Embodying Healing and Joy through Relationships and Sexual Wellness

With the ways in which Black bodies are policed and carry racial trauma, experiencing joy in a Black body is an act of resistance and liberation. This session will guide attendees in exploring ways to cultivate positive and affirming relationships with oneself and others to experience healing and joy. Foundational information about healthy relationships and healthy sexually will be shared to provide a framework for discussing barriers to experiencing joy and how to navigate these in a way that aligns with an individual’s values. All identities are welcome.

Bilqis Amatus-Salaam is the Wellness Coordinator for Interpersonal Wellness and Sexual Health at the Center for Health Education & Wellness (CHEW). She earned her Master’s in Public Health in 2015 and joined CHEW the same year. In her role, she educates students about bystander intervention, consent, healthy relationships, sexual health, and sexual violence prevention. She is passionate about sexual health and human sexuality and firmly believes in the power of cultivating healthy relationships with oneself and within communities.

1. Participants will be able to identify at least three values that guide their relationships
2. Participants will be able to define at least two personal behaviors that contribute to creating healthy relationships
3. Participants will be able to define at least two personal behaviors that contribute to their sexual wellness
4. Participants will be able to describe at least two strategies they will use to address barriers related to experiencing joy and appreciation for their bodies

The theme of the 2021 Black Issues Conference is “Manifesting Hope, Health, and Healing.” Hope, health, and healing can be found through social connections. Individuals who have a community and loving relationships have a support system to turn to and experience positive health outcomes. So much of who we are, how we feel about ourselves, and our ability to cultivate positive relationships is rooted in how others see us. Unfortunately, the perceptions that others may have can be harmful and therefore, may impact the ability to form those social connections that are so vital to well-being. This session is a guided workshop aimed at helping participants move through barriers and find ways to experience healing and joy as it relates to healthy relationships and sexual wellness.