The Intelligent, Compassionate Learning Community For Lesbians++
Welcoming all self-identified women and adjacent non-binary people who love women, or want to.
Whether your heart is hurting or hoping,
we've got help for you.
Welcome To The Rest Of Your Life.
I'm so glad you found us.
I'm Dr. Ruth Schwartz, director of the Conscious Girlfriend Academy, and I'm so glad you found this unique online community dedicated to helping women-loving-women crack the code to healthy, lasting lesbian love, as well as form deep friendships. Whether you're just coming out or have been out for a long time, your life will change here in the best possible ways.
Conscious Girlfriend Academy Offers:
Who We Are And What We Offer:
The Academy is a warmly welcoming international learning community for lesbians++ dedicated to dating wisely and loving well. Meditators, yogis, healers, 12-steppers, deep thinkers, introverts and others devoted to personal growth tend to feel right at home here.
No matter how much personal growth you've already done, it's different to learn in a queer context, with cutting-edge neuroscience, attachment theory and relationship research filtered through decades of lived lesbian experience. Our work goes as deep as you do.
Whether you're just coming out or a longtime lesbian, bisexual, trans or non-binary,
we warmly welcome you. We are actively anti-racist.
Life-changing classes for single lesbians.
If you've ever started a relationship with heart, hope and good will, only to have it shatter, you know you need a better way. You'll find it here.
If you're ever been fooled by chemistry or ruled by scarcity, you're not alone -- and it can change. Here you'll learn to build self-trust, clarity, and the skills you need to date wisely, so you'll never have a bad relationship again. (And when you're ready, you can have a great one!)
Lesbian/queer community that lights up hearts and lives.
Not sure you're looking for love, but want more community and deeper friendships with growth-minded fellow travelers? Great! Our classes and groups welcome longtime lesbians, women just coming out, and everyone in between. The depth, heart, vulnerability and courage we share here creates a powerful sense of home, as well as deep friendships. Women over 60, Check out our Conscious Lesbian Elders Group, too.
A path to lasting love for growth-minded lesbians.
Meditation, yoga, therapy, 12-step, and other spiritual and healing paths have taken many of us so far. Yet dating and love are where "the rubber meets the road." Healthy love is one of the most rigorous yet rewarding paths there is. That's why we combine neuroscience and attachment theory with decades of lived lesbian experience and spiritual wisdom from many traditions.
Live and on-demand online education for lesbian love.
Hearing and sharing stories and getting to actually practice new skills is a big part of how Conscious Girlfriend changes lives. Attending live is powerful, but we know your schedule may be packed. As a member, you'll also get access to a vast library of on-demand classes on lesbian dating, love and sexuality. Where else do we get to learn this stuff?! It's the education you need, for the life you want.
Conscious Girlfriend Academy Offers:
Seasonal And Year-Round Offerings
12-Week Roadmap To Conscious Lesbian Dating & Lasting Love
Our signature class, this program walks you through the process of preparing for healthy love, honing your skills, developing a clear vision, navigating fears and triggers, steering away from red flags, discerning compatibility vs. chemistry, and laying a strong foundation for lasting love. Even if you jump in live for just part of the class, it's worth it! This year, we've got over 130 women from at least 7 countries, and we dive deep. Offered each January-April. Recordings available all year!
Our 12-Week Deep Dive Into Lesbian Online Dating,
Find True Love Online
Online dating is a path a lot of us mistrust, for good reason. Yet it's also the way the vast majority of new lesbian and queer couples are meeting these days. That's why this deep-dive class helps you develop the right mind-set and heart-set (think open-hearted and discerning), know your strengths as a partner, get clear on who and what you're actually seeking, write the profile that helps her recognize you, and put yourself out there wisely and safely. Offered each September-December. Recordings available all year!
Weekly Skill-Building Lesbian Dating, Love & Connection Lab All Year Round
Meet like-minded women and practice the skills you need for the love life you truly want. Got a clear dating and relationship vision? The ability to ask for what you need, and say No when you need to, in connection-building ways? The ability to speak so she can hear you, and listen so she feels heard -- even during conflict? Is your heart's picker able to distinguish Ms. Right from (even the very attractive) Ms. Wrongs? We meet weekly all year round to talk about and practice these skills and more.
Monthly Intimate Group Coaching With Academy Director Ruth Schwartz
Many members say this monthly group is where all the learning really comes together. The opportunity to see and hear yourself reflected in other women's lives, to speak your most pressing concerns into this compassionate group and then get laser-coaching from the director of the Academy, will release you from shame and isolation and foster the clarity and strength you need on your journey.
Why Join the Academy?
Lesbians and queer women are courageous and powerful,
and relationships between women
can be the very best relationships on the planet.
You deserve happy, healthy love—and you can have it!
But because two women can bond so deeply and quickly, and because we often lack the know-how to date in smart-for-our-heart ways,
our relationships can also go bad fast -- if you don't choose a partner wisely, or don't have the skill, compassion and self-awareness
to navigate conflicts when they arise.
The Conscious Girlfriend Academy exists to support women who are willing to take action to learn how to be the right partner, as well as find her. If that sounds like you, we'll see you in class!
Free Video: Learn About The 12-Week Roadmap To Conscious Lesbian Dating & Lasting Love
A lively and informative conversation about Conscious Girlfriend Academy's signature class! Is the Roadmap Class the key piece in becoming able to heal from the past, understand what a healthy relationship actually takes, and then create the love life of your dreams? For so many women, the answer is Yes. The 2024 class runs from January 20 to April 6, but the on-demand version is available to all Academy members year-round.
Do You Need What We Offer?
See If You Can Relate To Any Of These
Common Lesbian Challenges.
Not knowing how to date, so you either stay single when you'd rather be in a relationship, or else go too fast into relationships.
Still hurting months or years after a breakup and not sure how to fully heal and open your heart again, or even whether you want to.
Wondering if the right woman for you is even out there, or whether it's too late.
Feeling like online dating doesn't work for you, or not sure you want to try it, yet not knowing how else to find her.
Missing deep connection in your life.
Committed to steering clear of unavailable women, but wondering if you can really trust your "picker."
If so, the Academy was made for you.
We'll help you get ready for the love you want,
and learn to find and be the right partner.
"This time, I choose to love with my full intelligence."
-- Adrienne Rich
Never Have A Bad Relationship Again.
Over 200 women attended this live class in January! Join them for the replay and learn the five most common causes of bad lesbian relationships, and the path to avoiding them (and creating great relationships, when you're ready.) You'll also hear more about our 12-week Roadmap to Conscious Lesbian Dating & Lasting Love. The live class runs from January-April 2024, but the recordings are available to Academy members year-round.
What People Are Saying
"I often send clients to Conscious Girlfriend and have seen it transform women's lives. CG is providing an incredibly valuable service to women who love women. It's run with integrity and heart and provides comprehensive information in a usable format. There's nothing else like it out there."
-- Julie Bjelland, LMFT
Director, Sensitive Empowerment Community for Highly Sensitive People
"I've invited Conscious Girlfriend Academy Director Ruth Schwartz back to my groups many times and even participated in Conscious Girlfriend Academy Coach Training because the CGA work is so FANTASTIC. I recommend the Academy every chance I get."
-- Jody Potiker, Founder, Lesbiangetaways.com and the international lesbian Meetup group So Many Women, So Little Time
Conscious Girlfriend is delighted to have our work recognized by a major international dating advice website! DatingAdvice.com lists us among their top queer dating experts, saying:
Supportive and fun community of lesbians... It’s open to single lesbians and couples and is designed to help you learn to create the kind of love life you're looking for.
"I will be forever grateful to you for helping me learn how to navigate the ups and downs in relationships since it led me to finding the great love and connection my partner Maria & I share. We've been together four years now! Thank you for helping women who love women find the love and connection we deserve.
Meet Some Of Our Members
Pierce found community in the Academy, and then got help finding a partner, too.
After joining the Academy, Pierce went from feeling isolated to having a wide, deep network of friends. Then our 12-week online dating class Find True Love Online empowered her to post an online profile, something she had never thought she would do. Now she and the woman she met online have been together for over a year. Pierce says, "What I learned in Conscious Girlfriend... is what has made us able to have this happy relationship."
As a late bloomer, Michelle came to the Academy for lesbian dating and relationship skills.
Michelle is a late-in-life lesbian who came out after a 23-year heterosexual marriage and raising three beautiful children. She says, "I've been dating my current partner for over a year now, and things are going very well. I attribute much of that to the skills I learned in the Conscious Girlfriend Academy."
Diana and Jen met as study buddies in the Academy, then fell in love.
Diana and Jen met in class, did homework together, then fell in love. . Now they say, "Not only did we find each other, but we also got the tools to help us keep this going in a healthy way... And we also got a whole network, a community, a tribe of conscious friends." Diana adds, "I cannot tell you enough what a difference it has made in my life."
Shayna has immersed herself in the Academy and also become a leader in the community.
"Now I'm happier than I've ever been," she says. "Conscious Girlfriend watered me like a plant. It fed me in ways I didn't even know I needed." Trained in spiritual direction and Conscious Girlfriend Academy coaching, Shayna now provides inspiration and leadership for our Conscious Lesbian Elders Support and Connection Group.
Conscious Girlfriend Academy Members Receive:
World-class education on lesbian dating and relationships.
Support, friendship and growth-oriented community.
A learning lab where you can actually practice the skills you need.
Dating or not, we've got your back.
Whether you want help finding Ms. Right or just want to learn and connect with like-minded community, our Community Membership will support you with weekly live gatherings, monthly masterclasses, and over 40 recorded classes.
Conscious Lesbian Elders Weekly Meetings
In your 60s, 70s or 80s? Meet like-minded women in our weekly Conscious Lesbian Elders Support & Connection group. Newly out women, longtime lesbians and everything in between, we share from our hearts about aging, health, meaning and joy, dating and love at any age, and more.
Monthly live group coaching and recorded classes.
Want to rewrite your relationship scripts, get better at bedroom communication, heal from a breakup, learn how to be and find the right partner, or learn how to date over 50? Those are just a few topics in the 80+ recorded classes available to members.
Just coming out? We're the community for you.
Our community warmly welcomes women who are just coming out, bisexual women, queer women and adjacent non-binary people. No need to stay segregated with other newbies -- we welcome you into the fold! Participating in the Academy is the perfect way to "learn how to be a lesbian," gain the skills and confidence you need, and make friends.
Watch part of the recording from our live class, "Live Your Best Lesbian 2024."
You'll learn more about the Academy's offerings in this video, hear about the Roadmap class, and, as an added bonus, learn about the Sacred Roots trips to Greece being led by our Social & Travel Director Jody! Stay till the end for a moving empowerment practice led by Greek lesbian archaeologist Dimitra Kamarinou, who co-leads Sacred Roots.
A book that has helped women-loving-women in 25 countries change their lives.
"I finally came out at 32, am now 44, and thanks to discovering your book I have finally found me. I’m currently on week 3. After looking back over my last relationship I realised how much self loathing I had, but your book has given me a new lease on life. Now it's not about if I'm worthy of someone's love, it's whether we are both worthy of each other. I have learnt to not always be the giver and then feel resentful. I now know-- I deserve to be happy. I am worthy, I am beautiful, I am lovable as I am. My flaws and imperfections are what make me me. I'm happily single right now but I know by the end of the 12 weeks I will be ready... to meet the woman I deserve to be with. Anyway, sorry for the long email, I just wanted to say THANK YOU!!!!!!!!
– MC, age 44, U.K.
Our Membership Community Brings The Book To Life.
Here's How To Join!
Supporting
Membership
Monthly or Yearly
$149/month,
or save $691 and pay just $1097 for a full year.
Our best value and most comprehensive membership!
✔ Get monthly intimate group coaching with Academy director Ruth Schwartz.
✔ Weekly live classes, monthly masterclasses, and more.
✔ All of our video recordings, including these special sets:
Find True Love Online (12 weeks, $597 value)
Coming Out & Coming Home (6 weeks, $349 value), Attachment Healing Intensive (3 modules, $199 value), Lesbian Bed Life (8 classes, $249 value)
✔ Build community with our buddy groups and private Facebook group.
Community
Membership
Monthly or Yearly
$99/month,
or save $491 and pay just $697 for a year.
✔ Weekly live classes and groups
✔ All Core-level video recordings, including the 12-week Roadmap To Conscious Lesbian Dating & Lasting Love.
✔ Build community with our buddy groups and private Facebook group.
❌ Does not include the Find True Love Online, Coming Out and Coming Home, Attachment Healing Intensive, Lesbian Bed Life series
❌ Does not include monthly group coaching
❌ Does not include Conscious Lesbian Elders group
Conscious Lesbian Elders Support & Connection
$149-49 per month
✔ Weekly live connection and support gatherings for lesbians++ with 64 or more years of life experience.
Members include longtime lesbians, women who are just coming out, and everyone in between. We are warmly welcoming and open-hearted!
Join by the month at an affordable sliding scale.
Want both the Conscious Lesbian Elders Group and the rest of our Academy offerings? Email [email protected] for your special rate!
Lesbian Dating & Relationship
Classes On-Demand
These are just a few of the 40+ classes in the archives available free to all Academy Members. It's the education you didn't know you needed, for the love you want.
Dating: Red, Green
and Yellow Flags
Learn why sometimes a red flag can turn yellow or even green -- but sometimes a green flag can change color, too.
Gain the clarity to listen to your intuition, assess someone new, and also stay curious and open.
90-Minute Video Class
Lesbian Dating
Deep Dive
How to know if you're actually ready to date, and what to do if you're not -- or if she's not.
Learn how to build a solid foundation whether you're local or long-distance, and what "friends first" and compatibility really mean.
And, just for fun, learn how to flirt, too...without committing!
90-Minute Video Class
Wise Lesbian Dating Fundamentals
You've been around the block and you're ready to learn to do this thing differently -- but where do you begin? What does it even mean to "date," vs. just dive in?
Learn what to do when you feel a spark, and also when you don't, so you can actually find long-term love.
90-Minute Video Class
Releasing Blocks
to Love
Why sometimes that 67-point checklist actually keeps you from love -- and how to focus on what really matters in seeking a partner.
Learn how to become someone who actually finds love, rather than keeps on looking.
90-Minute Video Class
Conscious Lesbian Connection & Dating
Learn how to make every date a good date while also dating with a clear vision -- and learn when and how to discuss that vision without scaring someone off.
Strengthen your ability to be yourself on dates, while also gaining key information about compatibility.
90-Minute Video Class
Anatomy of A Lesbian Heartbreak
The truth about why so many relationships start out amazing, yet fall apart in less than a year -- and how to prevent this heartbreak.
Learn how to stop getting derailed by a sense of scarcity, or attractions to women who aren't good for you.
90-Minute Video Class
True Compatibility
Compatibility is key to a long-term relationship, but it's not intuitive. Learn the most important factor (which probably isn't even on your radar!)
Do you ever want different, contradictory things? Learn how to become more compatible with yourself, so you can find a love that works for the complex being you are.
90-Minute Video Class
Preparing For A Healthy Relationship
Are you stuck in old stories or unrealistic fantasies about love? Learn how to create a nuanced and updated vision for the relationship you want.
Build the skills and develop the mindset for a happy, lasting intimate relationship -- before you find her!
90-Minute Video Class
Rewrite Your
Relationship Scripts
Do you have painful patterns you replay again and again, like trying to "rescue" women who need help, falling for unavailable women, or over-giving and then feeling resentful?
Learn what it really takes to transform these dysfunctional "scripts," and create the new reality you truly want.
90-Minute Video Class
Lesbian Bed Life, Too!
Intelligent, frank, compassionate lesbian sex ed you won't find elsewhere.
These classes are available free to Supporting Academy Members.
Bedroom Communication
The secret to being able to rock each other's worlds in bed is right here, in these empowering sexual communication tools.
Lesbian Bed Life Fundamentals
Want a deeply fulfilling sex life? This 5-video class gives you a comprehensive lesbian erotic education.
Oral Sex & Energy Sex
One of our all-time best sellers, this class is a must-watch whether you're newly out or a lifelong lesbian. Viewers call it liberating and life-changing.
Conscious Girlfriend has been featured in:
Frequently-Asked Questions
If you're like many of our members, you have a deep longing for a healthy, loving, trust-filled, supportive and passionate relationship, yet you're not sure how to find the right partner. In Academy classes you'll learn how to create a vision for your ideal relationship -- and build the skills to co-create your half of it. You'll learn how to date with clarity and confidence, how to recognize real compatibility (and not get fooled by chemistry or limerence, the "honeymoon stage"), how to communicate in ways that build emotional intimacy, and (if you choose) how to have fulfilling sex, too. Joining the Academy is like getting a gym membership for your romantic life! It gives you the community support and consistent education and practice you need, to become able to have the love life you want.
Honestly, we used to sell a la carte classes, but we found it didn't give the same results. The Academy exists to help you gain and integrate the knowledge and skills to change your love life forever. That's an incredibly important and achievable goal, but it usually takes more than just watching a few classes to make it happen. It takes ongoing mentorship, support and practice -- and that's what you'll get by becoming a member.
We recommend joining the Academy for a year because 1) You get a big discount doing it that way. 2) Paying up front will motivate you to come to as many classes as you actually need, without having to second-guess yourself about each one. 3) Getting to know other members will be a big help in creating the love life you actually want. It's hard to do alone, and much easier when you're connected to like-minded women on similar journeys.
Just like you, many of our members have done a lot of self-work -- yet it's rare for that work to specifically address the unique gifts and challenges of lesbian relationships. Therapy, 12-step, meditation, Landmark, and other kinds of growth and healing work are all incredibly valuable, yet lesbian dating and lesbian love requires certain highly specific understandings and skills which many people haven't found elsewhere -- and find in the Academy. Plus, along with mentorship and support, we offer opportunities to practice what you learn.
Yes! We've got Conscious Girlfriend Certified Coaches! Check them out here. Academy Director Ruth Schwartz also offers a small number of coaching packages here. CGA coaches have received the world's best training in the particular challenges of lesbian coming out, lesbian dating, lesbian relationships, lesbian attachment, lesbian sex and lesbian breakups -- and their support is very powerful.
However, unless your money and time are unlimited, we strongly encourage you to join the Academy too. Our classes cover life-changing information in a more budget-friendly way. Classes and group coaching are a more efficient way to receive information, while getting the benefit of seeing and hearing like-minded women describe their journeys, ask questions, and receive group coaching.
Yes! We are committed to financial accessibility and justice. Please check out our Scholarship Guidelines here and then email us at ruth@consciousgirlfriend to apply. Scholarships are available for Community-level membership, and for most of our classes. We aren't able to offer scholarships for Supporting-level memberships.
Meet Your Mentor: Conscious Girlfriend Academy Director
Ruth L. Schwartz, Ph.D.
© 2024 Copyright Conscious Girlfriend. All Rights Reserved.