Empowered Pleasure Code of Conduct

Revised: August 2025

The following Code of Conduct outlines what participants should expect from Cliff and Charity and other facilitators and event professionals at Empowered Pleasure events. This Code of Conduct is our pledge to act in a manner supportive of our core values including compassion, kindness, wisdom, and joy. Additionally, we commit to avoid actions that have a likelihood of causing harm and to do our best to mitigate the potential for causing harm everywhere we can.  

Our aspirational commitments include honesty, transparency, integrity, open-mindedness, empathy, attunement, flexibility, and openness to feedback. We commit to the intention of supporting the highest good to those who come to us as clients or workshop participants. We cultivate a culture of accountability and this includes seeking support and reflections from others, including peers, teachers, colleagues, and supervisors.

This Code of Conduct is adapted from the Code of Ethics for Sexological Body Workers and has been reviewed by several professionals including our Accountability Supervisors, Kamela Love from Transform Into Love, and Sherika Tenaya, Sexological Body Worker, incorporating best practices for tantra practitioners. If an event participant observes Cliff, Charity, or other event professionals from Empowered Pleasure violating this Code of Ethics, please contact our Accountability Supervisors with your concerns through the use of our online External Accountability Form here. 

Empowered Pleasure’s Specific Commitments & Agreements

 Dignity and Respect

  • First and foremost, we agree to treat all people, whether participants or colleagues, with dignity and respect, including having our primary focus be in the interests of participants increasing their sense of awareness, vitality, joy, compassion, connection, presence, and expansion. 

  • When we discover that something is occurring in one of our workshops that results in contraction rather than expansion, we will do our best to listen with a caring and open heart and to respond to feedback in a timely manner after it is brought to our attention.

  • There are several systems we have to support you that are intended to honor your rights and needs as a human being.

  • Our events may not be suitable for all people who desire to participate. The physical environment may not work for some, the techniques might result in adverse responses in others, or the event structures may be activating to the degree that they cause more suffering than expansion in some people. 

  • Please see our “Participant Support” section to determine if the supports we have available are suitable to your needs. If we don’t have the capacity to meet your individual needs, we will share other community resources outside of Empowered Pleasure that may be more aligned with what works for you.

Trauma Informed Practice

  • We realize that most, if not all, people participating in, assisting, or facilitating events have experienced trauma that is captured in their nervous systems. Because of this, we strive to utilize trauma informed practices to the best of our ability. 

  • We acknowledge our events are not “safe spaces,” but rather they are “brave spaces” for participants to expand and grow in ways that feel maximally supportive. 

  • We strive to create brave spaces that maximize each individual participant’s opportunities to explore and expand while remaining within their individual window of tolerance. We do this by:

    • Providing choices and alternatives for all exercises and experiences

    • Providing easily accessible emotional support during the event

    • Providing a physical space at our events to take breaks and regulate as needed while remaining with the group

    • Participating in ongoing continuing education to support growth as facilitators

    • Validating participants’ difficult experiences

    • Maintaining professional boundaries in an effort to avoid hurt, harm, and/or retraumatization

    • Educating participants, assistants, and facilitators on recognizing and responding to a variety of trauma responses in our event spaces

    • Providing opportunities for participants to integrate both at the end of and following each event

Guidelines Around Sexual Engagement at Events

  • Sexual Engagement is defined as any interaction including…

    • Exchange of fluids (including saliva) on any part of the body

    • Genital or anal touch with any part of the body, clothed or unclothed

    • Giving or receiving oral sex

    • Genital or anal penetration with any part of the body or with an object

    • Touch of any part of the body with the intention of sexual arousal

    • Continued touch of any part of the body after sexual arousal arises, even when sexual arousal was not the original intention behind the touch

  • Sexual Engagement Between Event Participants: Some of our events include the invitation for sexual or sensual interaction between participants, and we expect each participant to clarify their agreements with other partners and their personal boundaries prior to the event and to maintain those boundaries throughout the event. Any physical touch, sexual or otherwise, must be preceded by clear, enthusiastic, verbal consent from all parties involved. 

  • To take into account certain trauma responses such as “fawning” or “appeasing”, we encourage workshop participants to go beyond verbal consent and to “mine for the no”, a practice that is more likely to identify when a person is giving a “pseudo yes” informed by fawning/appeasing. 

  • After clear, verbal consent is obtained and “mining for a no” has been completed, the others involved are expected and encouraged to repeat back the request and the boundaries shared and to remain responsible for maintaining the limits expressed by the one receiving touch.

    • Participants must take appropriate prerequisite training on boundaries and consent prior to being involved in events that include invitations for sexual engagement or eros exchange as discussed on the Empowered Pleasure website. 

    • It is the facilitator and/or event organizer’s responsibility to check whether all participants have completed an approved boundaries and consent course and whether they are appropriately equipped to consciously choose their response to invitations for erotic exchange between participants and their capacity to honor their own and other’s choices. 

    • Facilitators will include a review of embodied boundaries and consent practices at the beginning of each event, and will remind participants of these throughout the course of the event.

    • We instruct participants not to change their original boundaries in the direction of more erotic engagement during an event due to the reality that increasing arousal can override the conscious determination of boundaries  they made pre-event and therefore pre-arousal. If one participant asks another participant for erotic exchange that is more intensive than their original boundaries indicated, the other should remain within the original boundaries stated for the duration of the exercise; a participant could verbally celebrate the desire for greater erotic exchange and then make plans to engage more deeply at their next opportunity (i.e. event, date, or workshop).

  • Sexual Engagement Between Participants and Facilitators: To maintain the integrity of the container and to minimize power misuse, Cliff and Charity will not sexually engage with participants for a minimum of one year post event participation. Guest facilitators and other event professionals will not sexually engage with participants for a minimum of three months post event.

  • Sexual Engagement Between Participants and Assistants: Assistants who do not hold a teaching role in the workshop could engage sexually with participants as part of event structures, although penetrative sex is prohibited. Penetrative sex includes vaginal, anal, or oral penetration with lingham (penis), fingers, or other objects. Additionally, assistants will not initiate or suggest sexual exchange and will only engage upon request of the participant in a manner aligned with all parties' boundaries, recognizing that being an assistant is holding an up-power position. Any further connections between assistants and participants after the event ends should be delayed for a minimum of 30 days post event, after which point the assistant may engage with  a request for romantic or sexual connection made by a participant. The assistant will not, however, pursue or request romantic or sexual engagement with a participant until a minimum of three months have passed from the event to reduce the impact of the power dynamic on consent. If a connection has been made outside of our events between an assistant and a former participant of one of our events, the connection should be disclosed transparently during the  team meeting prior to any event at which the assistant and former participant will be present.  

Additional Professional Boundaries for Event Staff

  • Cliff and Charity, event staff, and guest facilitators will not begin a romantic or sexual relationship with people that they meet in a teacher/student or practitioner/client relationship for a minimum of one year after the ending of the teacher/student or practitioner/client relationship.

  • If Cliff, Charity or guest facilitators have a pre-existing romantic or sexual relationship with a person who desires to participate in an event, we will not engage in sensual or sexual touch or energy exchange with them at an event we are facilitating and we will disclose the pre-existing relationship to all participants at the beginning of an event.

  • If a former student or participant approaches Cliff or Charity for romantic or sexual connection outside of an event, we will only engage if:

    • A minimum of one year has passed since the former student or participant has attended one of our events.

    • We have sought reflections from supervisors, partners and colleagues, including evaluating the possible repercussions from the continued presence of a power imbalance, and these supervisors or colleagues gave us affirmative support to engage.

    • Even with all of the above, we will engage slowly and mindfully, tracking the impact of any power dynamics; we will disengage romantically/sexually if it becomes clear that power imbalances are negatively impacting the former student and/or if our team of supervisors and colleagues strongly suggest we disengage with that former student. 

  • To keep our role as facilitators distinct, neither Cliff nor Charity will act as a participant in event structures for Empowered Pleasure regardless of who is facilitating the event structures; we may, however, act as a model for demonstration purposes.

  • The container and boundaries of the event will be discussed and agreed upon before the event takes place through informed consent (see more details on our informed consent practices below).

  • The context for events is to serve the learning objectives of participants; it is specifically not to fulfill the facilitator’s desires for sexual connection or other personal needs. Should attraction to a participant occur, it is the responsibility of the facilitators to address this within the context of professional supervision, peer supervision, or mentorship; the facilitators will not disclose such attraction to any participants.

  • Should a participant or client express desire to engage in romantic/erotic exploration with Cliff or Charity, they will decline the invitation for romantic or erotic exploration and they will remind the client of their professional boundaries while celebrating the participant or client’s desires and their courage in expressing them.

  • Cliff or Charity may engage in a romantic or sexual relationship with a professional peer who also attends workshops, although only after supervision/consultation and after exploration of existing power dynamics.

  • If Cliff or Charity co-teach with an existing lover/intimate partner, we will be transparent with clients and participants about the relationship and seek supervision to support managing the inherent complex power dynamics.

Power Dynamics

  • We are aware that power dynamics influence all human relationships, and that harm from misuse of power includes both exploitation of power for personal gain, and denying the power we hold.

  • We are aware that many types of power exist including power from roles given, privilege and status, systems, and collectives. We are committed to consistently explore how our areas of power influence those participating in our events and we accept the responsibility inherent in the power we hold. We own that as facilitators, teachers, and leaders, we hold more responsibility than participants and students in managing the impact of power dynamics.

  • We are committed to receiving critical feedback with humility and openness and removing as many obstacles to giving feedback as possible, including the obstacles of our own defensiveness about our intentions and any temptation to minimize, explain or deflect. 

  • We are committed to fostering “right relationship” with our power, as defined by the Right Use of Power Institute, as “the use of personal and role power to prevent, reduce and repair harm. In addition, to promote sustainable well-being for all.” To be in “right relationship” in this model requires our intentional self-responsibility around the impact of our actions, especially when we’re in an “up-power” role, as well as supporting those “down-power” from us to access their personal power. 

  • We foster “right relationship” with our power by*:

    • Inviting critical feedback from workshop participants 

    • Responding to critical feedback with validation of their experience and with openness to hear more through generous listening

    • Naming existing power dynamics and professional relationship boundaries in the introduction of each workshop

    • Providing a variety of ways to share feedback in the manner that feels safest to the person in the down-power role

    • Addressing feedback with a focus on the impact rather than on our intent

    • Providing external resources, such as tantra-positive mediation, to meet workshop participants in a heart-felt resolution process after a conflict or harm has occurred 

  • *We learned many of the  above principles in the Basic and Core Training programs from the Right Use of Power Institute.

Sobriety

  • Cliff and Charity and all other event professionals working for Empowered Pleasure will refrain from facilitating group or individual sessions while under the influence of substances that alter consciousness and/or inhibit our capacity to uphold practitioner responsibilities including this code of conduct.

  • Cliff and Charity will not provide consciousness-altering substances (alcohol or otherwise) at any of our professional events.

 Competence

  • Cliff and Charity will only provide client services and teachings within our areas of competence and training.

  • Cliff and Charity will participate in continuing education, professional development, and peer mentorship as a routine part of our practice and training.

 Informed Consent

  • Cliff and Charity will provide a written informed consent document for all events that includes information about:

o   Type of touch invited at the event

o   Expectations and parameters around states of dress or undress

o   Relevant content warnings, transparently revealing activities and exercises that are more likely to activate and/or trigger people in different ways

Dual Relationships

  • Cliff and Charity recognize the inherent complexities and power dynamics that exist within dual relationships and will avoid dual or multiple relationships whenever possible.

  • If dual or multiple relationships with a client or participant are unavoidable, we take responsibility for clarifying with them whether a professional relationship can transpire in an ethical and safe way. This includes:

o   Differentiating roles

o   Managing boundaries

o   Protecting confidentiality

o   Providing opportunities for participants/clients to share concerns that arise

Confidentiality

  • Cliff and Charity will respect, defend, and preserve the privacy of all participants.

  • We will preserve the anonymity of clients when using information for purposes of teaching, research, and supervision.

  • We will require that all persons attending classes and workshops give  written or spoken agreement to respect the confidentiality of the identity of other participants and any information shared at events.

  • We will obtain dated and signed permission from participants before recording any session with photography, videography, or audio recordings, explaining the intended use of the recording and limits of confidentiality.

Inclusivity

  • Cliff and Charity are committed to Empowered Pleasure being a welcoming and inclusive space for participants; we strive to maintain an inclusive environment that does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, language, country of origin, gender, sexual orientation, ability, physiology, neurology, age, body type or size, religious/spiritual practice nor any other basis of discrimination. 

  • To foster a culture of inclusivity, we:

    • Take continuing education regarding the use of sensitive language.

    • Take continuing education regarding diversity and inclusion.

    • Intervene if a client experiences discriminatory acts from other participants.

    • Seek supervision/consultation from diversity specialists, including review of educational materials.

    • Provide disclosures if the facility in use has barriers for those with mobility needs.

    • Provide discounts for BIPOC participants.

    • Encourage people from marginalized communities to speak up and be centered, and encourage people from dominant cultural communities to make space for other voices.

    • Offer higher compensation  for BIPOC presenters and actively recruit BIPOC presenters, angels and assistants to increase the presence of BIPOC leadership in our community.

 Accountability/Feedback

  • Cliff and Charity and all event professionals including guest facilitators, staff, and volunteers will be responsive to feedback, remaining adaptable and continuously improving our practices.

  • Cliff and Charity, guest facilitators, staff, and volunteers will strive to be non-defensive and non-deflective when receiving feedback.

  • Cliff and Charity and all event professionals will create a compassionate and supportive culture around accountability work, emphasizing minimization of harm through trauma-informed approaches and non-punitive models of community healing.

  • The Empowered Pleasure website will have an easily identifiable Accountability Tab documenting our Restorative Justice and Accountability Process located on the front page of the website that includes: 

    •  Restorative Justice report

    • Accountability blog

    • Timeline and activities from the accountability process

    • Contact for our accountability supervisor and accountability coach

    • Link to an anonymous reporting form for further expression of concerns and complaints, sent directly to Kamela Love from Transform Into Love.

  • Cliff and Charity will provide information verbally or through a link to our accountability page to anyone who wishes to discuss our accountability process with us, with or without mediation as preferred by the requester. Empowered Pleasure covers all expenses for mediation.

  • Cliff and Charity will offer multiple avenues for feedback so participants and colleagues can provide feedback through use of two online forms, one which reaches out to us directly and the other which connects the communication of concerns directly to our accountability supervisors and not to us. 

  • All Empowered Pleasure events that include sex positive exchanges, sacred sexuality and/or other forms of eros exchange will include a brief description of our Accountability Process and a QR code linking to our Accountability Page from our website on the original event announcement and marketing materials and on the registration table at the events.

    • Note: These announcements will not be made for events that do not include eros exchange, sex positive content, or invitations for sexual engagement. However, if participants in non-sexual/non-erotic events (meditation, integral theory, etc) wish for information about the accountability process, it will be provided. 

Participant Support

  • Cliff and Charity aim to have angels and peer support available at events to provide support to participants and/or to report concerns and complaints between members.

  • Cliff and Charity will be available to provide additional support if needed by request through an online form or in person contact.

  • If Cliff or Charity are unable to provide sufficient support for the participant or it is outside of our scope of competence, we will provide needed referrals.

  • Cliff and Charity will require that guest facilitators provide angels or assistants at events utilizing Tree House facilities or are sponsored by Empowered Pleasure and make their level of available support following the event clear to participants.

  • Cliff and Charity will require that guest facilitators utilizing Tree House facilities or events sponsored by Empowered Pleasure provide clear avenues for feedback and accountability to participants at their events. 

Addressing Grievances

  • Cliff and Charity contracted Kamela Love, with Transform Into Love, to provide heart-centered and tantra-positive professional conflict resolution services to address any grievances that emerge between our facilitators and any of our workshop participants/students. This work focuses on healing, understanding, and holistic repair of any hurt or harm caused. Please click here to submit an External Accountability Form to access these services. 

  • We are building a team of volunteers trained in peer mediation and peer emotional support to help the heart-felt resolution of any student to student grievances that emerge from our workshops/events.

Financial Disclosures

  • Empowered Pleasure is a Limited Liability Corporation. For those interested in knowing about the operational budget, profit margins, or other information regarding financials, it will be made available upon request. 

Living Document

  • We are committed to ongoing growth and evolution. This Code of Conduct is a living document, which will also grow and evolve. We will adapt this Code of Conduct as needed in response to our values and stated needs of our community.

  • When adaptations are made, they will be clearly noted and former versions will remain on our website so that participants, students, supervisors, and colleagues can transparently follow what we have adapted and why.

Conclusion

This Code of Conduct reflects our commitment to ourselves and to the global sex-positive and tantric communities to create power-aware, trauma-informed spaces for those who wish to explore sacred sexuality, neo-tantra, and intimacy as paths to expansion and liberation. 

We hope that all participating in our events join us in our commitment to expanding compassion, love, and unity in our world.