From professional belly dancer to doctorate!

VEREENIGING. – Well-known Vaal Triangle businesswoman, professional dancer and life coach Marina Basson has one more feather in her cap: the Northwest University conferred upon her a PhD (Sociology) at a formal graduation ceremony on Friday, June 2 at the Vaal Campus. Marina’s thesis focused on an unusual issue: The effects of consensual non-monogamy (CNM) among South African married couples.

In her thesis, “Swinging: A Sociological conceptual framework of the influence of consensual non-monogamy on the marital satisfaction of South African couples”, Marina used a qualitative and social constructionist approach to investigate how this lifestyle affects marital satisfaction.

The findings were represented in the Consensual Non-Monogamous Marital Satisfaction Model (CNMMS). She found that couples engaged in CNM for different reasons, which included, among others, external influences such as media messaging, encouragement from life partners to do so, and their personal desires to fulfil needs for sexual diversity. Furthermore, she indicated how couples who enter the lifestyle encounter challenges and derive benefits from their varied  interactions with other swingers.

These notably affected the personal, social, and marital aspects of their lives.

Yet, irrespective of its eventual effect on a couple’s relationship, the study, the first of its kind in South African sociology, showed how CNM facilitates the democratisation of contemporary South African men and women’s conceptualisations, experiences, and expressions of sexual intimacy.

Marina has been practicing as an Intimacy and Relationship Coach for the past 10 years, in conjunction with dance movement healing modalities. During the past seven years she expanded her scope of practice to include REIKI and life coaching, as well as Emotional Freedom Tapping therapy. Her main focus is trauma release, stress release, effective communication skills and intimacy skill-sets for couples.

“I consider my soul purpose to be that of a healer, motivational speaker and a teacher, and as such, I have dedicated my life to the art of teaching and empowering those who choose to learn from me,” says Dr Marina.

“I realised long ago that humans are not one dimensional and that teaching and healing would require me to view them as holistic beings.

That prompted me to study both scientific routes as well as esoteric routes, ensuring that I acquired the necessary skills and knowledge to fulfil my role as teacher, motivator, coach and energy healer. This has allowed me to engage with people from a balanced perspective, including intellectually, physically, emotionally and energetically.

I live by a simple mantra – always approach life from a space of love. That is all.”

Marina (51) has been married to local businessman Pieter Basson for 29 years.

Their son, Xristos, also graduated recently, having completed his BSc IT degree in April this year.

Besides the obvious such as dance and study, Marina’s hobbies include playing the piano and violin, as well as learning to draw and colour. “Even the therapist requires therapy and my therapy outlet is being creative,” she says.

“My passion follows the path of creating, and as such I strive to create happy and safe spaces for people to express their true purpose and desires. Intimacy is the epicenter of relationships and extends beyond the romantic element. Intimacy is also found in the manner in which we  communicate with our children, or even our colleagues at work, which includes sincere empathy, understanding, listening, and responding rather than reacting. Intimacy coaching therefore lends itself to multiple types of relationships, not just the romantic.”

For more information about her research Dr Marina can be reached at marinabasson5@gmail.com