Vanessa Osage has been actively transforming culture to embrace positive sexuality for nearly a decade.
In 2009, she created a puberty rite of passage program as a new, healthy way to meet sexual maturity. This effort soon blossomed into the nonprofit Rooted Emerging. Combining meaningful sexuality education with outdoor adventure, talking circles and an overnight solo vigil, she has guided young people and families to revere the transition as worthy of celebration.
To raise awareness, she has coordinated over a dozen community events in Bellingham, Washington. These include an all-ages Masquerade, Giant Puppet Storytelling events, workshops on Mindfulness & The Four Shields, a Lecture Series on Rites of Passage & Love’s Fool, a celebration of the divinely imperfect journey of romantic love.
Author Tom Robbins served as Love’s Fool Grand Jester on April Fool’s Day 2017.
Along the way, Vanessa Osage has been teaching “soulful sexuality education” to young people in small groups, homeschool, 4-H and private school settings. Having trained through Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts in 2006, she expanded her certification to create a fuller approach to guiding for sexual health. She teaches Emotional Intelligence, along with healthy communication, boundaries, staying true to oneself and honoring the body’s wisdom. Her philosophy is most in line with Comprehensive Sexuality Education, as practiced with excellent long-term outcomes in parts of Europe.
Teaching self-love and boundaries to 6-9 year old students
Following great interest in Parent Nights at private schools, Vanessa created a “Raising Sexually Healthy Kids” seminar, which she has hosted multiple times around Bellingham, Washington. She also wrote the 23-page workbook with exercises, research and guidelines for parents, educators and professionals.
From the very beginning, individuals began reaching out for private, one-on-one support in all things intimate, sexual and personally meaningful. So, in 2009, a practice in consulting was born. Vanessa had been a professional childbirth assistant or doula (DONA) in her twenties, so the role of private support around sexuality and family was a natural extension of her experience. She has seen teens, young adults, parents, women from ages 19 – 60, and mother/daughter pairs as clients.
Today, this practice has evolved to include Professional Relationship Coaching, with a focus on love, sexuality, intimate connections and personal empowerment. She is currently pursuing credentialing through the International Coach Federation (ICF). She continues to work with parents who are striving to enhance their relationships with their children, and with their loved ones and partners. Vanessa also has a specialty in supporting women to find and own their truth, while supporting all genders to bring their truest selves to love and relationships.
From 2016, VEO Consulting, LLC served as a place-holder, while Vanessa researched new business models to encompass her larger vision. In 2018, she launched the social enterprise, Love & Truth Rising, with a mission is to positively transform love, sexuality & human connections.
Over ten beautiful years, Vanessa Osage has explored and influenced the various elements of healthy sexuality, both with individuals ages 6 – 90, and on the larger cultural level. This breadth of experience now enriches her work in Consulting & Coaching, Education and Social Justice.
She is also working on a new book about sexual maturity in America. Take a look for ways to contribute as an interviewee.
Enjoy an interview on the “Like a Mother” podcast.
See an early video describing Rooted Emerging.