101 | How To Find Your Way Back To Pleasure: Healing Trauma With Brooke Bralove

Have you ever wondered why intimacy feels harder than it should? Why desire feels distant, or why being fully present in your body during sex feels just out of reach — even when everything else in your life seems fine? Most women in midlife assume it is hormones. And sometimes it is. But sometimes the story runs deeper, back through experiences the body absorbed and quietly held onto.In this episode of Pleasure in the Pause, Gabriella sits down with licensed clinical social worker, psychotherapist, and AASECT certified sex therapist Brooke Bralove for one of the most important conversations this show has ever had. They go deep into what trauma actually is, how it lives in the nervous system, and how it shapes desire, arousal, and the ability to feel safe in intimacy in ways most women never connect. They also explore a remarkable and fast-working therapy called Accelerated Resolution Therapy, or ART, and how it is helping women finally feel present and safe in their bodies again.This is a tender topic. If anything in this episode stirs something up for you, please give yourself permission to pause and take whatever space you need.Brooke Bralove is a licensed clinical social worker, psychotherapist, and AASECT certified sex therapist with over 20 years in private practice. She specializes in trauma, sexual health, and emotional healing, helping individuals and couples move through anxiety, trauma, and relationship challenges so they can feel more connected, confident, and fully themselves. A trained Accelerated Resolution Therapy practitioner and sought after speaker, Brooke is known for her warmth, her insight, and her gift for making complex emotional and neurological processes feel accessible and real. She practices in Bethesda, Maryland just outside Washington DC. Key InsightsTrauma is broader than most women realize.The body holds onto experiences long after the mind has moved on.Low libido is not always hormonal. Accelerated Resolution Therapy works fast.You are more than your past sexual experiences.This conversation is for every woman who has ever wondered why pleasure feels so far away — and never thought to look at her history for the answer. The body is not broken. It is protecting itself the only way it knows how. And with the right support, it can learn that it is safe to open again. If you're seeking to reclaim your pleasure and vitality, join Gabriella at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.pleasureinthepause.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for this enlightening journey into the heart of female pleasure and empowerment.CONNECT WITH BROOKE BRALOVE:LinkedInInstagramWebsiteCONNECT WITH GABRIELLA ESPINOSA:InstagramLinkedInWork with Gabriella! Full episodes on YouTube.The information shared on Pleasure in the Pause is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider before making any decisions about your health or treatment. The views expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the host or Pleasure in the Pause.