Kelley
J. Wolfe, Ph. D.
Board
Certified Clinical Sexologist
American
College of Sexologists
828.301.4460
Education
Ph. D.
in Human Sexuality, Institute for Advanced Study of Human Sexuality,
2009Dissertation
topic:
Sexual Attitudes,
Beliefs, Practices, and Age-Related Sexual Concerns of Baby Boomer
Couples
M. Ed.
in Public Health Education, UNC Greensboro, 1993B. S.
in Clinical Nutrition, 1989
When people learn that I am a sexologist, they are always intrigued. They’ve
usually never met a sexologist. They can’t imagine what a sexologist does. They
are intensely curious about what motivated me to earn the highest degree in the
field and to open my own practice.
I have always been fascinated with talking about sex. I have always been
comfortable with talking about sex. And, my natural gift is helping others explore
their personal needs and find satisfaction and wholeness.
I remember in elementary school sneaking off in the library to look at sculpture
of naked people. Sure, lots of kids do that. But what changed the equation for
me was getting a medical book about the human body. I read the chapter on
reproduction over and over. I began to seek out any reading material that dealt
with the human body in general and sexuality specifically. By my late teens I was
the “go-to-girl” for information on sexuality, mostly about birth control.
When I started graduate school the HIV/AIDS epidemic was just being
recognized. I was deeply moved by some of the early writings and films about
the devastating impact of this disease. I was also infuriated that our government
would hide the facts about a communicable disease. I was driven to speak out
about this injustice. The sufferers of HIV/AIDS needed our compassion.
At the time I had a B.S. in Clinical Nutrition and was working hard in graduate
school to earn my M. Ed. in Public Health Education. My study buddy was an
HIV+ gay hemophiliac. We worked tirelessly on the topic of HIV/AIDS education.
We started a consortium on HIV/AIDS and created an educational program for
teens and young adults on prevention.
As a Wellness Coordinator for a small community hospital I was fortunate to work
with people who were open-minded and dedicated to fighting all disease, not
just diseases that had no social stigma. The staff supported me in my efforts to
educate both hospital personnel and the public about HIV/AIDS.
By the time I completed my degree, I knew what I wanted to do with my life. I was
going to advocate for education that is positive about sexuality. I fight the tide
of negativity about sexuality; of ignorance concerning sexual problems; of bias
against people who are different; and of misleading or incomplete information in
any educational program dealing with sexuality, reproduction and any sexually
transmitted disease. It is something I have always wanted to do. It is what I am
driven to do. It is what I am best at.
Back home in Asheville, I became the lead educator for the sex education
program in our county school systems from 1993 to 1998. I also began working
at UNC Asheville. From 1995-2010 I taught Women’s Health, Health and
Sexuality, Complementary and Alternative Medicine, and Health Promotion and
Wellness.
In 2009 I earned my Ph.D. in Human Sexuality. My dissertation is titled The
Sexual Attitudes, Beliefs, Practices, and Age-Related Sexual Concerns of Baby
Boomer Couples.
My private practice, Mountain Sexology, is the culmination of my hard work and
my passion.
