Meet Sam (they/them)
Practice Director, Principal Sexologist & Specialist Social Worker
Sam is the founder of Queer Pleasure Collective, a practice built on the belief that queer and fat folks deserve access to therapy that was genuinely made for them, with their experiences at the centre.
As a pleasure and connection specialist, Sam supports people to feel at home in their bodies, reconnect with joy, and explore sexuality, identity, and relationships without shame. Their approach is warm, evidence-informed, and grounded in intersectional, pleasure-centred care.
Education
Master of Science in Medicine (Sexual & Reproductive Health)
The University of Sydney
Bachelor of Social Work (Honours, Minor in Mental Health)
The University of Queensland
Background
Sam brings nearly a decade of experience across mental health, sexual health, and trauma-informed care; including specialist roles in palliative care and oncology, perinatal mental health, maternity care, pelvic pain, suicide prevention, housing and homelessness, and clinical education.
They have led statewide health education programs, contributed to national research and policy, delivered LGBTQIA+ inclusivity training, developed digital mental health models of care, and provided clinical and peer supervision to emerging practitioners.
This breadth of experience underpins a deep commitment to challenging systemic barriers and creating spaces where queer and fat communities can explore connection, pleasure, and self-determination on their own terms.
Therapeutic Approach
At the heart of Sam's practice is a belief in the power of pleasure, connection, and self-determination. They work through trauma-informed, person-centred, and intersectional frameworks, recognising the complexity of identity, lived experience, and the ways systemic barriers can shape our relationship with our bodies, desires, and each other.
Sessions are collaborative. There's no prescribed path, no one-size-fits-all approach. Sam draws on a range of evidence-informed modalities, tailored to what each person actually needs:
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT)
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)
Narrative Therapy
Schema Therapy
Somatic Therapy
Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT)
Attachment Theory
The goal is always the same: to create a space where you feel genuinely safe, genuinely seen, and genuinely supported to do the work that matters to you.
Areas of Specialisation
Sexual pain (vaginismus, vulvodynia, dyspareunia)
Low sexual desire, arousal, or satisfaction
Mismatched desire and other relationship dynamics
Sexual shame, trauma, or fear around sex and intimacy
Exploring kinks, fetishes, and sexual preferences
Difficulties with orgasm and pleasure
Exploring sexuality and gender identity
Body image and reconnecting with your body
Healing from fatphobia, finding pleasure in a fat body
Sexual communication and building confidence in connection
Intimacy during life transitions (perinatal, chronic illness, ageing)
General mental health support in a queer and fat-affirming space
Outside the Therapy Room
When Sam's not in session, you'll usually find them with their rescue cat Ziggy, tending to a slightly-out-of-control plant collection, tracking down the best oat cappuccino, or somewhere in Melbourne’s theatre scene.