Getting in Touch

Reclaim your sensuality by joining us for a virtual panel discussion moderated by Destiny Moore LMSW and a dance workshop led by Vanessa Lopes and Allix Marie designed to help us feel at home in our bodies!

In our 1-hour panel discussion you can expect to hear from powerhouses in a variety of industries as they discuss how we as womxn can reclaim our sensuality. Our panelists include: Claudia Mendoza, Jessica Rodriguez, Jodelle Duverseau, Lisa Velasquez, Tejal Parekh, and Maria Burgos (all bios provided below). Attendees will have the opportunity to ask our incredible panelists questions and gain wisdom from their experiences! We will cover:

• What is sensuality vs. sexuality? Is there a difference?
• What experiences move us closer to feeling sensual?
• What experiences move us farther away from the ability to be sensual?
• How can we as womxn encourage one another’s sensuality?
• What barriers do we perceive when trying to be sensual?
• Are there unhealthy connections to our sensuality?
• Tips for feeling and embodying our most sensual selves!

Then, our expert dance instructors Vanessa Lopes @env.lopes and Allix Marie @allzmarie will walk us through a 45-minute dance workshop where we will reclaim our sensuality by moving and feeling our bodies!

In observance of Domestic Violence Awareness Day, 100% of this event’s proceeds will benefit the Domestic Violence Project at the Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation. NMIC's Domestic Violence Project is dedicated to empowering survivors of intimate partner violence by promoting safety, self-sufficiency, healing, and justice. Our goal is to provide survivors with holistic access to a wide range of both legal and non-legal services that are long term, community based, client centered and trauma-informed. Our service is delivered by bicultural and bilingual attorneys, social workers, paralegals and counselor/advocates, graduate social work interns, and peer volunteers. By recognizing that batterers use a wide range of tactics to exert power and control over victims, NMIC strives to address clients’ legal, emotional, and concrete needs in a safe and trauma informed environment. We help clients navigate multiple systems to ensure that they live independently and safely in a manner that preserves each family’s dignity.

Affected by recent budget cuts during a time where their services are most needed, the Getting in Touch community service event aims to support the Domestic Violence Project in helping womxn from underserved communities stay safe and supported. Help us help them by registering for this virtual event!

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Panelist and Instructor Bios:

Dr. Adrienne White: Moderator

Dr. White (@drwhitetherapy) is a Licensed Professional Counselor  in the state of Georgia with additional studies in Marriage and family therapy as well as a certification for Prepare Enrich Premarital Counseling. She completed her doctorate in Counselor Education and Supervision at Mercer University. She holds credentials as  a Master's Addiction Counselor, Certified  Anger Management Specialist, Approved Clinical Supervisor, and a Nationally Certified Counselor. Dr. White has been a Red Cross Volunteer for the past 3 years, facilitating Reconnection Workshops with Services to Military Personnel and Families.

Allix Marie: Dance Instructor

Originally from the twin islands of Trinidad and Tobago, Allix Marie (@allzmarie) dance training began with a strict ballet curriculum of 12 years completing her Grade one to Advance exams with the Royal Academy of Dance syllabus. Ballet complemented her Gymnastics training, where she competed for Trinidad and Tobago at the 2002 Common Wealth Games in Manchester.

Allix then moved to Canada where she embarked on her nine year journey to study Kinesiology and Osteopathy. Post University she threw herself back into dance and discovered her love for latin dancing. Specifically bachata :) She trained with Cadence Dance Academy and performed with their teams from 2013-2016 in the styles Salsa, Bachata, Heels, and Contemporary/ Latin fusion. Allix was introduced to director of Cast Heels Company, Angela Mahoney in 2013. Training in the heels genre with Angela influenced many facets of her life. As a result, Allix is motivated to introduce and teach Heels to as many women as possible.

Professionally she has been in various music videos for Vibes Kartel, Bunji Garlin and The Alternative Quartet. She has performed at the Tuesday on the Rocks Concert for Kes The Band in Trinidad during Carnival 2016. Additionally, Allix was a professional cheerleader for the TICATS Canadian football League in Hamilton Ontario. Before her recent move to New York, she spent 2017 in Trinidad where she hosted a Latin Social and taught Bachata every week at the Residence Night Club.

Settling into New York, she hosts her own Heels and Sensual Bachata workshops and continues to train in other genres as well.

Claudia Mendoza: Panelist

Claudia Mendoza (@mujeronmondays) a Dominican American entrepreneur and philanthropist dedicated to building a supportive community for Latinx women in New York. In 2018, Claudia founded the Mami Chula Social Club (@mamichulasocialclub) in New York City which has since grown to amass over 2,000 members. Prior to establishing the club, Claudia was engaged in public service at the New York Department of State, where she focused on programs expanding opportunities to immigrant New Yorkers as well as in individuals returning home from prison.

Jessica Rodriguez: Panelist

Jessica Rodriguez provides wellness counseling services in New Jersey as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and Licensed Clinical Drug & Alcohol Counselor (LCADC). She focuses on holistic healing to address trauma, anxiety, and depression amongst other areas of need to help others invest in their self-care and wellness. Her work in the counseling arena transcends the office setting and enters into the dance studio. She integrates her wellness counseling experience into beginner pole dance classes to utilize dance movements for healing as a pole dance instructor at Alter Ego Pole Fitness in Hoboken, NJ. Jessica aka Star works with students in pole dance class to tap into their sensuality and magic via pole movements and affirmations that build on their confidence and self-esteem, and to love on their mind and body while transforming them into Pole Goddesses.

Jodelle Duverseau: Panelist

Jodelle Duverseau (@_femmedusoir) is the founder of Femmedusoir LLC, a brand promoting sensuality and aiming to de-stigmatize sexual taboo at large. Before devoting her full time work in Femmedusoir, Jodelle was known as a muse (art model) working for art establishments like The Art Students League of New York, Society Of Illustrators, School of Visual Arts, and FIT.

Jodelle has also worked with a great range of artists, from sculptors, to painters and photographers whom have given her the experience in the art world, the ease and confidence to pursue her passion for Sensual Art.

Jodelle has written numerous articles and is also known as a creator, encouraging her audience to experience their sensuality, while also promoting sexual comfort and self-care through her social platforms.

Her ultimate goal is to help her audience surrender to their senses, enticing, educating and encouraging them to create more time to explore their sensual self.

Lisa Velazquez: Panelist

Lisa Velazquez (@lisatalkslove) is an Intuitive Love Coach, Dating + Relationship Expert and Ladypreneur. She is the Founder of Lisa Talks Love; a holistic lovestyle coaching company for professional women. Lisa helps passionate women align with the love they desire from a place of self value. She has an intuitive gift for getting to the heart of the matter of what's blocking you on your love journey to help you break through unhealthy patterns, heal and reignite your powerful sexy self at any relationship status. Her mission: to cultivate a community around the world of women who live well, date wise and love sexy. Lisa holds a Masters of Arts in Clinical Psychology from Columbia University Graduate School of Education, Psychology and Heath. She is a Certified Sex Therapist, Certified Sexuality Educator and Certified Facilitator for Preventing Adolescent Pregnancy.

• Website: lisatalkslove.com

Maria Burgos: Panelist

Born and raised in Washington Heights, New York, Maria Burgos (@mariase.fue) is an emerging Spoken Word Artist leading her community to nurture their creativity, and Helping other tap into their own voice.

Tejal Parekh, MSW: Panelist

Tejal Parekh, MSW (@brightdollface), whom holds a Master’s in Social Work - is a therapist in Higher Education and CEO of her brand / blog platform as The Hype Coach Tejal, MSW @Brightdollface. Tejal specializes in building an individual's self-esteem, confidence in their body and guiding them on their journey to loving themselves. This includes sharing her testimony and story as a Domestic Violence Survivor whom has become a warrior to empower womxn around the world. Subsequently creating her Instagram TV Series Warrior Wednesday as a reminder that we are ALL warriors despite our life journey. As a Hype Coach, plus size model, influencer, writer, founder of her womxn empowerment group Goddesses Unite, advocate of undocumented immigrants, body positivity and self-love; She ensures to deliver empowerment in the community both in person and virtually. 

She is also the founder of Goddesses Unite, a womxn empowerment group that she facilitates to empower elite womxn in our community and providing them a safe space with interventions, coping skills, and tools to support their journeys. Tejal, MSW founded this group due to a lack of representation by womxn as there was not a group who has a facilitator who appears like herself to represent them as a womxn of color and Latinas. Tejal Parekh, MSW whom is a multi-racial diverse womxn felt the need to create this group so womxn could feel connected and safe while also not feeling judged because of their backgrounds. Tejal continues to inspire and transform more womxn & individuals through her work on various platforms such as ENVSN Fest, The Queen Sessions -Digital Host, Voyage Magazine, Fierce by Mitu, The Yellow Heart Committee.

Vanessa Lopes: Dance Instructor

Vanessa Lopes (@envlopes_) is a Latin Dancer, self-taught Artist, Recreational Therapist, and Mental Health Counseling student. Striving always to create a safe space for individuals to engage in self-expression, Vanessa utilizes her experience as a dancer and Recreational Therapist as well as her ongoing education in Mental Health Counseling to foster important conversations surrounding mental health and intimacy. She encourages everyone to create art in all that they do and hopes to nurture an accepting environment which neither discourages or encourages, but simply allows all individuals to be their authentic selves.