OUR TEAM
Carlene Ostedgaard
C0-director, Trainer, Mentor
Our body is a valuable resource that can help us expand our creativity and the depth of our relationships. This reality can feel scary, but it is actually a beautiful opportunity for creativity and deeply meaningful relationships. Carlene relies on diverse modalities and life experiences to help folks access this innate wisdom to deepen their erotic and intimate connections with themselves and others. It is her passion to facilitate the personal growth and evolution that arises naturally in this context.
Katherine Yeagel
Co-director, Mentor
Katherine Yeagel (all pronouns) is a surrogate partner, somatic sex educator, and queer sex & relationship coach. I live in Western Massachusetts on Nonotuck and Pocomtuc land. When I’m not thinking, talking, and learning about sexual healing, I spend a lot of time in the woods with my dog, practicing fiddle, and making challah.
Andrew Heartman
Co-Founder, Co-director, Trainer, Mentor
Andrew (he/him) is an interpersonal relationship consultant specializing in recovery from trauma and a thought leader in the field of Surrogate Partner Therapy. He has been practicing as a surrogate partner for 16 years, and regularly shares the wisdom of his experience by mentoring surrogate partners in training, and by presenting to university classes, therapist organizations, and the
general public about Surrogate Partner Therapy. He’s committed to revitalizing SPT as a relevant and important healing modality, to increasing diversity (of both practitioners and clients), and to raising standards within the profession. More at surrogatepartner.us.
Given my social location and privilege as a white, able-bodied, neurotypical, cisgender, heterosexual man, I acknowledge that my perspectives are limited and that some of my ways of thinking, writing, speaking, and teaching may be harmful to others. As part of my personal intention to contribute to structural change, I’ve been actively educating myself about racial equity for 5 years and LGBTQ+ equity for decades. I am committed to dismantling my own (mostly subconscious) investments in patriarchy, white supremacy, heterosexism, and even capitalism.
Brandon Hunter-Haydon
Referrals Coordinator, Mentor
Brandon is a sex & relationship professional based in the settler colonies of New England with over a dozen years of experience in the field dedicated to helping individuals and partnerships navigate challenges, explore possibilities, and improve their relationships. With a background in clinical social work, they bring an intersectional approach that considers people within their social, cultural, and economic context and acknowledges the systemic factors that impact their lives and relationships. They offer Intimacy Coaching, Professional
Cuddling, and Surrogate Partner Therapy to help clients develop and enhance their emotional, physical, & erotic intimacy through building confidence, improving communication, and deepening their connections with others. As an expert in human sexuality and intimacy, they provide consultation for therapists, counselors, medical professionals, life coaches, and other wellness providers to foster humility, curiosity, and competency in these domains.