What is a somatic sex coach?
As soon as I say what I do, I get a lot of puzzled and curious reactions. This is understandable, as a Somatic Sex Coach isn’t a common job title for someone to hold. When people hear the title, they often tilt their heads and wonder what a typical session looks like or what subjects are covered.
To clear up the biggest misconception: no, I don’t watch people have sex. There is no physical contact or nudity during sessions; it is a professional space focused on your internal experience and personal growth.
Instead, a somatic sex coach works with people individually or in couples and helps them to connect with their bodies to achieve a healthier, more satisfying and connected sex and intimate life.
What Does Somatic Mean?
The word somatic comes from the Greek word soma, which means body. This approach prioritises your internal, physical, and "felt" experience, moving away from solely engaging in mental analysis or cognitive processing.
Using a somatic lens allows you to shift your perspective on how you experience your sexuality. It moves you away from performance and expectations and towards being present, helping you access more satisfying sensations, connection and ways of expressing yourself.
To help you drop out of your mind and into your body, Somatic sex coaching will introduce you to five somatic tools: breath, movement, touch, sound, and awareness.
In a session, these tools give you a direct pathway out of your head and into your physical experience. Focusing on what is happening in your body, including sensations and emotions, helps you to lessen the blocks that are holding you back while also being a way to expand your capacity for pleasure and connection.
What does a Sex Coach do?
While the somatic aspect allows you to build skills like embodiment and presence, the sexology piece brings in the education, psychology, and science of human sexuality. As a somatic sex coach, I bridge these two worlds together. I don't just talk about the theory of intimacy; I help you apply it directly to your lived experience.
In my practice, I work with individuals and couples who are navigating a variety of intimate challenges. Some of the most common reasons clients come to see me include:
Navigating Mismatched Desire: Helping couples bridge the gap when one partner wants sex more frequently than the other, or when their styles of intimacy don't seem to align.
Moving Past Performance Anxiety: Shifting the focus away from "getting it right" or satisfying external expectations, so you can actually enjoy the experience.
Overcoming Intimacy Blocks: Working through old stories of shame, guilt, or body-image issues that make it difficult to fully open up or feel safe.
Reclaiming Pleasure: Helping individuals who feel disconnected from their bodies, numb to sensation, or unsure of what their authentic desires even are.
Exploring Erotic Themes and Sexual Styles: Guiding you to map your unique desires, discover what truly turns you on, and expand your sexual repertoire, even if nothing is "wrong”.
Ultimately, my role isn't to give you a rigid script or tell you what your sex life should look like. It is to give you a safe, collaborative space to lessen those blocks and build a clear pathway toward a more satisfying, connected, and pleasurable intimate life.
If you are ready to explore what is possible for your intimate life, you can learn more about how we can work together or book a session below.
What Happens in a Session?
Every session is collaborative and moves at your own pace. We work together to create a space where you feel completely safe to explore, listen to your body, and try new things without any pressure.
A typical session flows through three simple phases:
The Check-In and Embodiment: We always start with a conversation to discuss where you are at today. From there, I guide you through an embodiment exercise to help you ground yourself and identify exactly what you want to explore or work through during our time together.
The Practice: Guided by your goals, we bring in the somatic tools like breath, movement, or awareness. These fully clothed exercises help you drop out of your head and focus entirely on your physical sensations in real time.
The Integration and Home Play: We close the session by reviewing your experience and talking through what came up for you. To help you bridge the gap between our sessions and your everyday life, I will give you personalised "home play" exercises to explore in your own time and space.
Meet Michaela: My Training and Qualifications
Photo of Michaela Tutty, Certified Somatic Sex Coach and Sexologist in New Zealand. Click here to learn about me and my approach.
When I first discovered that somatic sex coaching was a potential career path, it was a lightbulb moment for me. I instantly knew it was my calling. Since my early primary school days, I have been absolutely fascinated by how human bodies work and how we form relationships. As I moved through high school and university, that curiosity only grew, naturally expanding into a deep interest in human sexuality, eroticism, and intimacy.
I came to this work because I believe everyone deserves a space to explore their intimacy completely free from judgment, pressure, and shame. In my practice, I often find that the shame clients carry is not actually theirs to hold. It is a weight built up from external messages received growing up from family, friends, and the media. By gently letting go of that external shame, you can finally feel lighter and free to explore your true eroticism.
Because this work involves navigating both the mind and the body, I bridge my academic background in psychology with specialised, certified training in somatic sexology. My psychology degree provided me with knowledge of human behaviour and analytical skills, which help me understand your mental blocks quickly, while the somatic tools work to unlock the body.
When you work with me, you are supported by a solid foundation of professional qualifications:
Bachelor of Arts in Psychology: Giving me a strong understanding of human behaviour, mental processes, and relationship dynamics.
Certified Somatic Sex Coach: Explicitly trained to guide clients through the physical, embodied practices of breath, movement, touch, sound, and awareness.
Registered SSEAA Member: Proudly registered with the Somatic Sex Educators Association of Australasia, ensuring my practice adheres to a strict professional code of ethics.
IICT Approved: Recognised by the International Institute for Complementary Therapists.
This background allows me to hold a safe, trauma-informed, and collaborative space where you can confidently explore your intimacy, lessen your blocks, and expand your capacity for pleasure.
If you are curious about stepping out of your head and exploring what is possible for your intimate life, you can learn more about my approach and the ways we can work together.
Ready to find your pathway?
If you are ready to drop out of mental analysis, gently let go of external stories of shame or expectation, and build a real, felt connection to your body's capacity for pleasure, I invite you to take the next step:
Want regular somatic check-ins? If you aren’t quite ready for 1:1 coaching but want honest insights, practical tools, and the latest Ask Michaela columns delivered straight to your inbox, Join the Community.
Ready for deep, tailored support? If you want a safe, collaborative, and entirely clothed space to actively lessen your blocks and map your unique desire style, you can Book your Foundations Session. This initial 30-minute session is $50 NZD and will be credited toward your chosen coaching pathway if you choose to continue.
