Meg-John Barker (born 23 June 1974) is a writer, writing mentor, creative consultant, speaker, and independent scholar. They have written a number of anti self-help books on the topics of relationships, sex, and gender, as well as the graphic non-fiction books, ''Queer: A Graphic History'' and ''Gender: A Graphic Guide'', and the book ''The Psychology of Sex''. They are the writer of the relationships book and blog ''Rewriting the Rules'', and they have a podcast with sex educator Justin Hancock. Barker is a full-time writer, as well as being a writing mentor, creative consultant, speaker, and independent scholar. Barker holds a PhD in

Psychology Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Psychology includes the study of conscious and unconscious phenomena, including feelings and thoughts. It is an academic discipline of immense scope, crossing the boundaries betwe ...

from the

University of Nottingham The University of Nottingham is a public university, public research university in Nottingham, United Kingdom. It was founded as University College Nottingham in 1881, and was granted a royal charter in 1948. The University of Nottingham belongs t ...

, and worked for two decades as an academic psychologist at the

Open University The Open University (OU) is a British public research university and the largest university in the United Kingdom by number of students. The majority of the OU's undergraduate students are based in the United Kingdom and principally study off- ...

in the United Kingdom, and as a

psychotherapist Psychotherapy (also psychological therapy, talk therapy, or talking therapy) is the use of psychological methods, particularly when based on regular personal interaction, to help a person change behavior, increase happiness, and overcome pro ...

specialising in sex, gender, and relationships. Barker has written and/or edited some of the first academic collections on open

non-monogamy Non-monogamy (or nonmonogamy) is an umbrella term for every practice or philosophy of non- dyadic intimate relationship that does not strictly hew to the standards of monogamy, particularly that of having only one person with whom to exchange se ...

bisexuality Bisexuality is a romantic or sexual attraction or behavior toward both males and females, or to more than one gender. It may also be defined to include romantic or sexual attraction to people regardless of their sex or gender identity, whic ...

non-binary gender Non-binary and genderqueer are umbrella terms for gender identities that are not solely male or femaleidentities that are outside the gender binary. Non-binary identities fall under the transgender umbrella, since non-binary people typicall ...

and

BDSM BDSM is a variety of often erotic practices or roleplaying involving bondage, discipline, dominance and submission, sadomasochism, and other related interpersonal dynamics. Given the wide range of practices, some of which may be engaged ...

. They were editor of the journal ''Psychology & Sexuality'' from 2010 to 2017, and lead author of ''The Bisexuality Report'' and the BACP document on Gender, Sexual, and Relationship Diversity. Barker's pronouns are singular they/them.

Early life and education

Barker was born in Hull, England, on 23 June 1974, grew up in

Bradford Bradford is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Bradford district in West Yorkshire, England. The city is in the Pennines' eastern foothills on the banks of the Bradford Beck. Bradford had a population of 349,561 at the 2011 ...

, and holds a PhD in

from the

. After teaching at a number of higher education institutions Barker settled at the

in 2008, having also qualified with an MA in

Psychotherapy Psychotherapy (also psychological therapy, talk therapy, or talking therapy) is the use of psychological methods, particularly when based on regular personal interaction, to help a person change behavior, increase happiness, and overcome pro ...

from the

University of Sheffield , mottoeng = To discover the causes of things , established = – University of SheffieldPredecessor institutions: – Sheffield Medical School – Firth College – Sheffield Technical School – University College of Sheffield , type = Pu ...

and trained at the major

NHS The National Health Service (NHS) is the umbrella term for the publicly funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom (UK). Since 1948, they have been funded out of general taxation. There are three systems which are referred to using the " ...

sexual and relationship clinic at

Guy's Hospital Guy's Hospital is an NHS hospital in the borough of Southwark in central London. It is part of Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust and one of the institutions that comprise the King's Health Partners, an academic health science centre. ...

for several years.

Recent career

Barker's main area of expertise is human sexuality, gender and romantic relationships, with a focus on the experiences of people in sexual, gender and relationship communities located outside the mainstream – particularly polyamorous,

kink Kink or KINK may refer to: Common uses * Kink (sexuality), a colloquial term for non-normative sexual behavior * Kink, a curvature, bend, or twist Geography * Kink, Iran, a village in Iran * The Kink, a man-made geographic feature in remote east ...

non-binary Non-binary and genderqueer are umbrella terms for gender identities that are not solely male or femaleidentities that are outside the gender binary. Non-binary identities fall under the transgender umbrella, since non-binary people typically ...

and bisexual communities. Theoretically their work draws on

social constructionism Social constructionism is a theory in sociology, social ontology, and communication theory which proposes that certain ideas about physical reality arise from collaborative consensus, instead of pure observation of said reality. The theory ...

existentialism Existentialism ( ) is a form of philosophical inquiry that explores the problem of human existence and centers on human thinking, feeling, and acting. Existentialist thinkers frequently explore issues related to the meaning, purpose, and valu ...

and

Buddhist philosophy Buddhist philosophy refers to the philosophical investigations and systems of inquiry that developed among various schools of Buddhism in India following the parinirvana of The Buddha and later spread throughout Asia. The Buddhist path combi ...

. Barker, with co-author Darren Langdridge, has published two edited collections on

sadomasochism Sadomasochism ( ) is the giving and receiving of pleasure from acts involving the receipt or infliction of pain or humiliation. Practitioners of sadomasochism may seek sexual pleasure from their acts. While the terms sadist and masochist refer ...

and on

, and a recent book for mental health professionals (co-authored with Christina Richards). Barker founded the journal of ''Psychology & Sexuality'' together with Langdridge in 2010, and they co-edited it until 2017. Barker co-organized the Critical Sexology series from 2006 to 2018, and BiReCon (a biennial research conference which takes place prior to the annual BiCon event).

Writing

Barker coined the phrase ‘anti self-help’ to describe self-help materials which locate the struggles that people have in their wider societal structures and cultural messages rather than in them as individuals. Barker's anti self-help books aim to help people to navigate their relationship with wider sociocultural understandings, rather than viewing themselves as a problem that needs fixing. They have produced books applying this approach to relationships, sex (with Justin Hancock), and gender (with Alex Iantaffi), as well as producing graphic-novel style non-fiction books and

zine A zine ( ; short for '' magazine'' or '' fanzine'') is a small-circulation self-published Self-publishing is the publication of media by its author at their own cost, without the involvement of a publisher. The term usually refers to writ ...

s on queer,

mindfulness Mindfulness is the practice of purposely bringing one's attention to the present-moment experience without evaluation, a skill one develops through meditation or other training. Mindfulness derives from ''sati'', a significant element of Hind ...

and other topics, and a podcast on sex and relationships.

Consulting

Barker has a background in psychotherapy, and led production on the

module Counselling: Exploring Fear and Sadness. They are trained in

existential psychotherapy Existential psychotherapy is a form of psychotherapy based on the model of human nature and experience developed by the existential tradition of European philosophy. It focuses on concepts that are universally applicable to human existence inclu ...

and

with books on the latter developing the approaches of social mindfulness and mindful sex and relationship therapy (MSRT). Their practice now takes the form of peer-to-peer consulting and mentoring with writers, practitioners, activists, and organizers, with a focus on relationships with self, others, and the wider world.

Activism

Barker's activism in the area of

LGBT ' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity. The LGBT term is a ...

& Q rights has been recognized by placement in the top 40 of The Independent on Sunday newspaper's Pink List, and

Rainbow List The Rainbow List (called the Pink List until 2014) is a list of the most influential openly LGBT individuals in the United Kingdom, published annually in the British national newspaper ''The Independent on Sunday''. The list was started in 2000 ...

. Barker was one of the founder members of BiUK, the organization for bisexual research and activism. This group wrote the international guidelines for academics studying bisexuality (published in ''

Journal of Bisexuality The ''Journal of Bisexuality'' is a peer-reviewed academic journal published quarterly by the Taylor & Francis Group under the Routledge imprint. It is the official journal of the American Institute of Bisexuality. It covers a wide range of topics ...

'') and produced ''The Bisexuality Report'' which informs UK policy and practice regarding bisexuality based on the evidence regarding

biphobia Biphobia is aversion toward bisexuality and bisexual people as individuals. It is a form of homophobia against those in the bisexual community. It can take the form of denial that bisexuality is a genuine sexual orientation, or of negative s ...

, bisexual invisibility, and

mental health Mental health encompasses emotional, psychological, and social well-being, influencing cognition, perception, and behavior. It likewise determines how an individual handles stress, interpersonal relationships, and decision-making. Mental health ...

In 2013, Barker took home an Erotic Award in the academic category for the book ''Rewriting the Rules'', as reported in ''

Times Higher Education ''Times Higher Education'' (''THE''), formerly ''The Times Higher Education Supplement'' (''The Thes''), is a British magazine reporting specifically on news and issues related to higher education. Ownership TPG Capital acquired TSL Education ...

''. Their current activism focuses on trans and non-binary communities.

Works

Books (as author)

* Barker, M. (2003) ''Introductory Psychology: History, Themes and Perspectives''. Exeter: Learning Matters Ltd. * Richards, C & Barker, M. (2013) ''Sexuality and Gender for Counsellors, Psychologists and Health Professionals: A Practical Guide''. London: Sage. * Barker, M. (2013) ''Mindfulness in Counselling & Psychotherapy: Practising Mindfully Across Approaches and Issues''. London: Sage. * Barker, M.-J. & Gabb, J. (2016) ''The Secrets of Enduring Love: How to Make Relationships Last''. London: Penguin RandomHouse. * Barker, M.-J. & Scheele, J. (2016) ''Queer: A Graphic History''. London: Icon Books. * Barker, M.-J. & Hancock, J. (2017) ''Enjoy Sex (How, When and If You Want To): A Practical and Inclusive Guide''. London: Icon Books. * Iantaffi, A. & Barker, M.-J. (2017) ''How to Understand Your Gender: A Practical Guide for Exploring Who You Are''. London: Jessica Kingsley. * Barker, M.-J. (2018) ''Rewriting the Rules: An Anti Self-help Guide to Love, Sex and Relationships. Second edition''. London: Routledge. * Barker, M.-J. (2018) ''The Psychology of Sex''. London: Routledge * Barker, M.-J., Gill, R. & Harvey, L. (2018) ''Mediated Intimacy: Sex Advice in Media Culture''. London: Polity. * Barker, M.-J. & Iantaffi, A. (2019) ''Life Isn't Binary: On Being Both, Beyond, and In-Between''. London: Jessica Kingsley. * Barker, M.-J. & Scheele, J. (2019) ''Gender: A Graphic Guide''. London: Icon Books.

Books (as editor)

* Langdridge, D. & Barker M. (2007) ''Safe, Sane and Consensual: Contemporary Perspectives on Sadomasochism'', Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. * Barker, M., Vossler, A. & Langdridge, D. (Eds.) (2010) ''Understanding Counselling and Psychotherapy''. London: Sage. * Langdridge, D. & Barker M. (Eds.) (2010) ''Understanding Non-monogamies''. New York: Routledge. * Brotto, L. & Barker, M. (Eds.) (2014) ''Mindfulness in Sexual and Relationship Therapy''. Abingdon: Taylor & Francis. * Richards, C. & Barker, M. (Eds.) (2015) ''The Palgrave Handbook of the Psychology of Sexuality & Gender''. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. * Vossler, A., Havard, C., Pike, G. Barker, M.-J. & Raabe, B. (Eds.) (2017) ''Mad or Bad? A Critical Approach to Counselling and Forensic Psychology''. London: Sage. * Richards, C., Bouman, W. & Barker, M.-J. (Eds.) (2018) ''Genderqueer and Non-Binary Genders''. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

Reports

* Barker, M., Richards, C., Jones, R., Bowes-Catton, H., & Plowman, T. (2012). ''The Bisexuality Report: Bisexual Inclusion in LGBT equality and diversity''. Milton Keynes: The Open University, Centre for Citizenship, Identity and Governance. * Shaw, L., Butler, C. Langdridge, D., Gibson, S., Barker, M., Lenihan, P., Nair R., & Richards, C. (2012). ''Guidelines for psychologists working therapeutically with sexual and gender minority clients.'' Leicester: British Psychological Society. * Attwood, F., Bale, C. & Barker, M. (Eds.) (2013). ''The Sexualization Report''. Funded by The Wellcome Trust. * Barker, M-J. (2017). ''BACP Good Practice in Action Fact Sheet 095: Gender, Sexual, and Relationship Diversity (GSRD)''. London: British Association of Counselling & Psychotherapy.

Selected articles and book chapters

* Barker, M. (2005). This is my partner, and this is my... partner's partner: Constructing a polyamorous identity in a monogamous world.''Journal of Constructivist Psychology'' 18: 75–88. * Ritchie, A. & Barker, M. (2006). ‘There aren’t words for what we do or how we feel so we have to make them up’: Constructing polyamorous languages in a culture of compulsory monogamy. ''Sexualities'' 9: 584–601. * Barker, M. (2007). Heteronormativity and the exclusion of bisexuality in psychology. In V. Clarke & E. Peel (Eds.) ''Out in Psychology: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Queer Perspectives''. pp. 95–117. Chichester: Wiley * Barker, M. & Langdridge, D. (2010). Whatever happened to non-monogamies? Critical reflections on recent research and theory. ''Sexualities'' 13: 748–772.

Journal editorships

Psychology & Sexuality
Taylor & Francis ISSN 1941-9899

References

External links

*
Critical Sexology website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Barker, Meg-John 1974 births Living people 20th-century British writers 21st-century British writers Alumni of the University of Nottingham Alumni of the University of Sheffield Academics of the Open University British psychologists Existential therapists Sex educators Non-binary writers People from Kingston upon Hull