Sexual health is key to well-being, and Kiki Maree is here to help. She opens up about how self-acceptance, pleasure, and education can transform intimacy and empower women.

 

Name: Kiki Maree

Pronouns: she /her

Day job: Sexologist

Location: Macleay Island

 

How has your journey shaped your career?

I have been on this path ever since I can remember. I was always curious about my yoni; I held girls' circles and made worksheets for girls about their period, being a girl, and supportive materials for puberty.

Then, as a teen, I explored sexuality and was proud to do so. As an adult, I became more curious as different sexual behaviours and kinks popped up, which led me on a journey of personal discovery. I had wanted to be a diplomat or to work in NGOs, but the more I learned about sexuality, the more my friends wanted to learn from me, so I eventually changed my academic studies and haven’t looked back.

 

What’s a day in your life like?

I wake up, stretch, have matcha and breakfast in the sunshine, and perhaps go for a walk. I do some admin and content creation. Then, I might have a call with a client, a student, or an interview.

I finish work by 4 p.m., so I have time for pleasure before a workout and some reality TV. Then, dinner, arts and crafts, a new skill (I am learning the ukulele now), or a movie. Otherwise, if it’s a date day, I’ll go to the mainland with my husband for dinner, or if it’s a girls' day/night, I’ll go to a day spa or dinner with some friends.

 

How does embracing sexuality and pleasure boost well-being?

Cultivating a positive relationship with sexuality enhances health and well-being. Recognised by the World Health Organization as a human right, sexual health is more than the absence of dysfunction - it’s about positive, empowering experiences, including both erotic pleasure and non-erotic joys like music, nature, or laughter, which activate the brain’s reward system, reduce stress, and boost mood.

Sexual satisfaction improves physical health by aiding sleep, regulating hormones, and enhancing cardiovascular health. Oxytocin and endorphins released during intimacy promote pain relief, relaxation, and connection. Embracing our sexuality can reduce shame, improve body image, and build resilience while fostering open communication in relationships.

Sexuality exists on a spectrum, from asexuality to high sexual desire, and there’s no “right” way to experience it. The key is self-acceptance and aligning with what feels authentic. It isn’t just about intimacy - it’s about claiming a vibrant, connected, and fulfilling life.

 

How does body acceptance empower sexual health and confidence?

Body acceptance is key to sexual health and pleasure. Research shows that those who feel positive about their bodies are more likely to experience higher sexual satisfaction, better communication with partners, and greater ease of exploring intimacy. When women embrace their bodies, it creates space for connection and self-expression, free from shame or self-criticism.

However, societal pressures often lead to body dissatisfaction, impacting self-esteem and relationships. Overcoming this requires self-compassion, education, and practice. Key steps include:

• Reframing Self-Talk: Shift from self-criticism to self-kindness, seeing the body as a source of strength and pleasure.
• Mindful Practices: Body mapping, sensual movement, and mindful touch help reconnect joyfully and nonjudgmentally.
• Representation Matters: Diverse, body-positive media challenges harmful narratives and normalises all body types.
• Pleasure Beyond Appearance: Pleasure comes from feeling present and connected, not looking a certain way.
• Education and Support: Sexual and sensual education boosts confidence, while therapy offers a space to process body image struggles.

Body acceptance is about building a respectful, appreciative relationship with your body. Prioritising self-acceptance and pleasure helps women reclaim autonomy, break free from societal constraints, and become more empowered.

 

How do you help partners navigate intimacy challenges, like painful periods?

Navigating intimacy challenges, like painful periods or pelvic health issues, requires a compassionate, holistic approach that honours each partner’s experience. Many problems arise in intimate relationships, such as desire discrepancies, communication breakdowns, shame, performance anxiety, and sexual health conditions like endometriosis or pelvic pain. Here’s how I support couples:

• Education and Empathy: I gather information and ensure each partner feels heard. I educate both partners about pelvic health conditions, acknowledging the emotional toll and fostering empathy to reduce blame or frustration.
• Contemporary Sex Therapy Techniques: I use methods like sensate focus exercises to help partners reconnect physically, reducing pressure and fear, especially around painful penetration.
• Expanding Intimacy: I encourage couples to explore non-penetrative forms of connection, like sensual touch, cuddling, or shared mindfulness exercises.
• Tailored Solutions for Pelvic Health: To ease discomfort, I recommend body-based techniques like mindfulness, pelvic diaphragm relaxation, and self-massage and encourage collaboration with pelvic health specialists.
• Open Communication: I teach skills for expressing needs and boundaries without guilt, creating an emotionally safe environment for intimacy.
• Pleasure as a Goal: I shift the focus from intercourse to exploring pleasure, emphasising that joy can be found in various forms, from touch to emotional connection.
• Experimentation and Play: I encourage sensate experiments and other practices to rediscover intimacy and create new pathways for connection.
• Patience and Adaptability: I help couples cultivate patience and flexibility, especially when managing a health condition. I remind them that true intimacy is about connection, mutual care, and enjoying the journey together.

 

What’s the key thing you want women to know about their sexual health?

Everybody has their own unique story that they want to tell. If we slow down enough and approach our body and desires and pleasure with a sense of curiosity and openness, we will be able to hear exactly what our needs are... which can fluctuate from moment to moment, day to day, week to week, month to month, and year to year. Our sexuality is fluid and dynamic, and our desires, therefore, cannot be put into a box but rather continuously undressed and tried on to see if it is fit for the moment or not.

 

Can you share more about Yoni Constellations and Yoni Massage?

A yoni constellation is a session where I help someone connect with their yoni, admiring its spaces, colours, asymmetry, and textures. We note the length of the vulva, clitoral holding, and the skin around it. Afterwards, we do Yoni self-portraiture through photography and art, capturing the unique constellation of the client’s Yoni.

Therapeutic yoni massage is a trauma-informed, step-by-step massage of the yoni's external and internal muscles and fascia.

 

What about Yoni steaming – what is it?

Yoni steaming is a traditional practice where a person sits over herbal-infused steam, believed to promote uterine health, relieve cramps, and balance hormones. While it offers relaxation and ritual, limited scientific evidence supports its effectiveness for period symptoms (though it’s likely understudied).

Evidence-based alternatives like heat therapy, anti-inflammatory foods, mindfulness, or pelvic diaphragm therapy are safer and more reliable for managing period symptoms. I also enjoy using the Aura TENS machine.

 

What practices or exercises do you recommend for women with painful periods?

I would recommend taking a holistic approach to seeking out integrative doctors to work with who are known for supporting women and vulva havers who experience period pain. I would highly recommend seeking a diagnosis for endometriosis if you suspect that you have it and seek treatment accordingly.

 

Can you describe what period self-care means to you?

Living in alignment with my cycle means planning days off for true rest when I bleed and communicating with those around me about where I’m at.

It also means having my toolkit ready for an easeful bleed: a clean house, Aura TENS machine, chocolate, heating pad (try rae heat Pad), clean period undies, precooked meals, a few days off, a massage, my shakti mat, and softness from my partner.

 

Why do you think periods are STILL such a taboo topic?

Periods are still stigmatized due to societal norms and outdated beliefs. Here’s why:

• Lack of Education and Exposure: Periods have been a "hushed" topic for generations, avoided even within families, making them something to hide.
• Negative Cultural Narratives: Periods are often seen as "gross" or dirty, with media portraying menstrual blood tied to violence, not reality, creating shame.
• Historical Control of Women’s Bodies: For centuries, menstruation has been framed as impure, reinforcing the idea that it should be hidden.
• Cultural and Religious Taboos: Menstruation is seen as impure in many cultures, leading to exclusion and secrecy.
• Media Silence: Periods are rarely discussed openly, keeping the stigma alive.
• Marketing Messages: The menstrual product industry has sold periods as something to "manage" or "hide" instead of celebrating them as natural.

 

If you had a minute with every woman, what’s your top health message?

Each health journey is unique and can be overwhelming. Whole foods, sunshine, sleep, water, nervous system regulation, exercise, and strength training are always beneficial when possible.

You deserve to feel your healthiest and have the right to seek answers. Stay current on the latest research to educate and advocate for yourself with specialists.

 

What’s your vision for the future of periods and period talk?

Girls and young vulva havers are initiated into adulthood with a rite of passage ceremony, where they are taught:

• What to expect from puberty’s emotional roller coaster
• To live cyclically, knowing the lows don’t last forever
• How to track their cycle
• Their menstrual flow isn’t disgusting and can water the garden
• How to use products and advocate for their health
• To rest when they bleed
• To reflect and be gentle in the luteal phase
• To celebrate during ovulation
• To create during follicular
• To feel comfortable talking about periods
• To see it as a beautiful part of life

 

MY CYCLE

• My period in 3-words: My constant teacher

• Contraception of choice: FAM

• On day 1, you can find me: In bed with chocolate and Netflix

• Scarlet pick: Any period undies!