Dear Friend of Lake Drive,
One of the recurring themes running through many of the books we publish is the way religion in the United States often centers itself around sex, sexuality, and gender. No matter the denomination or tradition, these matters are often the fault lines where fear, shame, silence, and institutional power are wielded. Whether it’s evangelical Christianity, Mormonism, Seventh-Day Adventism, or other trumped-up religious communities, bodies and intimacy are too often treated as battlegrounds instead of sacred parts of being human.
That’s one of the reasons I am excited to announce that Lake Drive Books has signed sex therapist, mental health advocate, and former Mormon Natasha Helfer for her forthcoming book, tentatively titled Sexcommunicated.
Natasha’s story is both personal and culturally urgent. Raised in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, she experienced firsthand the shame, repression, secrecy, and institutional control that have shaped many conservative religious communities. But then, Natasha made a simple career choice and devoted her professional life to mental health, and that’s where the problem started.
As a credentialed, licensed sex therapist, someone committed to professionalism even if her faith tradition contradicted that professionalism, Natasha began challenging teachings and unhealthy advice within Mormon culture on sexuality, masturbation, marriage equality, LGBTQ+ inclusion, faith transitions, and mental health. She advocated for evidence-based care, transparency, authenticity, and compassion.
For that work, Natasha faced the LDS Church’s harshest punishment: excommunication—a story featured in The Washington Post and the Salt Lake Tribune.
Sexcommunicated tells the story of that journey, from her upbringing in Mormon culture to her professional development as a therapist and advocate, to the public controversies that ultimately led to her church trial and expulsion. But it's more than that. What this book does is help us explore the intersection of sexuality, religion, trauma, shame, and healing with honesty and clarity.
What particularly drew me to this project is that Natasha’s work is not driven by cynicism. It is driven by care. Her advocacy consistently asks difficult but necessary questions: What happens when religious systems won't adapt to new information and prioritize institutional preservation over human flourishing? What happens when shame masquerades as spirituality? And what does healing actually require?
At Lake Drive, I believe these are some of the defining conversations of our time.
As Americans continue trying to navigate an oversaturated religious culture—one lately that is shaped by fear, performance, and rhetoric—genuine spiritual maturity increasingly requires us to listen to the hard-won wisdom of trained mental health professionals like Natasha Helfer.
I could not be more honored to have Lake Drive Books partner with her on this important work, and I cannot wait for readers to encounter Sexcommunicated.
Natasha Helfer is an AASECT Certified Sex Therapist, speaker, writer, podcaster, and supervisor with more than 30 years of experience helping individuals, couples, and families navigate sexuality, relationships, and faith. A leading voice on the intersections of sexual health, mental health, and religion, she is a frequent educator and advocate for LGBTQ+ inclusion, women's well-being, and religious minorities. Helfer serves as Director of Education, Psychotherapy and Religion at the Buehler Institute.
