Understanding Trauma and Its Impact on Pleasure

Do you struggle to feel safe in your own body? Do past experiences make intimacy, trust, or pleasure feel out of reach?

Trauma isn’t just something that happened in the past—it leaves lasting imprints on the brain, body, and relationships, shaping how we connect with others and experience joy.

In this foundational class, we’ll explore what trauma is, how it develops, and the profound ways it alters the brain and nervous system. You’ll learn about fight, flight, freeze, and fawn responses, as well as the role of neural pathways in reinforcing trauma patterns. We’ll break down the differences between PTSD and Complex PTSD, helping you understand why some trauma responses persist for years. We’ll briefly dig into how these traumas impact all kinds of relationships and intimacy.

We’ll also cover how trauma affects physical health, from chronic pain and muscle tension to sleep disturbances and digestive issues. Understanding these effects is key to reclaiming a sense of safety and pleasure in your life. You’ll leave with practical grounding techniques, mindfulness exercises, and tools to begin rewiring trauma’s impact on your brain and nervous system.

What you’ll gain from this class:

• A deeper understanding of how trauma impacts the brain, nervous system, and body.
• Tools to calm your nervous system and build resilience.
• A clear foundation for beginning your healing journey.

Note: This is the first class in the “Moving Through Trauma to Achieve Pleasure in Sex, Relationships, and Life” 5-class series. Each class is useful on its own, but together they create a transformative path to healing and growth. Attend a la carte or register for all five to receive a discounted rate.

Your Instructor

Marissa Zumbo (CSE) is a certified sex educator and intimacy coach. After her own healing journey following sexual assault, she recognized the lack of accessible resources for addressing sexual and relational roadblocks. This realization led her to become a trauma-informed practitioner, life coach, and sex educator. Her expertise includes somatic EMDR, breathwork, gender & sexuality, kink/BDSM, crisis counseling, and group facilitation. She specializes in helping individuals heal from trauma, reconnect with their bodies, and rediscover pleasure in sex and relationships. Through her work, she empowers people to develop self-compassion, deepen intimacy, and create a life filled with joy and authenticity.

All classes at the Sexploratorium are intended for those 18 and older.