Podcast Interview: Ariel Anderssen, Author, and BDSM Model

Hello, Loving Without Boundaries (LWB) community!

I am excited to share my latest podcast interview with Ariel Anderssen, author, and BDSM model. Having at one time in my youth worked for a Jehovah’s Witness supervisor, and having a partner with a Jehovah’s Witness religious upbringing (long ago in his past), I found meeting Ariel particularly interesting and illuminating. I found many similarities between my own Catholic upbringing and my eventual rebellion against the oppression and misalignment with my values as I eventually leaned into a more sex positive way of relating and dating, alongside Ariel’s discoveries as well. Unfortunately, I do see quite a bit of religious trauma and difficulty releasing debilitating shame in my work with my cherished clients. Ariel, I find your work so refreshing in a world that wants to pretend that many of us are deviants if we want to live our lives, including our sexual lives, on our own terms. Keep doing what you are doing! I am rooting for you and your success!

Here is her Bio:

Professional submissive BDSM performer and author of the memoir “Playing To Lose – How a Jehovah’s Witness Became a Submissive BDSM Model.”

Here is the brief description of her book: 

In this bold and intimate memoir Ariel Anderssen charts her journey from a strict religious upbringing as a Jehovah’s Witness to her current position as one of the most widely recognized BDSM performers in the world. 

Her route between the two includes a period as a wretchedly miserable, teenage political activist, a phase touring with a Christian theatre group, and accidentally discovering a talent for posing for art nude photography. This surprising and unconventional career path led her to a life-altering introduction to BDSM-themed erotic artwork and a whole world she never imagined existing.

This is a book about BDSM, and about sexuality, but most of all it is about one woman’s struggle for self-acceptance and the rewards that come from confronting who you are with honesty and compassion.

Some topics we discuss in this highly interesting, informative, and entertaining interview:

• Traumatic experience leaving religion.
• Rules existing to separate followers from mainstream society.
• Her breakthrough moment at an art exhibition.
• Ariel explains how her book helps de-stigmatize kink and provides representation for those with similar backgrounds.
• Doing what you enjoy repeatedly helps erode shame over time.
• Exploring and renegotiating relationship boundaries.
• Tune in to listen to this fantastic podcast episode!

Thank you, Ariel, for being so wonderfully generous with your time, and for sharing your work and life with us via the podcast interview! It was enlightening, interesting, and so fun! You can learn more about Ariel Anderssen on Twitter.

To hear the podcast, go to the Podcast link here and subscribe to the Loving Without Boundaries podcast, then check out Episode 266 with Ariel Anderssen. Also, please help spread awareness of alternative lifestyles and create more tolerance for consensual non-monogamy in the world at large by Rating and Reviewing the LWB podcast in iTunes. It only takes a few minutes.

If you would like to be interviewed either in written form or via audio on the podcast, please feel free to contact me and we will set something up. Thank you!

ANNOUNCEMENT — GUEST PODCAST APPEARANCES