about indulge in bliss
As certified clinical sexologists and therapists we founded Indulge in Bliss to support your sensual journey and help you create wild success in your relationships, sexuality, and life!
This platform is packed with free content, virtual courses and intensive programs that empower you to build a pleasure filled life. You will find the most modern, relevant, and reliable sexology and relationship information available always shared from an inclusive and sex-positive perspective.
WHAT IS SEX POSITIVITY?
“An attitude towards human sexuality that regards all consensual sexual activities as fundamentally healthy and pleasurable, and encourages sexual pleasure and experimentation.”
Pronouns: she, her, hers.
KELLY MCDONNELL-ARNOLD
CERTIFIED CLINICAL SEXOLOGIST, MA MBA RP RSW
Kelly is a Certified Clinical Sexologist, with a Master’s degree in Forensic Sexology.
She received her double undergraduate degree in Psychology and Sociology with Honors from Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo Ontario, after which she pursued a Master’s degree in Forensic Sexology at Curtin University of Technology in Perth, Western Australia. She has completed additional training in sex therapy and holds a certificate in Sex Therapy from the University of Guelph, Ontario, and finally a Master’s of Business Administration with a specialization in Health Care Administration from Niagara University, NY USA.
Kelly’s clinical interests and expertise include desire discrepancy, sexual dysfunctions, fetishes, S/M, B/D, D/S, non-monogamy, sexuality and illness, sexual difficulties and disorders, paraphilia’s and increasing intimacy and sexual satisfaction utilizing sensate focus. However, she speaks to a breadth of sexual topics, including various sexual variance, psychosexual development, intimacy, desire, romance, sexuality across the lifespan, sex and pregnancy, effective communication, and sexuality and cancer.
Kelly is the Host of Sex Talk with Kelly on Rogers TV and is a sought after specialist and personality in the field of human sexuality. She has appeared on talk shows, as a keynote speaker at international conferences, including the World Association for Sexual Health and as an expert in a number of publications, such as Chatelaine and MindBodyGreen.
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Ms. McDonnell-Arnold is passionate about helping others explore and embrace their sexuality and provides compassion and encouragement wherever one happens to be on their sexual path.
She holds space for deep personal exploration, growth and expansion. Kelly believes that her role is to guide and empower her clients to confront barriers, which interfere with their relational and sexual well-being. She takes pride in working with clients as they strive to create a sexuality, relationship, and life they’ve always dreamed of.
Kelly is also a Registered Social Worker with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Services Workers (OCSWSSW), a Registered Psychotherapists with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO), a certified sexologist through the American College of Sexologists (ACS), and a member of the Western Australian Sexology Society (WASS), and the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists (ASSECT).
She has been on the Board of Directors for Planned Parenthood KW and is the founder and Clinic Director of Bliss Therapy, a boutique private therapy practice based in Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario. She works with a specialized team of incredible therapists who provide services that support clients through the challenges of life and love so that they may create the most fulfilling lives and become the person they most want to be.
JOANNE Z. FLANNERY
CERTIFIED CLINICAL SEXOLOGIST MA MFT
Joanne Z. Flannery is an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (AMFT) with a Master’s degree in Sexology. Jo received her undergraduate degree from Marquette University after which she pursued a postgraduate and Master’s degree in Sexology at Curtin University of Technology in Perth, Western Australia, and finally a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy from the Adler School of Professional Psychology in Chicago Il.
During her time at Curtin University Jo studied the various sexual dysfunctions, paraphilia’s, kink, non-monogamy, sexuality across the lifespan, sexuality and illness, sexuality and loss, intimacy, desire, romance and relationships. While completing her postgraduate degree Jo researched and presented on some of her clinical interests, including tantra in sex therapy, polyamory and the healing power of touch.
For her master’s degree thesis Jo conducted a research project on sexual desire discrepancy and its effects on intimacy within the relationship. After completion of her postgraduate and master’s degree in sexology, Jo sought an opportunity to learn how to best treat couples facing not only sexual but individual and relational issues as well. At the Adler School Jo learned and applied couple and family therapy theory, including Structural Couple Therapy, and had the honor of being educated by the premiere Structural therapist in Chicago.
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Throughout her time at the Adler School Jo gained knowledge on relational issues, including communication, infidelity, parenting, combative relationships, and mental illness within relationships. Jo is a certified clinical sexologist through the American College of Sexologists (ACS) and a member of the American Association of Marital and Family Therapists (AAMFT), and a member of the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists (ASSECT). Since completing both of her Master’s degree’s Jo has worked as a Sex and Relationship Therapist in specialized private practices in Chicago, IL. As a clinical sexologist and couples and family therapist, she helps individuals, couples and groups realize their full sexual and relational potential. By focusing on mindfulness, self-esteem and personal responsibility, she educates and assists her clients with sexual difficulties and relationship conflicts. Jo brings acceptance and encouragement and provides a space to discuss a broad spectrum of sexual concerns from sexual dysfunction, desire discrepancies, erotic preferences, and issues with intimacy and trust.
Pronouns: she, her, hers.
Our Story
We met in February 2008 at Curtin University of Technology in Perth, Western Australia. As we arrived to begin our sexology studies we did not know what to expect. Little did we know we would become educated in more ways than one.
Although we arrived in this foreign land thirsty for knowledge and hungry for adventure, neither of us could have dreamt the impact our meeting would have. It was international student orientation day and we were pulled to each other like magnets. From that day forward we were inseparable. We had similar backgrounds, both having lived on a beach after graduation from university and then traveling to the other side of the globe to satiate our desire to learn about and help people attain heightened intimacy and superior sex. And boy did we have a good time in the process.
We came for a formal education and we got life lessons on family, friendship, longing, loss and love. We quickly became best friends and slowly became each other’s family. We cooked for each other, worked out together, studied side by side, supported each other through the toughest of times, oh, and we partied. Oh did we party. We went across the world to meet when we grew up an hour plane ride from one another. When we returned to our respective homes we continued our friendship traveling back and forth to visit each other, and our adventures continued in Africa and at Burning Man, feeding each other wedding cake and creating families. We each continued to pursue our passions in sex and relationship therapy receiving additional master’s degrees and certificates. We feel honored to have you join us in this culmination of our passion, dreams and dedication with our launch of Sexology International.
Sexology International started as an idea and a giggle in a hot tub, grew in a cottage on a swing, and continues to be refined through our dedication to each other and our life’s purpose to help people find their pleasure and cultivate acceptance, deep love and intimacy. Although this has become a business, we hope in our heart of hearts that everyone who visits our website feels they have found a place they belong. It is important to us that the information we provide is explicitly inclusive and demonstrates acceptance and encouragement wherever one happens to be on their sexual path. It is with much anticipation, hard work and elation that we launch Sexology International and begin a new chapter in our lives, this time bound together by contract.