Meet Heather Shannon | Certified Sex Therapist & Podcast Host

We had the good fortune of connecting with Heather Shannon and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Heather, do you have a budget? How do you make lifestyle and spending decisions?
Managing finances as an entrepreneur can be especially challenging since business and personal can easily blend together. And while entrepreneurs frequently get together to mastermind and support each other on business, details of finance are rarely discussed. In addition, typical CPAs are much more focused on documenting the numbers rather than proactively advising. So, I think that there is a real gap in education and support in this area of entrepreneurship. That said, I have learned a lot over the years simply by making mistakes and learning from them. I’m now in a place where I’ve realized where it’s worth spending money within my business and where I’m seeing a return on that investment . . . or not. While I love spending money and have been impulsive in the past, the same philosophy now applies to my personal spending and lifestyle choices. I ask myself if a given expense is necessary for my happiness and wellbeing–if I’m getting an ROI that way. I’ve been surprising myself recently as I’ve realized that many expenses don’t boost my bottom line in terms of health, happiness and relationships. But the ones that really do improve my quality of life such as my sauna membership and my life coaching subscription are non-negotiable!

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I’m one of about 950 AASECT Certified Sex Therapists (CSTs) in the whole country. What makes me unique as a sex therapist is my attention to consciousness and spirituality as well as biology and physical wellness. My primary approach in working with clients is Internal Family Systems, which is a psychospiritual approach rooted in the idea of Self Energy or higher consciousness, and there are only a handful of us CSTs who combine IFS with sex therapy. But more important than credentials is that I am wildly approachable and down to earth in how I work with people. My gift is putting people at ease with sex and helping to dispel any shame or stigma around gender identity and sexual desires and expressions. Sex therapists are a pretty non-judgmental bunch and I’d put myself at the extreme end of openness, even for that group.

I’m pretty excited about my podcast and getting the word out that sex can be comfortable, approachable, pleasurable and easy to talk about! The feedback has been great and it’s currently ranked in the top 2% of all podcasts globally after only 6 months since launching. I love the networking that comes with it too and have met amazing people from being a guest on their show or having them as a guest on mine.

Nothing about entrepreneurship has been easy for me, but it’s definitely my calling. Entrepeneurship is a path of growth. I’ve been forced to look at my beliefs and behaviors at each step in order to uplevel. Where I’ve gotten into trouble is listening to experts and coaches too much and not listening to myself enough. What’s working now is scaling back on listening to everyone else and focusing on executing what I know works and giving myself credit for my successes.

What I want people to know about my brand/mission is that sex isn’t superficial. Sex is core to our identity whether we’re avoiding it or hyper-focused on it. It’s a mind-body-spirit exchange and it can be a powerful one, so it’s helpful to be intentional about how we want to approach it and what we want to create with our partner(s). And not only is sex not shameful, but it’s the reason why we all exist, so it’s time to get more comfortable with it! If you think you’re not normal or have worries about your sexual identity or interests, go talk to a trusted professional. Sex has existed in the shadows for too long and bringing it into the light is healthier for all of us.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
When I was visiting my friend in Dallas we went to the Winspear Opera House and I would definitely recommend checking that out if you’re into musical theater! Gorgeous building and great acoustics.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to shoutout the healers, helpers and spiritual teachers who have helped me along the way. I have benefitted from many books, teachers and programs, but would like to specifically shoutout a handful of humans that I’ve had profound healing experiences with including: Klaus Boettcher (hypnotherapist), Dr. Candida Schwartz (intuitive healer), Teri Calandra (acupuncturist) and Dr. Jon Mackoff (energy healer).

Website: https://HeatherShannon.co

Instagram: https://instagram.com/askasextherapist

Twitter: https://twitter.com/askasexcoach

Youtube: https://youtube.com/@askasexcoach

Other: Podcast – https://podfollow.com/askasextherapist

Image Credits
Jennifer Kathryn Gaudreau