In this episode, Huck Reyes sat down with Doc Domina, an Atlanta-based pro dom, clinical psychologist, consultant, and IFBB pro, to explore the many identities they carry and how those roles shape one another. From kinky tea-party spaces and workshop culture to the psychology of power, privilege, and self-definition, the conversation digs deep into what it means to move through the world as a multihyphenate person. Huck and Doc talk about identity as something layered, contextual, and constantly evolving, and how sex work can sharpen perspective, emotional intelligence, and survival skills. Doc Domina breaks down the difference between performance and authenticity, the strain of code-switching across professional and personal spaces, and the grief that can come with life-stage transitions, especially when stepping away from sex work or other high-intensity identities. This episode is a thoughtful, incisive look at radical self-acceptance, boundary-setting, and the importance of asking: what purpose does this serve me right now? If you’re navigating change, questioning who you are, or trying to build a more congruent life, this conversation offers both insight and grounding. Timestamps 00:00 - Introducing Doc Domina and the Atlanta Bed and Bondage space 01:09 - Tea party room, dungeon space, and workshop culture 03:08 - From sports psychology to clinical psychology and consulting 05:00 - Why the name Doc Domina fits identity, language, and authority 08:42 - Identity as puzzle pieces, not a fixed answer 11:35 - The addressing model and how privilege becomes contextual 16:59 - How sex work shapes perspective-taking and safety awareness 21:18 - Why the brain categorizes people and how that differs from bias 23:13 - Learning dominant-group norms to access resources and visibility 26:26 - Pro dom work, customer service, and the split between lifestyle and professional self 28:20 - Gender performance, top surgery, and the cost of sustaining a persona 33:11 - Is there a sex worker identity across time and history? 34:45 - Wrestling, fantasy, and the ethics of skill and embodiment 37:15 - Politics, legality, and why identity shifts with context 41:25 - Different paths into sex work and different relationships to the identity 46:06 - Life stage transition, grief, and leaving full-time sex work 51:55 - Cyanotype printing, grief, and turning “old hustler blues” into art 57:30 - Athlete retirement as a parallel for sex work transitions 60:16 - Identity loss, battery drain, and the void after leaving a role 62:37 - Radical self-acceptance and asking what purpose something serves 65:53 - Burnout tells, micro self-care, and training the brain to prioritize you 69:15 - Doing what feeds you, not just what is efficient 71:07 - Community, hard things, and a closing grounding exercise Find Doc Domina Tales From the Trade, hosted by Huck Reyes, is a part of YAS Work Network, SW led media, by and for the community. Learn more about TFTT: yaswork.org/yas-network/tales-from-the-trade Huck Reyes is also a part of the BIPOC SWWS: bipocswws.org
