AWARD YEAR
2021
CATEGORY
Body
GOALS
Good Health & Well-being, Gender Equality, Sustainable Cities & Communities
KEYWORDS
Sexual assault, sexual trauma, Therapy
COUNTRY
Netherlands
DESIGNED BY
Nienke Helder
WEBSITE
https://vimeo.com/238576522
Sexual Healing for sexual trauma
Sexual Healing is designed to help women who are suffering from trauma-induced sexual problems.
According to the designer, current treatment available often focuses on a clinical perspective – putting too much emphasis on physical issues, rather than the psychological aspects of trauma.
"I was really frustrated with the way we treat these kinds of issues. In my opinion, the treatments that I got only made it worse," she told Dezeen.
"It was totally taking me away from the sexual context; it became really clinical. It was so focused on this end goal of penetration that I totally lost all fun in my sexuality."
The designer worked with medical experts and women in recovery to develop a set of five objects which invite users to discover their own sexual pleasure.
The objects (an ergonomically shaped mirror, a brush made from horsehair, a sensor and an object that measure the pressure in pelvis floor muscles) encourage women to explore what feels good to them, which in turn, relieves fear and pain, and help them regain a sense of security about their bodies.