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[ID: A banner with a white background. On the top, there is text that reads, “#NotForSocialMedia”. Underneath this, there are three cartoon characters doing various silly things. In the bottom left corner, there is white text that reads, “The HEAL Project.” The HEAL Project logo with a wink emoji inside follows.]
[ID: A graphic with a male antechinus sitting in the forest. There is text on the graphic that reads, “Animals, Whaaa?! 1: Antechinus fuck themsevles to death, please don’t. The male antechinus a small marsupial in Australia) goes from being a virgin to mating upwards of 14 non-stop hours with as many females as possible, until he internally bleeds himself to death. The antechinus are a rare semelparous mammal, meaning they have a once-in-a lifetime affair or suicidal reproductive behavior. @heal2end. Source: The National Geographic.”]

Welcome to #NotForSocialMedia newsletter, where we leave no rock unturned when it comes to talking truth about sexuality and healing.

We call this newsletter, #NotForSocialMedia, because of the challenges of doing our work on social media. From trolls to anti-sex censorship algorithms, we had just about enough before deciding to migrate away from social media. 

Did you know even #SexEducation is banned on Instagram? Like other sex educators, we are tired of having to work around this frustrating and oppressive system. Instead, this is our new haven for voicing our unfiltered thoughts; a place where we can spell out words like Sex, Pleasure, Fuck, Kink, and Sexual Healing without fearing silencing by social media ghouls. 

We will always start with sex facts from the animal kingdom. You may wonder, "what do animal sex facts have to do with healing the wounds of sexual oppression?" We're glad you asked. Much of our assumptions about "normal human sexual behavior" has been constructed over pseudo-scientific ideas about how nature works. This is an odd inclination that leads some to say awful shit like "patriarchy/rape is natural" or "females of all species like to be submissive." 

Wildlife biologists know that sexual behavior is extremely diverse, to the point that there is a parallel for almost every sex act we may consider unnatural (or whatever the fuck that word ever meant). Plus, animals are cute!..well, most of them.  
 
Curious about what else is here? Scroll away and join us on this journey =)
Support More of This $hit

#RASHIMandFriends
Connection skills are pivotal in RASHIM, aka our very own sexual healing model. They include things like accountability, intuition, compassion, and boundary-setting. 

Admitting mistakes is an essential step for accountability. Mistakes are often unintentional, yet they may still hurt someone. It is only after admitting to a mistake that you can try to make a genuine apology. Our beloved colleague, Mia Mingus does a wonderful job explaining how to give a genuine apology.

Saying we were wrong may feel like a sting to our ego, but as we say at The HEAL Project, everyone harms and everyone is harmed. Knowing this to be true, acknowledging our imperfections is allowing ourselves to be accountable. 
[ID: A 4-panel comic strip. The title of the comic series is RASHIM & Friends. The title of this specific comic is “mistake”. The first panel has a green cartoon character shrugging and frowning with text on top of them that reads, “I think I hurt my friend by giving unsolicited advice. Now, they are upset. I don’t know what to do.” The second panel has a red cartoon character with their hands up and frowning and a green cartoon character who is frowning. The pink character has text on top of them that reads, “What’s there to be upset about? You meant well. You were trying to help.” The green character has text on top of them that reads, “But… maybe I should repair the situation?!” The third panel has a blue cartoon character who is smiling. On top of them there is text that reads, “It’s hard to admit you made a mistake, especially when your intentions are good. Making mistakes is necessary for growing. A sincere apology and clarifying boundaries deepen the relationship.” The fourth panel has the green character smiling and dancing with text on top of them that reads, “I was afraid if I admitted wrong-doing my friend would think less of me. But, honestly, I am realizing I need friends who let me be human and make mistakes.” At the bottom of the graphic, there is gray text that reads, “@heal2end, Learn more at heal2end.org/rashim.”]

#MemesForThot
Ready for a showcase of our creativity and humor? Coz we got MEMES for ya! 

A lot of the time reclamation of desire is shown as a neat package with a perfect bow. However, in reality, it isn't easy. There is much to unpack and triggers come up left and right. This is exactly why we advocate for community support, so that nobody has to journey alone. 
[ID: A meme split into two sections horizontally. The top section has a sloth with a flow in their hand with text that reads, “When you first learn about reclaiming your desire after sexual violence.” The bottom section has a slot that is walking on an electrical wire with text that reads, “When you actually try to reclaim your desire after sexual violence. @heal2end.”]

#ThereIsAWordForThat
What's that thing when you are surviving trauma knowing you'll never be the same, but also you take pride in who you are becoming? Well, we call it Healing.

Healing comes through many modalities, from therapy to kink to mindfulness. Healing is often sold as a destination, where one can leave the trauma behind and move on. As we understand healing, it is not about burying the traumatic experience in the deepest parts of our mind. Rather, it is about allowing trauma to exist as part of what makes us whole. 

Note: healing is rarely a quick process, it often takes a lifetime and that's OK.
[ID: A graphic with a black chalkboard background. On the left side, there is white text that reads, “healing, verb, Healing is a process by which the traumatic experience is understood and integrated into one's life. The goal cannot be erasing memories and scars of trauma, rather being able to allow the traumatic experience and its consequences to exist without resistance and inform one's path forward with acceptance. On the right side, there are small doodles and a pink cartoon character with a blue bowtie that is waving their left hand. In the bottom left corner, there is black text that reads, “@heal2end.”]

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