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Timing Matters! – The Female Sexual Response Cycle & Sexual Pain

This session focuses on pre-menopausal women, most commonly in their 20s and 30s. Participants will explore how insufficient arousal impacts tissue compliance and pain, strategies for transitioning from treatment to sexual participation, and the importance of individual variability in identifying the “best” time in the sexual cycle for intercourse.

Presentation Description
Learning Objective
About the Speaker

Darla Cathcart, PT, DPT, CLT, Pelvic & Women's Health Board-Certified Specialist
Presentation Description
Learning Objective
About the Speaker

Kayna Cassard, MA, LMFT

Kayna Cassard, LMFT, is a licensed clinician, sex therapist, and educator specializing in the psychological and relational aspects of pelvic pain and sexual dysfunction. Her work in human sexuality began in 2006, and her early experience as a pelvic pain patient highlighted the absence of cohesive, multidisciplinary care—informing her ongoing focus on trauma-informed, integrative models of sexual health treatment.

Kayna completed her Master’s in Clinical Psychology and became a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, focusing her clinical and academic work on the intersection of neuroscience, somatic psychotherapy, and sexual wellness. Over the past two decades, she has presented for organizations including the International Pelvic Pain Society (IPPS), the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists (AASECT), the Sexual Health Alliance, and UCLA. Her professional contributions have also been featured in CNN, NPR, Cosmopolitan, and Self Magazine.

She is the author of Arousal, Answered: An Expert’s Guide to Authentic Pleasure and Liberating Sex (Bloomsbury, 2026), which translates complex psychophysiological and relational concepts into accessible frameworks for both clinicians and clients seeking a new model for understanding sexual arousal and pleasure.

Through her group practice, Kayna and her team provide trauma-informed psychotherapy, professional consulting, and specialized intensive weekends for individuals and couples addressing sexual pain and anxiety. The center also offers online courses that integrate education, self-regulation tools, and relational guidance for those navigating the impact of pelvic pain. Her work emphasizes interdisciplinary collaboration and evidence-based interventions to bridge the gap between psychological, medical, and somatic care for sexual well-being.