LifeWorks recognizes that sex work and erotic labor includes a wide range of work from escorting, fetish work/professional BDSM, webcam/phone sex and stripping, to name a few. People who work in any sex work or erotic labor-related field may experience stigma related to cultural norms around work, career and occupation, though many people have positive or neutral experiences of their work.
Crisis Hotlines
Sex Worker Outreach Project: The SWOP Community Support Line is operated as a collaboration between SWOP-USA and SWOP Behind Bars. Currently this support line is operated by volunteers who are trained in rape counseling and crisis intervention. Call 877-776-2004.
If you are in crisis, or if you or someone you know needs immediate support following an assault or rape, please contact a crisis hotline for immediate assistance.
LifeWorks provides individual therapy and relationship counseling for people who identify as current or former sex workers.
Informed and collaborative
People who are engaged in sex work often report that mental health providers are poorly informed about the vast and varied nature of sex work and how that work may or may not impact mental health and other relational concerns. At LifeWorks, we understand that people who do sex work come to therapy for many of the same reasons that others do – anxiety, depression, relationship issues, lack of fulfillment and stress. We focus on a collaborative approach and advocate supporting people to achieve their goals, both within and outside of work.
Affirming lived experiences
LifeWorks therapists strive to be informed about the industry, and to take a non-judgmental and affirming approach to sex workers’ lived experiences. As with any form of labor, sex work and erotic labor can bring both positive and negative experiences to individuals, and we work to identify each individual’s needs and challenges to help navigate life’s demands. Our practice endeavors to continually grow in our nuanced understanding of how criminalization/legality, stigma, intersectional identities, marginalization, sexual norms and social inequalities impact individuals’ experience of sex work. We also strive to find and create resources to support people who do sex work.
Our Therapists
We have clinicians on staff who have experience in the sex industry. Because of the societal stigma and lack of legal protections for this community, we’ve chosen not to name those clinicians publicly. If you are seeking a therapist with lived experience as a sex worker, we invite you to make this request in your intake phone call or via the online appointment request form. Your information is confidential and we do not include clients’ personal or social identities in health records.