When interviewed about the role of BDSM and kink in trauma recovery for Dame, licensed marriage and family therapist Pam Schaffer explains, “BDSM can be an excellent way to help people explore their own sense of agency and safety, which can be deeply healing when it comes to trauma. Trauma comes from events that happen outside of our control, while in BDSM, the events that unfold during a ‘scene’ between partners are discussed beforehand and either partner has the ability to stop the action with a ‘safe’ word.”