Self-Help Smut Club
This is more than a book club! SHSC was born out of my therapeutic philosophy that there is more need for pleasure, joy, and community than there is a need for individualization and optimization.
I came to this conclusion after working with lots of folks, mainly women, who were constantly consuming “self-help” content and wanting to be “better” all the time. They were exhausted!
And so, I began “prescribing” smut. Smut is the type of genre that focuses on sex and relationships around sex in which the reader (or listener— no audiobook judgement here!) gets to be immersed into the fantasy or scene.
I found that the more my high-functioning, anxious, ambitious clients were focusing on pleasure, that they became less stressed,
Self-Help Smut Club was born officially in May 2025 and in January 2026, it was featured in the LA Times in a beautiful article written by Maddie Connors!
I have loved seeing SHSC grow and see how important it is to have IRL spaces to share feelings, connect with humans, and destigmatize what has been deemed “taboo”. Pleasure is important!
Photo by Juliana Yamada for Los Angeles Times
What You May Get Out of Self-Help Smut Club:
This club is a therapist facilitated space where folks can discuss the monthly book’s themes and scenes, as well as:
the importance of pleasure,
how self-care and community care are linked,
and why it is crucial to be discussing sex/pleasure/intimacy with others…
all in a safe space!
SHSC might be right for you if:
You are feeling tired and burntout
You have been focusing on “doing” instead of “being”
You can’t remember the last time you read a real book
You feel judged by liking smutty books
You’re finding it hard to find community that “gets” you
You’re craving spaces that let you be yourself
You want to feel more
Photo by Juliana Yamada for Los Angeles Times
Sample Book Club Gathering Timeline:
1:00 - 1:05pm: Welcome in, make a cup of coffee/tea, grab a snack & a book club one sheet. Make yourself a name tag with pronouns so that we know how to refer to you!
1:05ish - 1:15pm: Caitlin goes over community guidelines, the group introduces selves and answers the ice breaker question
1:15 - 1:30pm: get into how this particular book covers the self-help tropes (this looks like small groups in within the group discussing)
1:30 - 2:15ishpm: general discussion about the book! We cover all the parts we liked, didn’t, and what could have been improved. This discussion is guided by Caitlin to ensure that folks are feeling respected, heard, and get to share if they want. Caitlin is also asking questions and prompts to bring it back to the body— how did this smut make you feel??
2:15 - 2:30pm: wrapping up!
When’s the next Self-Help Smut Club meeting??
Our next meeting is on Sunday, June 14 from 1 - 2:30pm!
This meeting is limited to only 5 participants (due to space size!)
It costs $10 to cover office space and refreshments
Tickets are non-refundable to keep admin costs low
June’s meeting will be at the Mirror Moments Therapy office in Arcadia, CA
Please reserve your spot ASAP by clicking the link below!
June’s SHSC is happening on Sunday, June 14, 2026 in Arcadia, CA
Our book club pick is Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid
Important information:
Sunday, June 14 from 1pm - 2:30pm
Location: Arcadia, CA (address provided after purchase)
Ticket is $10 to cover office space & beverage/snacks!
Tickets are non-refundable in order to keep admin costs down. Thank you for understanding.
We are in the process of expanding SHSC to more locations!! So stay up to date by following along on Instagram!
Frequently Asked Questions
Still have questions? Take a look at the FAQ or reach out anytime via Instagram or email.
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We are hoping to offer this monthly! Ideally, this will be offered in multiple locations across LA so that you can join the meeting closest to you!
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Of course! You are always welcome, even if you didn’t finish (but we always want folks to finish if that’s the goal ;). As long as you have registered for the event and you don’t mind spoilers, please come!
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How generous! Yes, we would love to talk with you more to see if your space would be a good home for SHSC! Please email Cailtin to continue this conversation!
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First, that is so kind that you are considering therapy with me. I am honored to be in that position.
Second, if you are curious if we could be a good fit for therapy, I would love to set up a consultation call with you to talk more about what that would look like and to ensure that you would feel comfortable about us sharing these spaces (therapy and book club).