Creative Sexpression

Creative Sexpression Clinical sex therapist, Relationship counsellor & Art therapist. My vision is to see sex celebrated and taught in a healthy and positive way.
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Trauma‑informed, queer‑affirming, kink-friendly. 30 yrs as an erotic photographer-no shame, no judgment.I help you reclaim desire, heal sexual self-esteem & connect with your deepest self. I believe a healthy sexuality leads to a greater well being. I wholeheartedly believe sexual energy and pleasure is the birthplace of creativity and that through awakening ourselves to this pleasure, we raise our consciousness, intellect and live more in tune with the world around us. That’s why “Creative Sexpression” was born! My name is Cat O Dowd and I'm a certified sex therapist, relationship psychotherapist and art therapist. I provide a non-judgemental, kink-friendly, supportive environment in which to explore your life, your relationships and your sexual expression- whatever your stage of life or your sexual preferences. "My 20 years of photographing fetish and erotic art gives me that extra insight and knowledge into a world not all therapists understand. I am also trained in art therapy and holistic counselling and can use creative psychotherapy exercises to access your inner feelings, creativity and healing." To book a sexuality counselling session with Cat, click here http://creativesexpression.com/book-a-session/ or email cat@creativesexpression.com

The Pleasure Deficit.... When Your Survival Strategy Becomes Self SabotageOk, so I wanna be brutally honest. If you...
21/12/2025

The Pleasure Deficit.... When Your Survival Strategy Becomes Self Sabotage
Ok, so I wanna be brutally honest. If you're a high-achieving trauma survivor as I know a LOT of you are, your brain is currently running on the most reliable, least enjoyable software available... I like to call it ---The Vigilance Operating System.

So yeah, this system is UTTERLY brilliantly designed for safety and enduring the next crisis, not, heaven forbid, anything so utterly chaotic as genuine pleasure. Your system is simply too busy and overloaded being prepared for the imminent scary situation or danger that is it sure is coming..

Many of us run on a Pleasure Deficit. We are fantastic at work, caregiving, and enduring. We're the human equivalent of a long-life battery that refuses to recharge.

Why is that do you reckon? It is because it’s a survival strategy with a terrible ROI like if you don't expect reward then you can't be disappointed. You've basically mandated your own scarcity!!! That sucks!

Self-denial is not resilience! Instead I'd call it a slow, utterly tragic sabotage of your own beautiful life force. PLEASE stop treating your soul like it needs to earn a performance bonus just to have ten minutes of peace!

❓My Question for you all is: Name one small, specific pleasure you consciously denied yourself this week because you felt you hadn't 'earned' it ( so here are some random examples, say--- ten minutes of silence, buying a specific coffee, wearing those unnecessarily soft pyjamas). Maybe you can name more than one!

Now my dear followers, please be defiant for yourself!

What intentional, non-s*xual act of pleasure are you committing to receive tomorrow, with zero justification or apology? I know what mine is and it involves nature... Tell me in the comments below...

Cat O Dowd

Art--- Navid Sohrabi

What is the single most persistent, irritating flaw in your partner (or an ex) that you relentlessly complain about? No...
18/12/2025

What is the single most persistent, irritating flaw in your partner (or an ex) that you relentlessly complain about? Now, be ruthless: What is the un-lived quality in yourself that you are attempting to avoid by projecting that flaw onto them?

It is so common to unconsciously choose a partner who embodies the exact qualities you refuse to integrate in yourself. Jung called this the Shadow Projection-- we demonise or adore the traits we are too scared to own. In Western psychology, the Shadow refers to the set of disowned or repressed aspects of the self. These are the traits, emotions, and desires deemed unacceptable by the conscious ego, and keeping them unconscious is what costs us vast amounts of psychological energy

Your partner isn't actually too chaotic; they are holding the chaos you've spent your entire life suppressing........ Often they're the mirror you're refusing to look into.... (Obviously I am NOT NOT NOT talking about abusive relationships at all!)

Cat O Dowd

Art- Jez Timms....

18/12/2025

Have you ever felt the pressure to stay silent about a 'nuanced' opinion because you were afraid of being shamed by your 'own' side? That’s a red flag for a high-control dynamic..

I'll write some more about this next..

AFTER CARE.. What is the single, most precise, non-s3xual action you need from your partner in the 20 minutes immediate...
17/12/2025

AFTER CARE.. What is the single, most precise, non-s3xual action you need from your partner in the 20 minutes immediately following s3x to feel completely safe, regulated, and honoured?
Aftercare is not optional and it’s not just for kink. It’s necessary boundary repair. And, 'cuddling' isn't a contract. Post-intimacy, the nervous system is often dysregulated, especially for trauma survivors. The ambiguity of emotional needs creates anxiety.

Art- Claudia Love.

🧡 Let's shred the pathetic notion of a 'Normal' Libido. This idea, that desire should be constant, high-powered, and ins...
17/12/2025

🧡 Let's shred the pathetic notion of a 'Normal' Libido. This idea, that desire should be constant, high-powered, and instantly available is a societal construction rooted in p**n consumption and other nonsense. It has zero clinical basis. Your libido is a complex, responsive system, it is NOT a light switch.

Stop pathologising the science of your own desire because it doesn't match the historical oppressive ideas.

❓ My question to you: What is the single most damaging piece of advice or expectation about s*xual frequency or desire that you absorbed from media or culture? What is the factually true counter-statement (about rest, stress, or consent) that you need to preach to yourself today? ❤️

-Cat

Art--- Braxton Apana

Let me tell you about Anna (name changed, obviously). Anna was a powerhouse corporate. She was ruthless in the boardroo...
16/12/2025

Let me tell you about Anna (name changed, obviously). Anna was a powerhouse corporate. She was ruthless in the boardroom but struggled setting a simple boundary at home. She spent her life being the 'Good Girl,' meticulously managing her partner's life (his scheduling, his bills, his emotional state and doing all of the domestic labour and household tasks).

Anna’s worth was tied to performance and managing the unstable emotions of her childhood. She developed the Fawn Response. This is a trauma strategy where compliance and people-pleasing are the only reliable way to secure safety and validation. It's a survival and coping mechanism when you're a child but as an adult it doesn't help you and can become so problematic and keep you trapped...

Anna came to me with serious fatigue and zero libido. Her body was screaming 'STOP,' but her voice was trained for compliance, as I've spoken about before on here what I call the ultimate Somatic System Fraud. Her suppressed Sacred Rage (that energy needed to say 'Enough!') had turned inward, manifesting as shame and depression.

The exhaustion extended directly to the bedroom. This compliance meant she regularly engaged in Duty S*x (or Appeasement S*x) when she was not genuinely aroused, convinced that performing her 'wifely duties' was the only way to prevent conflict. This continuous act of self-betrayal caused her body to go on strike, leading directly to her anorgasmia and zero libido. Her body simply refused to reward the performance.

In Art Therapy sessions, we located that rage and she was challenged to use that energy not to yell, but to set one non-negotiable boundary. The rage became the fuel for this statement, 'My capacity is full. I will no longer manage all of the household finances. These are the tasks that belongs to you.'

This boundary is not the full solution, it doesn't fix the partner's issues... But Sacred Rage is the catalyst. It breaks Anna's trauma cycle and forces the systemic imbalance into the light, demanding that her partner now step up and meet the new reality. Her liberation requires his accountability.

Other statements she created were,
"I am at zero capacity. My system needs rest, not output. I am off the clock."
And.... "I'm too tired tonight. Let's find a time tomorrow when I can genuinely look forward to it."

❓Okay so here's my question for you..... Like Anna, what is the single most draining management task in your relationship that you know, deep down, belongs to someone else? What is the statement you need to say to free yourself and start changes?

Art- Oleg Ivanov

15/12/2025

Acts of terror seek to divide us but they do not define who we are.

What defines us is our response — coming together, offering help and standing alongside one another.

Today, our hearts are with all those who have lost loved ones and those recovering in hospital, the Jewish community and everyone impacted by this horrific event.

Every community deserves safety and dignity.

15/12/2025

Our thoughts are with every person and community impacted by the terrible attack at Bondi yesterday 🧡

In the aftermath of traumatic events, you might be feeling distressed, tearful and anxious, this is entirely normal and could linger for many days or even weeks.

Trauma can have far-reaching effects on the mind and body. It can cause people to have difficulty sleeping or to feel very anxious, especially about returning to the scene of a trauma.

It can be hard to know what to do or how to help others who may need it. Below you will find some practical ways to take care of yourself after a traumatic event has occurred 👇

Desire is not a concierge service waiting on demand. Desire is a creature of biology and neurochemistry, it follows a c...
14/12/2025

Desire is not a concierge service waiting on demand. Desire is a creature of biology and neurochemistry, it follows a circadian rhythm, not some idiotic social script dictated by movie directors and toxic masculinity.

You are expected to be ready for intimacy whenever the partner deigns to notice you, but forcing arousal outside your prime neurological window rarely leads to genuine pleasure; it leads to an utterly exhausting performance that benefits precisely no one. Stop pathologising your desire for being 'too early' or 'too late' just because it doesn't align with the 10 PM norm. Respect the rhythm. It's science, not selfishness.

❓My Question for you: If you could schedule your Peak Erotic Hour, (when you feel the most genuinely responsive and alert) ---what time of day would it be?
And what is the single biggest, most ridiculous obstacle currently blocking that window ( is it maybe exhaustion, uncompleted work, parenting demands. or simply 'The Fear of the Morning Breath')?

Cat O Dowd

14/12/2025

2026 goals.. Learning that love does not mean self-sacrifice, and that boundaries protect intimacy rather than diminish it.

14/12/2025

Growth doesn’t have to equal suffering. ❤️

❓ What is the first physical warning signal your body sends when you desperately need to say 'No'? (say ... A sudden itc...
14/12/2025

❓ What is the first physical warning signal your body sends when you desperately need to say 'No'? (say ... A sudden itch, a clench of the fists, or a headache.) Can you work on identifying that signal and using the simple code word 'Pause' next time it fires.

When a boundary is violated, your body registers the sensation immediately. You might feel a tightening jaw, a held breath, or a sudden coldness say.... Delaying that verbal 'NO' forces your somatic system to hold that physical tension, this then can create an inner chaos.

The problem isn't the feeling; it's the lag time between the feeling and the articulation of the boundary.

Art---See Plus

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Sydney, NSW
2010

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Our Story

Cat is a clinical s*xologist, relationship psychotherapist, certified s*x therapist, art therapist, transpersonal counsellor, s*x and relationship educator and columnist and award winning, internationally published erotic photographer. “My vision is to see s*x celebrated and taught in a healthy and positive way. I believe a healthy s*xuality leads to a greater well being. I wholeheartedly believe s*xual energy and pleasure is the birthplace of creativity and that through awakening ourselves to this pleasure, we raise our consciousness, intellect and live more in tune with the world around us. That’s why “Creative S*xpression” was born! Cat provides a non-judgemental, kink-friendly, supportive environment for all s*xualities and gender identities to explore your life, your relationships and your s*xual expression- whatever your stage of life or your s*xual preferences. "My 20 years of photographing fe**sh and adult material gives me that extra insight and knowledge into a world not all therapists understand. I am also trained in art therapy and holistic counselling and can use creative psychotherapy exercises to access your inner feelings, creativity and healing." To book a s*xuality counselling session with Cat, click here http://creatives*xpression.com/book-a-session/ or email cat@creatives*xpression.com Cat O Dowd has made her career out of s*xually empowering others through creativity and helping others find and create their dream relationships and s*x life. �� With 20 years of professional erotic, bo***ir and fe**sh photography under her belt, Cat has photographed thousands of subjects around the world for fe**sh websites, coffee table books, p**n magazines, kinky events, alternative weddings and intimate couple shoots. Cat founded Australia’s first website dedicated to underground erotica and photographed hundreds of men and women in photo shoots in nature that strived to create a non mainstream body positive aesthetic. Photo stories were set in nature depicting modern interpretations of Greek mythology, fairy tales, archetypes and feminine strength. �� When she’s not screaming in her band she’s busy writing her columns as the resident s*x therapist and feature writer for Ciao magazine. She’s written for The Establishment, appeared on Triple J’s The Hack and The Hook Up, an ABC documentary about labiaplasty, NINEMSN, Cosmopolitan, Le****ns on the Loose, Picture and People magazine. �Cat runs a private practice in Sydney and runs art and s*x therapy workshops and retreats.