Mia Action

Mia Action

Email: mia@miaaction.com


Kink Education in Philadelphia & South New Jersey

Mia Action is a prolific kink educator and lifestyle community organizer in Philadelphia and South New Jersey. Mia's educational background is in special education and fine arts; She uses her creativity, passion for teaching (and learning!) and enthusiasm about sexuality to create engaging and accessible workshops on a wide variety of topics. Her dynamic presentation style and inviting disposition make her an excellent choice for both formal and informal learning environments.

Mia is an expert in her field; She possesses a breadth of knowledge on alternative sexuality as well as exemplary group facilitation skills.

Mia has has offered her expertise to a wide array of institutions, such as The School of The Art Institute of Chicago, Haverford College, The Leather Archives & Museum, Kean University, Lutheran Settlement House, and Drexel University.

She has also worked with a number of kink organizations such as CLAW, FemDom Philadelphia, Galleria Domain 2, The Owls Nest, 7 Days of Domination, Passional Boutique and Sexploratorium, The Twisted Leprechaun, Philly Music Hall, and more.

Podcast appearances include Dating Kinky, What Women Want, After Hours Sessions, Your Kinky Friends, and FemDom Mystique.

Email me at mia@miaaction.com for inquires about workshops.


What people say about Mia:

Mia's personality was the most inspiring thing ever! She just shined with rays of acceptance. Mia had openness to ask hard questions, and to have what felt like a real conversation about challenging material."

-Student Testimonial

2023, School of The Art Institute of Chicago

"There are a lot of terms within BDSM/kink culture that are thrown around. Mia took the help to help the class understand what these terms actually mean and the contexts they exist in, which I was really appreciate of!"

-Student Testimonial

2023, School of the Art Institute of Chicago


"Mia Action has visited my 'Sex in Public' gender & sexuality studies history class twice as a Guest Speaker. Her visits are always memorable and transformative to students' thinking. Students reflect that learning from Mia and being in conversation with her helps them to feel lighter; less judgmental; and more curious, safe in being vulnerable, and expansive in their thinking and living. Plus, as an educator, collaborating with Mia on her class visits is a rewarding experience. She is full of fantastic ideas; committed; thorough; and dependable. Thank you, Mia!"

-Dr. Kirin Wachter-Grene

2023, Department of Liberal Arts, The School of The Art Institute of Chicago

"I had the pleasure of meeting Mia Action in the Spring of 2022, when I attend her class, Emotionally Charged Play. I found Mia’s to be quite good. She managed a great balance of delivering pertinent information, but in an easy-to-digest manner. She adroitly mixed in appropriate real-life examples or anecdotes to help underlines her themes. I was also impressed with Mia’s ability to connect with her live attendees but to also stay connected with the virtual chatroom at various intervals. She displayed a combination of delivering terrific information with solid all-around professionalism."


-Ryan, Dating Kinky Podcast

2022

"As a social scientist and professor of Health Studies at Haverford College, I highly recommend Mia Action as a speaker, panelist, or workshop leader. Mia has now been a guest speaker in my Social Epidemiology class for three semesters in a row, invited back each time by popular demand! Mia has a depth and breadth of interdisciplinary knowledge on the topic of sexuality. She is also a terrific collaborator whose expertise would be a tremendous addition to a variety of social science courses and educational settings. I cannot recommend her highly enough!"

-Dr. Anne M. Montgomery, MS, PhD

2020, Department of Health Studies, Haverford College

SPECIALTIES

Power Exchange

A relationship practice that involves intentionally giving or receiving control.

Sadomasochism

Erotic or psychological gratification from giving/receiving consensual pain.

Kink/Fetish Literacy

Expand comfort and understanding of unconventional sexual/relationship practices for doctors, social workers, and other helping professions.

Sex Work

An umbrella term to describe exchanging money, goods, or services for erotic/sexual labor.

Community Education

Offer awareness, access to pleasure, and empowerment for people outside of sexual norms.

CLASS PORTFOLIO

01

Emotionally Charged Play: Humiliation Expanded

While ‘hard-skills’, such as impact play or bondage, are ‘emotionally charged’ activities in their own right, playing with the psyche comes with its own set of unique risks and rewards. This class is useful for anyone who is interested in playing with intense emotional states, exploring deeper bonds, or wants to understand and communicate their desires more effectively with their partners.

02

Your Dominance Toolkit

As Dominants, we are the architects of our Power Exchange dynamics. Let’s build up our tool kit and get down to business! This class is for new Dominants or switches who want help with building the tools and confidence required to explore Dominance.

We will cover:

  • Suggestions on how to ease into dirty talk and role play as a new Dom
  • Impact play basics and demonstration
  • Tips on maintaining power and control in your dynamics
  • And more! Come ready to roll up your sleeves, as this class is participatory and hands on!


03

Sadistic and Sensitive

This class is for those who want to be consensually vicious, cruel and ruthless during playtime, but find that the parts of themselves that are compassionate, people pleasing, shy, or uncertain can make it tough. Despite popular belief, these qualities do not have to be at odds with being sadistic. When harnessed effectively, sensitivity is an asset for engaging in sadomasochistic play. This workshop discusses some of the ways that sensitivity can seem like an obstacle in kink, and how to reframe and harness that sensitivity to strengthen your skills as a sadist. 


04

Under Her Thumb: Confidence for FemDoms

This soft skills intensive offers insights and resources to better understand the motivations behind some common FemDom fetishes and how they interact with a submissive’s desire to be Dominated. This discussion-based workshop will build your relational confidence, help you develop a wider breadth of knowledge around FemDom-centric fetishes that frequently arise in sessions, and how to apply this knowledge into dynamic and exciting play.

05

Erotic Needles 101 & 201

A a piercing enthusiasts, I believe that the possibilities for creativity, intensity, eroticism, and intimacy in needle play are unmatched.

Learning Outcomes include:

• Needle play negotiations for tops and bottoms

• Creating a comfortable piercing environment as a top & clear communication as a bottom

• Preparation and safety considerations

• Needle insertion techniques such as endorphin buttons, double passes, and skin manipulation


06

The Draws of Blood Play

From vampirism to needles, this class will shed light upon the many facets of blood fetishism, physical and emotional. We will cover the top and bottom perspectives and learn how the draws to blood play can influence your activities. Of course, having a solid understanding of the risks of blood play is important, and this class will cover the essentials.


07

Compassionate Care: Kink Literacy for Service Professionals

This class was developed with people who work for the public in mind. College students, therapists, social workers, doctors, teachers, and anyone else who could benefit from having a more nuanced understanding of alternative sexuality communities, including but not limited to polyamory, swingers, leather, BDSM, fetish, and sex workers. I will provide values clarification, key terms, and tools to manage supporting clients with non-normative sexualities. 


08

Breaking the S/M Binary

This class will break down the binaries that conflate Dominance and submission with Sadism and masochism. Dominant people can be masochists and submissive people can be Sadists and experiences of pain-play do not necessarily fit neatly into a dualistic framework.

09

The Backbone of Alt Sex: Sex Work & BDSM Community

Sex Workers exist at the intersection of entertainment, education, and caretaking. In this lecture, I will discuss how sex workers are an integral part of alternative sexuality communities, and the many ways they enrich the lives of kinky people and beyond. Mia will give a breakdown of the complex interplay between lifestyle kink and sex work communities and how the lifestyle community can support sex workers.

10

Sexual Suffering: A Visual Survey of S&M

Sadomasochism, or the practice of giving and receiving consensual pain, is a vast, and sometimes contentious, cultural landscape. Its terrain is as varied and unique as the people who engage in it. This class celebrates the rich variety of S&M through photography and other visual media sourced from the Leather Archives & Museum and beyond.

11

Let's Lock it Up!: Chastity 101

Let’s Lock it Up’ will provide a framework for those interested in learning more about chastity to get started with orgasm control, whether you want to be the Keyholder. The class will cover definitions, explain why people enjoy orgasm control and also shed light on how chastity play overlaps with other common kinks and fetishes.

12

Erotic Disgust

Disgust is an evolutionary mechanism that protects us from things that can hurt us, such as disease, bodily harm, and social alienation. Paradoxically, some people eroticize feeling disgusted, fearful, or ashamed. These typically negative states are not only tolerated but intentionally sought out. This class offers a psychological deep dive into the taboo and often misunderstood existence of what I call "disgust-based fetishes", or erotic disgust.

This is not an exhaustive list of class offerings. To learn more, send an email to mia@miaaction.com.

The Power Exchange Roundtable (PER)

The Power Exchange Roundtable (PER) is a New Jersey-based social, support, and discussion group dedicated to enriching the lives of people involved in Power Exchange Dynamics.

Founded in 2018, PER was previously hosted monthly in Philadelphia at the now-closed BDSM community center, Philly Music Hall. It has since moved to Southern New Jersey.

PER is an educational platform for those who are curious about Power Exchange (Dominant, submissive, switch, other) to learn about safety, ethics, and the many possibilities of what Power Exchange Dynamics can look like.

We also aim to cultivate a welcoming space for people who practice Power Exchange to discuss their relationships, learn, and receive feedback from their peers. It is open to people 18+ of all power exchange roles as well as all genders and sexual orientations! Both professional and lifestyle D/s practitioners are welcome.


PER hopes that improving visibility will foster a deeper understanding of Power Exchange within kink relationships, our sexualities, or individual journeys. PER encourages spirited discourse to hopefully build connections across difference in experience and outlook.


What people say about PER:

"Mia's Power Exchange Roundtable is an incredible, and more importantly, incredibly welcoming event. As a former event organizer myself, I have never seen an event that so perfectly encapsulates the non-judgmental and caring environment that every organizer should be striving to create."

-@Kanin

2023

I have attended Mia’s PER for the past two years; It’s been a wonderful privilege to attend. PER is very unique and there’s nothing else like it. The discussions are highly empowering and I walk away feeling like this is where we find true community. "

-@JetBlackCabretta

2024

WORK WITH ME

Do you want to hire me to teach for your organization?

Diversity in approach

I can adapt my teaching style to the strengths and needs of your group. I offer lectures, group facilitation, hands-on workshops, and private consulting.

I love working with a variety of organizations

I work with academic institutions, workplace trainings, kink/leather organizations, sex and adult toy stores, private groups, couples, and individuals.

Email me at mia@miaaction.com to discover how we can work together!