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Erica Smith, Sexuality Education and Consulting

I developed the Purity Culture Dropout™️ Program to help people learn all of the sex education that they missed growing up in purity culture- sex ed that is accurate, queer inclusive, trauma informed, compassionate, and comprehensive. I have worked with hundreds of people to help them learn about healthy sexuality after high control religion. Subscribe if you're curious about / invested in shame free sexuality education that's specifically tailored to the needs of people coming out of high control religions and purity culture. Expect information not just about healthy sexuality and upcoming programming, but also cultural commentary on sexual politics in the US. I'm a sex educator with 25 years of experience and I'm excited to share that with you.

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"a horrific assault on most people's morality" - random man describing my work

Hello again. It's really really hard to advertise your work when you're a sex educator in 2025. Social media doesn't share my posts with a wide audience unless I'm making memes. I feel like I'm shouting into the void and no one is listening! A huge worry I have is making sure my content reaches those who need it. I know that the people who need it are out there somewhere! Speaking of memes, I made these ones to advertise the Purity Culture Dropout™ Divorce Support Group: If you'd appreciate a...

Hey friend, A participant from a past support group sent me the most beautiful testimonial, and I got weepy reading their words. It can be uncomfortable sharing testimonials as a business owner. I signed up to be a sex educator, and then I signed up to create a business to continue that work, but I didn't sign up to be a salesperson, and I don't always find it easy to 'sell' myself and my offerings! (full confession: it's the part of my work that I feel the most awkward about). BUT... the...

Hello! I hope your week has been pleasant, or at the very least, less stressful than it could have been! While I've been enrolling for the Divorce Support Group, I've also been road tripping across Michigan to visit friends and family. One of my best friends that I visited has the most absolutely beautiful family. I felt lucky to be plugged into her life for a short time. And you know one thing that helped make this beautiful life possible for her? Divorce. Even if the religious community you...

Hello! Enrollment for the 2025 cohort of the Purity Culture Dropout™Divorce Support Groups is finally beginning! Last year I started to observe so many people booking sessions with me to talk about relationships, dating, and sexuality after divorce. I already knew from creating the PCD™ Queer Support Groups that one of the most powerful ways to learn and grow is in a supportive community with others who understand your unique experience and have a lot of the same questions and concerns. And...

Hello! If you've been following my doom scrolling saga, I'm happy to report that I have reduced my online time by SO MUCH by using the built in Apple Screen Time tool. I set it so that I can only access social media apps for 90 minutes cumulatively per day, and not between 10pm and noon. This has already changed my life immeasurably. I feel more focused, more productive, and happier. I feel more in control of things. I know that it's easy to get excited about a new habit right at the...

Hello, Wow, I am so glad I emailed you all asking about how you are taking care of yourselves and how you have dealt with the terrible behavioral spiral that is doom scrolling. Hearing that many of you struggle with the same thing made me feel so much less alone. Also, I got so many great answers full of advice that I'm going to share, because I think more people can benefit from the advice of the collective! Some of your best advice: What’s helped me stopped doom scrolling is literally...

Hi everyone! There are three major holidays in my personal world today. 1) Beyoncé's birthday (I'm Beyhive all the way in case you didn't know) 2) The Philadelphia Eagles home opener against Dallas (Go Birds!) 3) World Sexual Health Day Don't worry, I won't bore you with facts about Beyoncé or Philly sports (unless you want some- reply and let me know lol), but I do want to talk to you briefly about World Sexual Health Day, what it means to be sexually healthy and why sexual health cannot...

My last email had the wrong link for preorder! This one has the correct link. SO sorry for the double email but ya know...it happens. The Purity Culture Recovery Guide: The Shame-Free Sex Education You Deserve coming February 2026 from Bloomsbury Press My book finally has a name and a publication date! This is the biggest news of the week other than the obvious celebrity engagement :) What's more... You can preorder it now! Preorders are REALLY important for authors, so if you're thinking...

The Purity Culture Recovery Guide: The Shame-Free Sex Education You Deserve coming February 2026 from Bloomsbury Press My book finally has a name and a publication date! This is the biggest news of the week other than the obvious celebrity engagement :) What's more... You can preorder it now! Preorders are REALLY important for authors, so if you're thinking that this book is for you (or a friend, family member, etc)- it would mean a lot to me if you purchased it before it's officially...

I woke up today to two texts from friends whom I originally met because they were Purity Culture Dropout™ clients. (I love y'all!) The texts were ecstatic declarations that James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family, has passed away. If you're one of the people feeling a range of emotions from ecstatic celebration that he's gone to grief for a childhood that would have been different if his ideologies hadn't been adopted by your parents, I see you. If James Dobson and Focus on the Family...