by Emma Atkinson

Hello lovely readers! I hope you’re feeling the puppy love in these dog days of summer.

Today I have a modest proposal for you: try out what it feels like to talk more with your loved ones. Consent is all about conversations. Great conversations are often honest and heartfelt.  How can we increase the odds of having those kinds of conversations?  I’m glad you asked!

Try this experiment (for science!) and see what happens - talk just a little more than usual when you’re in intimate situations. You can keep it simple: “that feels so good” or “I love it when you do that” or “does that feel good?” Even an “ooo yum” will suffice. 

Remember that with new partners all of your consent agreements will be made before the interactions occur. It’s easy for all involved to get caught up in the moment and agree to things that are later regretted. But you might want to try that super hot thing you’re thinking about next time, and trying something new with a trusted and supportive person can be quite extraordinary. Get that conversation started!

Homework:  try talking a little bit more than usual with loved ones. Let yourself be a little more vocally expressive and see what happens.  Then let me know what you learned from the experiment at info@thecspc.org.  

“She blinded me with science” - Thomas Dolby

“She blinded me with sexy (social) science” - Emma Atkinson