March 18, 2021
The path to healing from vaginismus or any other vulvo-vaginal pain condition can be complex and overwhelming. Join us as we discuss treatment options for vaginismus and other sexual pain conditions, the multi-faceted elements of true healing, and de-mystify some of the myths surrounding a vaginismus diagnosis.
Facilitator: Rebecca Ostroff
Panelists: Keri Martin Vrbanac, Adrienne Bairstow, Maddy Taylor, Hannah Srajer
All events require a Femme Folks Fest Pass. If you are able during these unprecedented times, we kindly suggest a donation of $50.
All Femme Folks Fest donations will be directed to local artists.
Rebecca Ostroff is a Toronto-based actor, playwright and producer. Recent credits include, as playwright: In Her Madim (Ergo Pink Fest, 2021), Love Multiplies (Driftwood Theatre, 2020), as writer/performer: Stella (Scripted Toronto Festival, 2019). Her newest play Camp Halo is currently in development with the support of the Toronto Arts Council and the Ontario Arts Council. Her personal essays and other writing have been published in a variety of publications, including The Globe And Mail and Niv Magazine. She is also a community organizer at Tight Lipped, a storytelling podcast and advocacy group dedicated to breaking the silence surrounding vulvovaginal and pelvic pain conditions. She is very passionate about using art to raise awareness and eliminate stigma surrounding sexual dysfunction and sexual pain, and she is thrilled to be presenting Skin A Cat as part of Femme Folks Fest!
A Registered Physiotherapist since 1997, Keri Martin Vrbanac’s career has taken her to Australia, the United States and her hometown of Windsor before settling to open A Body In Motion Rehabilitation in Kitchener in 2001. Keri discovered her passion for Pelvic Physiotherapy in 2013 and has continued to further her education in the areas of sexual pain, incontinence, special topics in women’s health including endometriosis, infertility and post hysterectomy treatment, gastro-intestinal disorders, and oncology.
Adrienne Bairstow is a Registered Social Worker, a Registered Psychotherapist, and a Certified Sex Therapist. Her private practice, East Toronto Therapy, assists individuals and couples in achieving relationship and sexual well-being. Common concerns include communication, conflict resolution, infidelity, pelvic pain, inability to have intercourse, low desire, erectile dysfunction, and unwanted sexual behaviour.
Maddy Taylor (she/her) is a sexual health educator at SHORE Centre. She works within the community to share information about sexual and reproductive health.
Hannah Srajer Srajer is a PhD student in the history department at Yale University, where she studies the intersection of incarceration, healthcare, gynecology, and social movements. She received her undergraduate degree from Princeton University, where she majored in history and poetry. She is a founding member and community organizer of Tight Lipped, a podcast and organizing project made for and by people with vulvar/vaginal and pelvic pain conditions.
