Nishita Rao

Nishita Rao is a Behavioral Neuroscience Consultant, Reiki Grandmaster, the First Indian AASECT Certified Sex Educator, an Interdisciplinary Sex Researcher, and a Social Entrepreneur. She hails from a background in Behavioral Neuroendocrinology (MS Neuroscience) and Genetics (BE Biotechnology). Nishita is also being extensively trained by the US Veterans Health Administration (VHA) on trauma treatment modalities, Office for Victims of Crime Training and Technical Assistance Center (OVC TTAC), National Criminal Justice Training Center (NCJTC) and End Violence Against Women International (EVAWI) on forensics, and gender and sexual violence treatment, case interpretations and criminology. As a Behavioral Neuroscience Consultant, Nishita offers case consultations for professionals to deepen their understanding of the complex interplay of neuroscience, behavioral sciences, immunology, psychology and biopolitics with social and sexual expressions. Her expertise lies in Psycho-Neuro-Immunological Interventions, Racial Trauma & Post-Colonial Trauma (Post-colonial sexual repression and de-sexualization), Sexual Abuse Recovery, Trauma Re-enactment & Re-traumatization, Religious & Spiritual Trauma Recovery, Childhood Trauma and Inner Child Healing, Hypervigilance and Dissociation during Intimacy, and more. Her mission is to help other professionals bridge the gap between cutting-edge neuroscience research and its application. As a Reiki Grandmaster at the Soul Sync Sanctuary, she integrates Eastern and Western modalities into her practice. Her healing approach intertwines Attachment-Based Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Emotionally Focused Therapy, Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), Integrative Therapy, Neuro-Behavioral Therapy (NBT) and Person-Centered Therapy, with Mandala Art Therapy, Carnatic Music Therapy (inspired by 11th-century Indian classical music), Bibliotherapy, Mindfulness, Pranayama (Breathwork), Aromatherapy, Usui (Jikidem) Reiki, Karuna Reiki, and Seichem Reiki, Chakra Balancing, Body Mapping, Tea Blending Therapy, and more. As an Interdisciplinary Sex Researcher, she delves into Neuroscience, Genetics, Anthropology, Psychology, Gender and Sexuality Studies, Linguistics and Biopolitics. Her research revolves around post-colonial imprints on human social and sexual attitudes. Nishita currently has 20 research projects under her belt, of which 18 are currently active. Amongst her upcoming research papers, Nishita presents herself as a decolonial dance ethnographer with a research focus on Belly dance, Sadir, Bharatanatyam, Mohiniyatam, Kathak and Kathakalli (dances that were themed as Sex Worker art forms). She is also philologically tracking sexual politics emerging in lyrical structures of Tantric Carnatic Sanskrit renditions of the early 18th century. Finally, she is iconographically analyzing sexual politics surrounding the Chamunda sculptures, aka the Crone goddess figure in Tantra. Additionally, Nishita is also an AASECT certified sex educator (first Indian to be certified as CSE). She leads the InclusiSex Studies Initiative in teaching 50+ courses ranging from Neuroscience, Genetics, Anthropology, Psychology, History, Gender and Sexuality Studies, Political Sciences and Biopolitics. She provides 5 modules of instruction— Neural Narrative, Femme Architectonics, Sacred Chronoscape, Biopolitical Cartography, and the X-Handbook. She also platforms the Sex Scholars Library, a collection of BIPOC-authored books, tailored to decolonize the sex education spaces, to account for BIPOC voices in designing courses. Nishita has intentionally favored the socialist model of knowledge acquisition, making this space a free resource for all. As a social entrepreneur, she platforms the Sexual Revolution: Redefining Narratives One Chapter at a Time as an evolving collection, offering nuanced, evidence-based insights that honor the complexities of human sexuality. Lastly, Nishita mediates the South Asian Sexuality Professionals: An Empowered Eros Alliance to foster inclusivity and cultural sensitivity within the South Asian diaspora, as educators embark on a journey to develop culturally relevant and empowering sex ed resources. TL;DR As the founder of Pillow Talk With Nixi, Nishita has spearheaded several pioneering educational, therapeutic and entrepreneurial initiatives: InclusiSex Studies Initiative, offering a holistic sex education, featuring topics ranging from behavioral sciences, anthropology, politics, neuroscience, genetics, history and gender and sexuality studies. Curious Research Cortex, focusing on the intersections of human sexuality with neuroscience, genetics, physiology, behavioral sciences, anthropology, linguistics, history, quantum mechanics and biopolitics. Soul Sync Sanctuary, a culturally sensitive therapeutic space that combines Western Psychology and Medicine with Eastern Healing Modalities and Traditional Medicine. Sex Scholars Library, a curated virtual library of BIPOC-authored books for sexuality professionals, designed to decolonize sex-ed spaces, to invite a cross-cultural understanding of gender and sexuality studies. Sexual Revolution: Redefining Narratives One Chapter at a Time is an evolving collection, offering nuanced, evidence-based insights that honor the complexities of human sexuality. Each chapter in the symposium is a step toward a more informed, inclusive, and liberated understanding of sex. Let us delve into Unfiltered, Unapologetic and Unconventional conversations with other groundbreaking sexuality professionals. South Asian Sexuality Professionals: an Empowered Eros Alliance, that fosters inclusivity and cultural sensitivity within the South Asian diaspora, as it embarks on a journey to develop culturally relevant and empowering sex ed resources.