Cornerstones of Maine is happy to announce Gwendolyne Tuttle, LCSW, and Lacee DeLorey, have been selected to present a TED Talk at the Canadian Psychological Society’s Annual International Conference; PREACH. They will be presenting on the importance of Sex Positive Education for the LGBTQIA+ community during Toronto’s Pride Week celebrations on June 21st and 22nd. 

Lacee and Gwen’s presentation has evolved from the weekly Sex Positive Education that Lacee offers clients in the Cornerstones of Maine residences. This is an important offering to implement as a Life Skills component of the Cornerstones of Maine program, as it supports and educates clients on how to develop healthy romantic relationships. Gwen joins Lacee for the presentation, bringing her social work background to add a clinical component to the material.

“Sex Positive Education seeks to engage young adults through inclusion, reduction of shame and stigma, and promoting buy-in to mature and mindful sex practices,” notes Gwen. “Incorporation of Sex Positive Education into academic and therapeutic programs supports all individuals, especially those who identify as LGBTQIA+, and can positively impact clinical work in the areas of trauma, exploitation, and healthy interpersonal relationships.”

Together, they discuss concepts including enthusiastic consent, forms of protection, sexual violence prevention, basic anatomy, and dismantling social-sexual constructs.

Lacee DeLorey is the Residential Coordinator for Cornerstones of Maine. For the past seven years, Lacee has been teaching Sex Positive Education to populations that include adolescents, adults with IDD, and emerging young adults. Lacee is a strong advocate for the LGBTQ+ community and is passionate about equal representation and distribution of rights among individuals who are often underrepresented.

Gwendolyne Tuttle is the Clinical Coordinator for Cornerstones of Maine and has been providing psychotherapy to young adults since 2015 with an emphasis on trauma-informed care. She is passionate about Sex Positive Education and the intersection with treatment for sexual trauma. Gwendolyne is a certified Mentalization Based Therapy Practitioner and is currently in residency in the Doctor of Social Work program at the University of Pennsylvania.

About Cornerstones of Maine

Cornerstones of Maine is a clinically-focused transitional living program located in Portland and Biddeford, Maine. Their program assists 18 to 28-year-old creative & bright determined emerging young adults who are struggling to live and function independently. Clients have a history of mood or anxiety disorders, executive functioning issues, social skill deficits, and academic challenges. Their program provides a therapeutic & experiential approach that gives structure and support based on each client’s individual needs. Cornerstones provides all gender accommodations that are LGBTQ+ affirming and the average length of stay is 9 to 12 months. For admissions information, email Aaron Rumsey at arumsey@cornerstonesofmaine.com.