Interview with Erin Ryan: Exploring Somatic Sex Coaching and Therapeutic Yoni Massage at AGY

At AGY, we’re excited to introduce Erin Ryan, our resident certified somatic sex coach and therapeutic yoni massage practitioner. Erin started teaching our new Safe Space classes last week, and we wanted to share more about the unique offerings she brings to our community through her private sessions and upcoming group workshops. We sat down with Erin to learn more about her work, her personal journey, and how she helps individuals reconnect with their bodies and deepen their sense of intimacy and pleasure.

AGY: What is a Somatic Sex Coach?

Erin: Somatic sex coaching is a body-based approach to sexual healing. In this practice, I help clients explore relationships, intimacy, and pleasure holistically by looking at the body, mind, emotions, and spirit as interconnected elements. We focus on understanding any blocks around sexuality using mindfulness and body awareness, which allows individuals to feel more confident and knowledgeable about their own pleasure and bodies.

Through somatic sex coaching, clients learn to tune into their body’s sensations and automatic responses to intimacy and pleasure. It’s also about developing better communication skills that enhance intimate relationships. My approach combines breathwork, movement, body awareness, mindfulness, and communication to support sexual healing.

AGY: Can you explain what a therapeutic yoni massage is?

Erin: A therapeutic yoni massage is a healing practice that involves massaging the breasts, womb, vulva, and vagina to understand the sensations present in these areas. These sensations may include pain, pleasure, pressure, or numbness. Depending on what is felt, we use massage techniques to bring more blood flow and awareness to these areas, allowing for a deeper sense of feeling overall. 

This practice can help release pain, stagnation, or trauma that may be stored in these areas. Clients often leave feeling lighter, more open, and more connected to their bodies. It’s a therapeutic experience that focuses on healing touch, not in a sexual context, but rather as a profound healing modality that fosters a greater understanding of one’s own anatomy and sense of self.

AGY: Why would someone seek out somatic sex coaching or yoni massage?

Erin: Many of us haven’t received comprehensive sexual education, which can lead to feelings of disconnection, discomfort, or even shame around our sexuality. This impacts our relationships, self-image, and how we understand intimacy—both romantic and platonic. Cultural, societal, familial, and religious influences often shape how we perceive and experience sexuality, sometimes in ways that make us feel disconnected or uncomfortable.

People often come to me when they feel that something is missing in their intimate relationships, or in their relationship with themselves. There’s often a genuine curiosity and a desire for something more—a deeper connection to their body, their expression, their sexuality, and their relationships. 

Individuals who have experienced sexual trauma can find significant healing in these sessions. Creating a safe space for release, holding, and processing challenging experiences can bring a profound sense of peace and wholeness.

Sexuality is often considered taboo, but I see it as an untouched “mountain of gold.” When we explore our unique sexual experiences and relationships, we see shifts in every aspect of our lives—from how we show up at work to how we establish boundaries and how we carry ourselves.

AGY: What inspired you to become a somatic sex coach and therapeutic yoni massage practitioner?

Erin: My journey began with feeling disconnected from my body due to a traumatic accident when I was three, which left me with third-degree burns. Later, throughout my teens and twenties, I experienced disempowering sexual experiences that left me feeling confused, empty, and frustrated. I felt shut down from myself, yet I had a deep feeling that there had to be more to pleasure and intimacy.

As I began to explore my own sexuality, expression, and pleasure, I started to feel at home in my body again. Moving through layers of trauma and disconnection, I learned to see and experience my body as the temple it is. I realized how resilient we are as human beings—we are not broken, and there is nothing to be fixed. 

From that moment on, I wanted to help others—particularly women and those with vulvas—feel alive and safe in their bodies. I believe that a loving, comprehensive education around bodies and sexuality can create a more connected and empowered world.

AGY: What are some of your personal practices and rituals?

Erin: I love this question! My practices and rituals change depending on where I am in my cycle and what season of life I’m in. Some of my favorites include an evening breast massage before bed to connect with my heart and body, and daily meditation to protect my energy field. These practices allow me to find stillness amid the busyness of the day. 

I also regularly engage in somatic movement practices to help my body release anything I may be holding onto and deepen my mind-body-emotion-spirit connection. I find that these practices help me act from a more integrated space. Additionally, I incorporate self-pleasure practices and yoni steaming before my menstrual cycle.

Join Erin every Friday at AGY for Safe Space, a unique class that offers a supportive environment for healing, empowerment, and connection. Look out for her upcoming workshops at AGY, or connect with her directly for one-on-one sessions via her website: The Intimacy Artist

We hope this interview inspires you to explore new ways to connect with yourself, embrace your unique journey, and discover the transformative power of Erin’s work.