If you own a radio, there’s a good chance you’ve heard the name Dr. Laurie Betito. This Wagar grad (class of 1981) has been a fixture on Montreal radio since the mid-1980s when she began co-hosting The Loveline on Mix 96. Today, she hosts Passion, a sex and relationship call-in show on CJAD-800.

Dr. Laurie Betito, class of 1981

“Sexuality was something that was interesting to everybody in high school and I had found that I could easily talk about it openly,” says Betito, who is now a sex therapist in private practice and with the Human Sexuality Unit at the Montreal General. “All my friends would ask me questions on sexuality. I don’t know why. I wasn’t particularly active. But it was something that I could talk about easily.”

Betito says that she always knew she would end up doing something in the helping profession. Being the eldest of four children, she got a lot of experience in the role of helper and giver.

When she arrived at McGill University, she took at class on human sexuality and got hooked. She later earned a Masters and a PhD in psychology at the Université de Québec à Montréal (UQAM).

In addition to her practice and radio show, Betito also conducts research studies, gives seminars to other health professionals and the general public across North America, is a consultant for pharmaceutical companies, hosts the twice weekly “Let’s Talk Sex” show on MenTV, is the resident “sexpert” on the national television series Eros on the Life Network, and is a regular columnist for Menz magazine.

Not bad credentials for someone who claims there weren’t a lot of sources for sex information when she was growing up.

“I don’t remember much sex-ed at all at Wagar,” she says. “If there was anything, it may have had more to do with physiology. I think we might have seen a birth, or something like that.”

Betito says that when she was 12 or 13, she read Judy Blume books that touched on teenage relationship issues. But there was little in those books about sex.

“I can’t even remember when I got my information,” Betito says. “I don't think we got it much from our parents. And it certainly wasn’t talked about.”

She says things have changed a lot. Today, there is comprehensive sex education in Montreal schools.

“We’re pretty lucky,” Betito says. “There are sex educators in the city that get hired by the schools to do lectures on sex-ed. I think we’re more open to it now and much more accepting. That’s a good thing.”

Betito only attended Wagar only during grade 11. But she says she made a lot of good friends there.

“I really didn’t know very many people when I got to Wagar,” says Betito. “I wasn’t part of any cliques and I pretty much made friends with everybody.”

 Although she admits that she was a “keener” in school and that all the teachers seemed to like her, she says she had to work hard to get good grades.

“I wasn’t one of those that was naturally smart. I really had to study hard to get the grades. I think I ended up with about an 80% class average.”

Q&A

What do your old high school friends think of what you do today?
“Everybody seems to know what I do already. When I was at the reunion in 2001, I hadn’t seen most of these people for 20 years. And hadn’t even run into them in Montreal, which I could never figure out. So, when I walked in to the reunion, everybody seemed to know what I was doing, but that’s because I had already been in the media for years.”

How was the reunion?
“It was amazing. We had a great time. People came in from all over. There were about 150 of us. It was really quite special. People hadn’t really changed that much.”

What’s your fondest memory of Wagar?
“There was a trip to New York with the art teacher, Carol Ergo. She took some of her students to visit the museums. That was a great time. It was my first time there and I got the bug for it after that.”

Who was your favorite teacher?
“Mrs. Ergo was a wonderful teacher. She was very open. She was someone we could talk to about relationships and sexuality. I have to say, there were very few teachers I didn’t like.”

What was your favorite class?
“I enjoyed drama. Gym was always a fun time. I had Cheprun and he was great. I hated math. I hated sciences, which is why I ended up in the social sciences!”

Do you still have all your old essays?
“No. I’m not a pack rat!”

What was your favorite song at Wagar?
“I used to know the words to Sympathy for the Devil by the Rolling Stones. I once did a monologue in drama of that song.”

Are you a Rolling Stones or Beatles person today?
“I’m more of a Beatles person, now. I think I mellowed. I went through many different phases after high school. I was into punk rock. I tried it all on. Today, I listen to talk radio, blues, jazz, female artists. I even like rap. Of course, I also listen to Barney [the dinosaur] because of my kids.”

Have you seen any good movies recently?
“I loved Crimes of Father Amaro. I also enjoyed The Hours.”

Have you been back to Wagar since graduating?
“I went back last year to talk to the students about the importance of staying in school. I’m going back this year too.”