How to Talk to Your Partner About Sexual Trauma | Health & Sexuality

In this deeply empowering episode of Please Me Podcast, Eve sits down with trauma therapist Laurel Roberts Meese for an honest and supportive conversation about sexuality, sexual trauma, healing, and how to navigate intimacy with care, understanding, and communication. Laurel explains that sexual trauma is not about sex itself, but about power, and explores how that distinction is essential for both survivors and their partners to understand. Together, she and Eve discuss the emotional complexity of disclosing trauma, and how creating a safe, non-judgmental space can make all the difference in building trust and connection. The conversation also offers practical guidance for partners on how to respond when trauma is shared, what language supports healing versus harm, and how to recognize trauma responses during intimacy. Tools such as sensate focus are introduced as ways to gently rebuild safety, connection, and pleasure in the body over time. This episode is a compassionate reminder that healing is possible, communication is essential, and survivors deserve both agency and pleasure in their relationships. What You’ll Learn • Why sexual trauma is about power, not sex • How to safely disclose trauma to a partner • What supportive responses to trauma disclosure look like • How to recognize trauma responses during intimacy • How sensate focus can help rebuild safety and connection • Why communication is essential in healing relationships • How survivors can reclaim agency, boundaries, and pleasure Connect With the Guest Laurel Roberts Meese Trauma Therapist Resources from Eve The Sexual Longevity Protocol: https://pleaseme.online/the-sexual-longevity-protocol/ 30-Day Self-Pleasure & Body Reconnection Practices (Free): https://pleaseme.online/the-30-day-self-pleasure-body-reconnection-practices/ Connect With Eve Website: https://pleaseme.online Substack: https://pleaseme.substack.com Patreon (Ad-Free + Bonus Content): https://patreon.com/PleaseMePodcast Be a Guest: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/beaguestonpleasemepodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices