Gina Marie
Love & Intimacy Coach
Sometimes people say the struggles in your life really show you who you are.
From an early age, I remember knowing there was a deep state of love and connection available to me. I could sense it in my heart, see it in my imaginations, fantasies and I could feel it in my body. I couldn’t put words to it, however I had an inner knowing that a well of pleasure and passion and connection with myself and others was a part of this worldly existence. Along the way, I became distant to that inner knowing. I picked up some “baggage” on this trip of life.
Much of this luggage was not mine. I picked up the unprocessed pain of my parents. Conditioning from society about love and sex were muddled in my psyche. I internalized negative messages from the environments and people I was around. I experienced trauma from relationships that were never aligned but I found myself in anyways. I started to believe love was found outside myself and that sex was purely lust and performative and, to be honest, was for other’s pleasure and certainly not mine!
“As I peeled away the layers of pain, shame, conditioning, ancestral trauma, I came home to myself.”
A string of relationships and a series of traumatic events unfolded, sexual abuse, physical trauma and an abusive relationship.
The latter two happened all at once and particularly broke me. One took my physical pleasure away for a time (serious spinal cord injury) and one broke my heart and spirit (an abusive relationship). I was broken in pieces, literally and figuratively.
However, this breaking open was a part of a divine path, a journey back to the heart, back to pleasure, as I peeled away the layers of pain, shame, conditioning, ancestral trauma, I came home to myself.
I returned to the inner knowing I tapped into many years ago, one that joy, pleasure, love was my true essence. I realized all the times my inner child (Little Gina) was hurt and needed a wise loving adult.
What I have learned through all my struggles, heartbreaks, and breakdowns, it that no matter how hard our experience appears to be, we ALWAYS have the power and ability to HEAL!
I dove into the healing journey, crown chakra first! Then I realized I had to get clear from the root and provide myself the safety, belonging, and acceptance I deserved.
I did all the things! Therapist, spiritual healing, coaching, meditation… These were all integral parts of my return to wholeness.
However, it was my desire to heal my patterns of relating to my sexuality and romantic partners that was the missing piece. I nerded out on books and courses about sacred sexuality, sexual science, relationship therapy, pleasure, you name it – I have it on my book shelf.
I enrolled in the VITA Coaching Program by renowned sex coach and Tantric educator Layla Martin and went into the self-love and sexual healing boot camp. I received hours and hours of coaching, immersed myself in the practices and began the journey of Tantra to heal my heart and embody the sensuality that IS Me.
I got SUPER clear on my wounding patterns, inner child needs and processed emotions stuck in my body through embodiment practices that were NEXT LEVEL. I began relating to my sexuality from a place of innocence and empowerment.
Rising in love with myself, first. And then, I found myself in the present, co-creating a beautiful partnership with my soul mate and living the life I always dreamed of.
I understand this journey of clearing the way for love, sacred sexuality and relationships deeply.
And I want to support you in your healing, integrating inner child wounds, transforming trauma, relational patterns, so you can come back to the true love that lives inside you and was there all along.
I do this through compassionate space holding, helping you map out your desires, and reclaim sexual sovereignty.
I teach you how to fully listen to your body’s wisdom, and find blockages to love and desire, integrate them with loving presence and powerful tools of embodiment.
I guide and offer tailored meditation and breathwork for deeper healing and support a new sexual story, living from full self-pleasure and self-love.
I love everything to do with love, intimacy and healing. And I can help you dive into those parts of your life from a place of compassion, giving you space and permission to put the pieces together and thrive!
Selected Experience & Trainings
13 years as a mental health clinician with focus in trauma, mindfulness, and psychotherapy
- Sensual Wholeness Academy, Co-Facilitator and Program Assistant (2019 - 2022). I taught masterclasses on topics such as sexual reclamation, self-pleasure, boundaries and facilitated monthly embodiment workshops and emotional release events.
- Meditation and Yoga teacher and sound healing guide
University
- Masters of Science (University and Toronto), 2010
- Bachelors of Science, Kinesiology and Psychology (York University), 2008
Coach Certifications
- VITA Sex, Love and Relationship Coaching, 600 hrs, two year intensive training (Tantric Institute of Integrated Sexuality), 2020 – 2023
- VITA Female Sexuality Specialized Coaching, 2021
- VITA Conscious Dating Specialized Coaching, 2021
- Life Coaching, (Health Coach Institute) 2018
- Health Coaching (Health Coach Certification), 2017
- Advanced Nutrition for Health Coaches (Health Coach Certification), 2019
Additional Training
- Certifed Breathwork Facilitator (Elemental Rhythm), 2023
- 200hr Yoga Teacher Training (Soul School Yoga), 2022
- Sound Mind, Sound Healing and Nada Yoga 40 Hr Training (Nanda Yogini Arts, Yoga Alliance Continuing Education), 2022
- Tao Healing Hands Level 3 Practitioner (Next Level Tao), 2022
- Sacred Loving Tantra Level 1 and 2 (Playful Loving), 2021
- Certificate in Trauma Studies (PESI), 2020-2022
- 100 hrs Meditation Teacher Training (Hoame), 2020
- Mindfulness Training for Emotional Resilience Facilitator Training (Centre for Mindfulness Studies), 2020
Mental Health Training
In my career as a mental health clinician, I have completed multiple trainings in the following areas:
- Cognitive Processing Therapy for Trauma
- Prolonged Exposure Therapy for Trauma
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- Motivational Interviewing
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy
- Solution-Focused Therapy
- Somatic Attachment Therapy
- Mindful Self-Compassion
- Various trainings in Psychedelic Therapy
