CAPS Healthy Relationships and Self-Love Panel Discussion Today

The Counseling and Psychological Services office, in collaboration with its campus partners, has assembled a panel of professionals to answer your questions about sex, sexuality, dating, self-love and relationships. The CAPS Healthy Relationships and Self-Love Event will be from 5-6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 11.

You may have questions like, "How do I talk about my STI?" or "How do I talk to my partner about what I like sexually?" or "Is it okay to enjoy self-pleasure?" These questions may be difficult for some to ask, but you are not the only one with these types of questions. The event will be held virtually and will be recorded, but participants will remain anonymous. (Cameras off, usernames not shown)

This is an interactive event offering educational information to promote healthy relationships and self-love to increase health, wellness, and mental health associated with relationships (and there will be giveaways)!

By attending this event, you will automatically be enrolled in the giveaway. When you submit a question for our panel, you will receive a second entry! Remember, participants remain anonymous, and questions will also be asked anonymously.

To sign-up for the panel discussion, go to tinyurl.com/lovecaps.

PANELISTS

Brande Flack is the director of retention programs at the Center for Multicultural and Diversity Education at the University of Arkansas. Her primary is the coordinator of the Academic Enrichment Program which supports current students with academic success strategies and skills.  Her diversity and inclusion efforts and training consist of coordinating the LGBTQAI+ Safe Zone trainings on campus, and implementing specialized training and coaching for the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) along with other diversity trainings on implicit bias, micro-aggressions and identity development.

Patricia Morency, LCSW, M.Ed. (she/her/hers) is a mental health clinician and the diversity, equity and inclusion coordinator at CAPS. She has dual master's degrees in social work and human sexuality education from Widener University. She has worked in community mental health, higher education, and research institutes across several regions of the United States. Her specialization is in sex-education and therapy. This involves exploring topics such as gender identity, sexual orientation, safer-sex practices, BDSM, and polyamorous relationships, anti-racism, and more. She is also a proud second-generation Haitian American and an East Coast Millennial.

Dr. Kathleen Paulson is a board certified obstetrician and gynocologist at the Pat Walker Health Center at the University of Arkansas. She grew up in Fayetteville as the second of seven children (including a set of triplets) where her mother Gen, a labor and delivery nurse, worked at Washington Regional Medical Center and her father James T. Whitehead was a co-founder of the Creative Writing Program at the university. After graduating from the U of A with double majors in Spanish and German, Paulson taught and traveled extensively for seven years before attending medical school at The Ohio State University. She completed her residency at the University of Missouri, then returned to Fayetteville where she was in private practice for nearly two decades before taking the position at the Pat Walker Health Center. Paulson has worked to improve contraceptive education in her home state and is passionate about decreasing the rate of unplanned pregnancies among young women. She lives with her husband George and has two grown children.

Heather Vinti is a counseling intern at CAPS, in her final semester of the clinical mental health counseling masters degree at the U of A. Prior to pursuing counseling, Heather earned a masters and PhD in public health and served as an assistant professor of public health and the co-director of the Sexuality Education and Consent Studies research lab for 5 years. Vinti has taught human sexuality on college campuses for over 10 years and published book chapters and articles on sexuality. Vinti's research focused on sexuality communication, sexuality and technology, and women's sexual satisfaction. Vinti looks forward to pursuing certification as a sex therapist once licensed as a counselor.

Holly Wrobel is an advocate for the NWA Center for Sexual Assault. Specifically, she is the LGBTQ+ victim services advocate and oversees Project ARCH, the center's outreach dedicated to validating the experiences of the LGBTQ+ community. This is accomplished through providing community awareness as well as direct services and support to individuals. Wrobel is married to her wonderful wife. Together, they are raising a daughter and are owned by four cats.