navigating their journeys of self-discovery.
You don’t have to be in a military style relationship for some military tools to be useful. The emphasis of this class is on a range of military tools for building an M/s structure, planning activities, and improving performance. Based on US Army and USMC references There is a very brief overview of several different military relationship styles. If you SMEAC you are less likely to be FUBAR. No military experience required, but it may be more entertaining if so.
Tell me what you want. What you really, really want. Or don't, but figure it out. A survey of
resources and techniques for self-discovery and self-knowledge. You don't have to do the work
before starting a relationship, but it improves your chances. Understanding yourself better is a
boon at any time. Questions abound. Answers not supplied.
Majordomo slave Sassy Nikki Nia
Whether the only one or one of more within a Dynamic, House or Family, being granted a position, as slave, that requires an elevated level of responsibility, oversight, delegation and yes, even leadership by one's Master can challenge our minds and slave heart. In this class, you'll explore hierarchical dynamic terms and concepts, expand the notion of service and connect surrender & self-mastery. Learn best practices of execution, pitfalls to be aware of and how to embody your position with grace, compassion and devotion.
Majordomo slave Sassy Nikki Nia
Whether partnered or unpartnered on this life path of Master/slave dynamics, the integrity of your. commitment to yourself is an inside job. This class is designed to foster personal accountability and. self-mastery through discussion on the concepts of surrender, Mastery, submission, consent, and choice.
A facilitated discussion operating at the intersection of your kink and ethnic identities, with a deeper dive into questions of race, gender, ethnic, and class dynamics and how they affect and shape our lives. The discussion will include tools on how to be sensitive in the discussion of important topics, based on experiences of the attendees.
We all get to a certain age and go through some pretty big changes that go with that. How do we overcome the struggles that come with that change? The new joys it can bring and the hurdles you may or may not have faced.
It may seem that many and varied are the guides and resources for those who are new to the "s" side of the lifestyle, but those who are new to the Dominant side appear to have limited avenues to explore in comparison. Are the expectations for the "D" types in relationships higher? Should they be? Is it something that comes naturally or can it be learned? What types of skills are essential? Are they physical skills, like flogging, using the single tail whip, or rope bondage? Is there something deeper, more complicated than that? Does one have to submit in a relationship before they can lead one? Sir Guy will discuss the physical, spiritual and psychological dimensions of Dominance and Mastery as well as sharing his personal journey, mistakes and all. Topics explore leadership tools, what is dominance and what it isn't, communication skills, command presence, nature vs. nurture and other poignant aspects using a variety of sources and experiences to delve into this discussion.
Whether it is within our personal relationships, in our secular worlds or in our communities, effective leadership can make things better and defective leadership can make things miserable. It makes no difference whether we identify as Dominant or submissive, Owner or property, we all have a role in one way or another that requires leadership. Is the ability to lead isolated to only Masters, or can slaves also display leadership ability? What are the attributes of leadership? Are they innate, or can they be learned? Sir Guy leads this discussion taking cues from military, corporate and spiritual references to merge together a cogent discussion on leadership within the M/s dynamic.
Relationships require lots of rewarding efforts. As leather people, it’s important to us to live by a few core principles. In this presentation, we will discuss how honor, integrity, respect, and trust play a part in our M/s relationship as well as how we interact with each other, our peers, and the Leather M/s communities.
Master Dante Amor and slave gaia Amor
"How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard" - Winnie the Pooh
This is not a discussion only for those grieving, but anyone who knows someone who has, is, or will be. Which is to say, this is a topic for us all. Incomplete recovery from grief can have a lifelong impact on our capacity for joy and well-being. Join us for a candid exploration of how grief can impact our dynamics, along with proven ways to recover from grief, understand our loss, and live with the things that cannot be fixed.
Surrender demands a level of trust that can sometimes feel inaccessible to slaves with histories of abandonment. This can pose a significant barrier to the development of a healthy dynamic. The first step is to generate discourse on the topic. We will take a look at some of the mechanics of unresolved abandonment, how it shows up in M/s relationships and discuss concrete steps to resolution.
This class not only includes extensive information about tea and the technical skills of tea service, it examines the topic of Tea from the perspective of formal tea service as a fetish – how to make it hot and make it YOURS. We will explore how to choose teas, the history of tea, and how tea is made, processed and stored. We will examine how to setup and present a traditional English style afternoon tea, and some examples of how to “kink it up”, so you can do it your own way, in the context of what turns YOU on.
We will review technical skills from both sides of the slash, discussing both how to give, and how to receive tea service, with opportunities to practice either. The class includes samples of many different teas and gives hands on practice brewing, pouring, serving and receiving tea.
All levels are welcome- from those who are already tea lovers, to those who are curious but tea phobic. Quite often, there may be one partner who is passionate about tea, and another partner who does not at all see the appeal, those who grew up where anything formal was “off limits” and may feel hesitant to explore tea, or those who don’t necessarily have the fetish but who are curious and want to see what all the fuss is about.
The three pillars of a Master/slave dynamic are the foundation on which we build our relationship. They are also ideals we strive to achieve. What happens when one of those pillars cracks? When that happens, what is the real foundation of M/s that will get you through the storms life brings with your dynamic intact?
Being in an M/s relationship isn’t enough hard work, let’s open a business together! Yeah, not always the smart move, and it’s fraught with more stress than you can imagine. So how do you balance working together, living together, and really being together 24/7? Let’s talk!
Ever wonder why your words are not understood? Didn't your Master hear you? Masters do your slaves or potential candidates know what you are talking about?
Developing an understanding of communication differences establishes the foundation for a Master Slave Relationship. If you understand your differences there might be an improvement in understanding.
We begin by identifying the Master and slaves primary communication values and how those differ from the values of others.
For Subs/Slaves ONLY
We are super slaves and can do EVERYTHING! If we are honest with ourselves, we can't do everything but we need to be better on saying no and setting boundaries with the people in our life. We stress ourselves out with piling all the things on our plate and then wonder why we are stressed and tired! Let's talk about how to say no and how we can do better for ourselves!
Negotiating your dynamic upfront isn't always an easy process. Want to learn how to prioritize your need and wants? Let's talk about it. Your dynamic isn't always going to be rainbows and butterflies. How do you talk through the hard stuff and not risk losing your relationship? Let's talk about that too.
This session will help individuals on both sides of the slash effectively communicate needs and wants in the negotiating process of the relationship. This session will also give you tools you can use in communicating effectively throughout your dynamic.
Relationships are ever evolving. How does a long term relationship stay the course and how do we navigate changes? What strategies can be used to mitigate the role of family, work, health, and distance on our relationships? Talking and planning for the unforeseen realties of everyday life in a Master slave relationship will help keep the relationship evolving.
All relationships face difficulties from time to time. One person may be struggling with something which may not be understood by the other person. It becomes necessary to develop a conversation strategy to help facilitate a discussion. When you need to discuss a significant concern in your relationship, there are a few things that are important in preparing for that conversation. This class will talk about setting welcoming spaces that lead to successful, non-confrontational conversations that lead to a successful outcome.
Are you the type that has the checklist of what you want in a partner? Have you ever joined a group of like-minded people and thought you would make so many friends and have such a good time? Whether it is dashing of dreams, not reaching the heights or missing the mark, we can set ourselves up for those feelings when we enter M/s relationships or this community. We will talk about how our expectations of ourselves and other can lead to disappointment and misunderstandings and whether there are realistic expectations that we can hold and how to move forward when expectations aren't met.
We've all felt that moment when someone reaches out and touches our life---when our heart connects with theirs. These moments may give us the advice we need or give us the validation that we matter to others at critical moments in our lives. This class explores how we can facilitate these connections. What can we do to make it easier to reach out when people need us? How can we remind ourselves that we are making a positive difference in moments of doubt? How can we recognize when our words and actions matter to someone? How can we be more mindful of all the good work going on in our community?
If you've ever been to therapy then you've probably heard the claim that our earliest parental relationships form the basis for how we interact with our future partners. This concept is derived from the theory of Attachment, and its implications have been used to strengthen the bonds of couples all over the world. But how can we apply this theory and related clinical tools to improving the security and connection of kinky D/s relationships? What are the important considerations that are specific to the D/s community? In this class, licensed couple's therapist Zack Berman, LCMFT will guide an exploration into attachment styles, cycles, and perspectives, providing clinical anecdotes and tools along the way.
While trust is essential for the success of any relationship, the Master/slave dynamic requires that it be given even more care and attention.
In this class we will be exploring our own experiences with trust, elements of trust, building and maintaining trust, and what to do when it is damaged. We’ll identify potential causes for breaches of trust and ways to avoid them, as well as creating an intentional plan for effectively discussing and dealing with trust issues.
This class is relevant for both Masters and slaves, whether in a relationship or not.
Service—a cornerstone for many who practice Authority Transfer or engage with the Community—is treated almost as social currency within the Lifestyle or even the tithe we offer our beliefs. However, while we fully support, embrace, and champion S&M Boundaries, little is ever even whispered about Service Boundaries. This silence is a detriment to the individuals involved as well as to the overall Community.
Instead of simply preaching service, service, SERVICE, we each need to have honest conversations with ourselves about the Service Boundaries