Loud, Black and Pleasure Focused with Lauren French

“Community is the integral piece to healing that we have lost in Western spaces.”  

Join Winnie as she yarns with Lauren French about shame-free and pleasure-focused approaches to relationships and sexuality education and how Indigenous knowledge offers a pathway to healing communities impacted by sexual violence. 

As a proud Karajarri woman and sexologist, Lauren draws on her work across prevention, education and clinical practice, to explore the importance of moving beyond deficit-based narratives. By reframing sexual health as more than the absence of harm, Lauren invites us to challenge our biases and embrace curiosity, connection and pleasure as foundations for wellbeing. 

Listen as Lauren shares insights from her Churchill Fellowship on Indigenous Elder-Guided Relationship and Community Repair After Youth Sexual Violence, highlighting the critical role of community, accountability and cultural strengths in healing.  

This episode was recorded in July 2026 

References:

On The Couch episodes mentioned:

More:

  • Play Safe: an online safe sex, STI testing and condom education resource for young people in NSW 

  • Play Safe Pro: an online sexual health education resource for professionals who are working with young people in NSW 

  • Sexual Health InfoLink: a sexual health nurse-led NSW Health Service including a free telephone line for health professionals and the general public 

Credits   

Host: Winnie Adamson 

Guest: Lauren French 

Producers: Maddy Stratten & Winnie Adamson  

Editing: Winnie Adamson  

Music: Little Pastries Instrumental (descript)   

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Talking About Sex, Bodies & Consent with Dr Melissa Kang & Yumi Stynes