Maeve McBride (she/they) is a kink educator, erotic coach, sexological herbalist, event producer, and Executive Director of KinkFest 2025. She has been studying the intersections of kink, sacred sex, plants, trauma, and personal alchemy for more than 22 years. A fun, sensual, and compassionate switch-witch, Maeve enjoys assisting folx of all persuasions to work towards their unique health, erotic, and sexual goals. She combines evidence-based teaching methods, anatomy geekery, goal setting, mind-body-spirit trauma healing techniques, communication tools, and a sense of playfulness, experimentation, and exploration in a non-judgmental learning environment. Her goal is always to help students and clients assemble a toolkit of things that work for their own unique needs and empower them to live their best pleasure-filled lives.
Botanica Erotica: Kinky Plants for Pleasure, Pain, and Passion
Energetic Protection for Everyone
Transformative Accountability 101
Trauma-Informed Topping
Botanica Erotica: Kinky Plants for Pleasure, Pain, and Passion
Level 3, BDSM, Botany, Sex
Green witches do it better. Have the roses AND the thorns! This class introduces you to the myriad of sexual adventures enhanced by using plants for kinky play.
Topics covered will include the use of herbal aphrodisiacs to assist with relaxation and dropping in, sensation and impact play toys using safe abundant, and ethically harvested natural materials, natural first aid and aftercare, botanical sexual health support, and herbs to help prevent or mitigate the symptoms of drop.
Energetic Protection for Everyone
Level 1, Energy, Esoteric, Psychological Safety
Who is this class for? This class is for BDSM explorers, both new and experienced, and members of the kink community who would like to bring mindfulness practices into their play and interactions. All are welcome and encouraged to attend.
After an intense few years of collective stress and anxiety, we think it is more important than ever to incorporate self-care and protection into your BDSM dynamics. Setting physical, emotional, and energetic boundaries on either side of the slash is important for creating a safe container and dynamic in any D/s relationship or play session.
In this workshop educator Maeve McBride will explore the unique energetic protection needs of BDSM players including:
Easy ways to identify energetic vampire characteristics in potential play partners, as well as shadow characteristics within yourself that need to be healed.
Practical and magickal ways to create safe and sacred space for yourself and those you play with.
Communication strategies for creating clear and healthy boundaries that enhance the fun and enjoyment for all involved.
Ways to preserve and enhance your physical, emotional, and kinky energy to avoid feeling depleted.
How to protect yourself and extricate yourself from situations that involve human energy vacuums and high drama folx.
Transformative Accountability 101
Level 1, Accountability, Psychological Safety
There is a lot of conversation happening in the community regarding accountability processes for when someone causes harm to another person. This class will explore the essence of accountability, debunk misconceptions, and showcase diverse accountability frameworks to consider as you begin to build your accountability processes and circles in anticipation of the inevitable time when you fuck up. Because everyone fucks up at some point…
What to bring: An open mind.
Trauma-Informed Topping
Level 2, Kink, Psychological Safety, Topping
To play with kink is to play with safety, trust, and unfortunately, often to wade through the waters of trauma and the risk of activating those we play with as well as ourselves. In this class we will discuss ways to be a trauma-informed, aware, and responsive top or dominant who can be prepared, compassionate, and caring about the activations and triggers you or your bottom might experience while playing.
By being a trauma-informed top, you can help facilitate reframing, transformation, catharsis and even healing for yourself and your play partners with a little awareness, a few tools, and a handful of techniques.
In this class you will learn how to read body language and activation cues, how trauma affects the brain and body, and many mind-body techniques to incorporate into your dynamics and play to help both yourself and your partners heal from old wounds, prevent new ones, and reclaim your kinky pleasure.
What to bring: Paper/pen for notes.
