Reframing Sex On Screen with Ita O'Brien

In this episode of The Sexual Wellness Sessions hosted by Psychosexual & Relationship Therapist Kate Moyle, we're talking all about the sex that we see on stage and screen. My guest for this episode is the brilliant Intimacy Coordinator and Movement Director Ita O'Brien; who has worked on many hit shows, including Sex Education, Normal People, I May Destroy You and It's A Sin.

 

The ideas and narratives that we pick up about sex and relationships come from multiple sources; but one of the big influential factors in our lives is what we see on screen. TV series and films make up a lot of our downtime, and are a common topic of conversation, and Netflix is now a well-used word in our everyday vocabulary; but what goes into the process and thinking of the sex that we see on screen and how can that impact how we think and feel about sex?

 

Comparison culture is at an all time high, and many of us feel that what we see when it comes to sex on screen, doesn't ring true when it comes to our own sex lives. On the flipside we have seen the huge success of shows like Normal People, which Ita was the intimacy co-ordinator on. The much-praised intimacy scenes demonstrated communication, fumbling, uncertainty and the 'working-it-out-as-you-go-on' type of sex that many of us experience in their daily lives, and therefore felt was represented. 

Ita O'Brien is the UK's leading Intimacy Coordinator and founder of Intimacy on Set. O'Brien pioneered the role of the Intimacy Coordinator and since 2014 has been developing best practice Intimacy on Set Guidelines, which have been widely adopted in the industry and championed by the TIME'S UP movement and others, advocating for safe, fair and dignified work for everyone. O'Brien has worked on numerous high-profile productions including Normal People (BBC3/Hulu), Sex Education 1&2 (Netflix), Gangs of London (Sky Atlantic), The Great (Hulu), I May Destroy You (BBC/HBO), Brave New World (Peacock/Sky One), It's A Sin (Channel 4) and has been widely covered in the national and international media as the leading spokesperson in this space.

https://www.itaobrien.com/

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Kate Moyle is Psychosexual & Relationship Therapist and Certified Psycho-Sexologist, who is passionate about having open and normalising conversations around sex and relationships; and helping people to get to a place of sexual health, happiness and wellbeing. 

Follow Kate on Instagram at @KateMoyleTherapy