The thought that first came to mind when I accepted an invitation to a ‘self-pleasure’ workshop was: am I signing up to sit in a room and masturbate alongside a bunch of journalists? How would it not be incredibly awkward? I agreed because, at the very least, I’d get a funny story out of it. Turns out, the joke was on me because – spoiler alert – I found the whole thing to be pretty transformative.

Sexologist Marie Morice began running these workshops after pivoting from a 25-year-long career in climate and sustainability leadership at the UN. After discovering that “the most underexplored frontier of personal and collective power is female pleasure” (and going through a divorce), she says something “cracked open” within her, resulting in the creation of The Pleasure Atelier. Motivated by the desire to create a safe space for women “to get real with themselves,” Morice’s goals include allowing attendees to realise the importance of self-pleasure, let go of guilt and shame, and re-wire the narrative that sex has to be performative (“less ‘what do they want from me’ and more ‘what do I want?’”, as she puts it).

Following a successful run in Paris, Morice has now brought her campaign to London, with plans to expand further into corporate culture (“yes, boardroom energy shifts when women own their pleasure,” she remarks), one-to-one coaching, digital courses and a 2026 ‘festival of female pleasure’. Considering the sexual wellness boom currently taking place (the industry is projected to be worth $115 billion by 2030), Morice might just be onto something. 

Now, despite wishing I were a woman of mystery and quiet seduction, I’m actually a self-professed oversharer, which is one of the reasons I wanted to attend this workshop in the first place: fascination, curiosity and the need for no-holds-barred conversation. But as well as this, I’ve also experienced sexual trauma in my life, resulting in a smorgasbord of guilt, shame and confusion around sex – particularly solo sex. I wanted to feel safe in a setting where I may be able to explore this, hear about other women’s experiences, and learn more about self-pleasure. 

Luckily, the first thing that became clear when I sat down at the table was just how included and welcome I felt. While this had everything to do with the selection of warm and funny people who had been invited to attend, it was also a testament to the value of all-women community events more generally, particularly when it comes to sex. “Events like The Pleasure Atelier create rare spaces where women can speak openly about desire, pleasure, and embodiment – free from judgment or performance pressure,” agrees sex and relationship therapist Lucy Frank (who’s also known as ‘The YXologist’). “In a culture that often teaches women to prioritise others’ pleasure over their own, being in a room where female pleasure is centred can be life-changing. These events can normalise conversations about masturbation, arousal and sex, helping attendees reframe sex as something they’re allowed to enjoy.”

There is also a clear appetite for them, says Frank: “We’re living in a time where many women are tired of being disconnected from their bodies and are actively seeking spaces to reclaim themselves. Women are looking for real, grounded, nourishing conversations about sex – and these workshops are delivering.” Sure enough, being in this space allowed me to let down my guard, feel free to ask questions about things I may have been too embarrassed to otherwise, and bond with women who had similar experiences (and it was also just fun). 

All-female spaces let us lower the guard. No performance. No male gaze

The content of the workshop itself amplified these themes of safety and self-discovery. One of the most interesting portions was the re-education on female anatomy and how self-arousal (and the brain’s key role in it) works. While most of us would like to think we know our bodies well, British sex education has been severely lacking (there’s also the fact that the full anatomy of the clitoris was only mapped in 1998). For this reason, many of us may need a refresher on what the different parts of our vulvas do and how they work for pleasure. The Pleasure Atelier (and workshops like it) allow us to get reacquainted with our bodies, particularly after trauma. 

While Morice makes it clear that she’s not a licensed sex therapist (she refers clients to specialists for this), pleasure workshops can be a great place to start if you’re on a healing journey like me. The education and challenging of false, unhelpful narratives (like the one that prioritising self pleasure is wrong or selfish) can help to ease guilt and shame associated with sexual trauma. “Healing from sexual trauma is rarely linear, and for many, the body can become a site of tension, disconnection, and distress. Events like this can offer gentle, choice-based invitations to reconnect with pleasure on your own terms. When healing in community, the presence of others who are also exploring vulnerability and curiosity can be deeply reparative. The focus is often on safety, consent, and embodiment – which are all core components of trauma recovery,” explains Frank. 

Other elements of the workshop – including guided journaling and a look into the history of representations of female pleasure – felt equally therapeutic and educational. They helped to rewire my brain to move me away from seeing sex as something that is only partnered, and towards viewing it as part of a healthy relationship with yourself, through masturbation and self-touch. As someone who fails to prioritise solo sex, this was significant for me. Sexual wellness, we must remember, “is increasingly recognised as integral to overall wellbeing,” says sex therapist Dr Viviana Coles. “As we see wellness trends focus on mind-body connection, pleasure workshops naturally fit into that narrative – not as indulgence, but as a form of self-care and self-knowledge.”

Pleasure workshops are just the first step in a much longer sexual wellness journey. While Frank advises varied exploration into things like breathwork, mindful touch, guided masturbation audios, journaling and somatic sex education (along with sex therapy for deeper healing, if needed), attending these community-led events can be really transformative, offering education and empowerment, and allowing women to discover new ways to experience pleasure and have sex. “They’re what’s been missing,” says Morice. “All-female spaces let us lower the guard. No performance. No male gaze. No pressure to be ‘cool’ about kink or ‘open’ to everything. Just honesty. Safety. Collective curiosity. And yes, fun. Women are tired of being left out of their own pleasure story. This is the rewrite.”

You can find out more about The Pleasure Atelier workshops here.