The Intimacy Inquiry

Kiki Maree is a trauma-informed sexologist, inclusive sex educator and sexological bodyworker based in Sydney, Australia, specialising in women's and vulva-owner's sexuality and partnered intimacy. She's the founder of Yonilicious Academy, an international training school certifying somatic sex coaches and yoni massage practitioners, and the author of a series of children's books on bodies, boundaries and consent.Kiki and Andrew talk about the shame she grew up with around her own body, how the kink community taught her more about consent and communication than years of academic study, and the common themes she sees in clients, from shame and numbness to performance pressure. They discuss what a yoni massage actually is and why she built a global school around it, what's genuinely missing from sex education for children, and why she believes consent needs to be checked in on continuously, not treated as a single yes.This episode includes candid discussion of sexuality, kink and personal experience and is intended for a mature audience.Guest: Kiki Maree, trauma-informed sexologist, founder of Yonilicious Academyhttps://substack.com/@kikimareexx?r=2u9fyk&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=profilehttp://www.yonilicious.com.auhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/kiki-maree-0204a9167?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_apphttps://www.facebook.com/yonilicious@yoniliciousYoniliciousHost: Andrew Phipps, Intimacy Inquiry

Pamela Madsen is a somatic wellness educator and founder of Back to the Body, a series of immersive retreats where women explore touch, pleasure and embodiment in a safe, structured space. Before this work, she was a nationally known fertility advocate and founding executive director of the American Fertility Association, where she coined the term "biological clock." Her memoir, Shameless, tells the story of a married mother who, decades into her marriage, went looking for a more honest relationship with her own desire.Pamela and Andrew talk about the boredom, not brokenness, that started her own search for something more after more than two decades of marriage, why touch work is often the missing piece talk therapy alone can't reach, what many men misunderstand about women's pleasure, and why she believes desire doesn't have to fade with age. They also discuss the professional structure and strict boundaries behind her retreats, and how permission, not perfection, is what keeps long marriages alive.This episode includes frank, anatomically detailed discussion of sex and pleasure and is intended for a mature audience.Guest: Pamela Madsen, somatic wellness educator, founder of Back to the Body, author of Shamelessbacktothebody.org@thepamelamadsen@backtothebodyorghttps://backtothebody.org/pages/masterclassHost: Andrew Phipps, Intimacy Inquiry

Nikkiema Rai is a somatic sexologist, self-discovery coach and international speaker based in Melbourne, Australia. With almost a decade of experience, she works at the intersection of somatics, NLP, sexological bodywork and what she calls "the erotic mysteries," helping career-driven women move out of overwhelm and back into genuine connection with themselves and the people they love.Nikkiema and Andrew talk about why so many successful women feel disconnected from their own bodies, what a session with a somatic sexologist actually looks like, and why a mismatch in desire between partners is rarely just about sex. They cover how modern porn is quietly reshaping expectations of intimacy, why curiosity fades as we get older, how to build the capacity to talk to a partner about a kink or fantasy, and one small, practical way to start reconnecting with your own body today.Guest: Nikkiema Rai, somatic sexologist, self-discovery coach and international speakerhttps://nikkiemarai.com/Host: Andrew Phipps, Intimacy Inquiry

Heather "Lulu" Mazzei is a licensed clinical social worker, certified psychedelic-assisted therapist, and practitioner of tantra and sacred sexuality. Three years ago she left a thriving sex therapy practice and burlesque career in LA, moved from solo polyamory to a monogamous marriage, and relocated to a small community in the Sacred Valley of Peru, tracing a path toward what she now calls "spirit-centered sexuality." She's the author of the guidebook Spirit Sex.Lulu and Andrew talk about the night she realised her old life wasn't enough, even at its most outwardly successful, what surrender actually feels like when it isn't weakness, why slowness and reduced distraction let us access real pleasure and connection, and why she believes redefining sex as something broader than a fixed menu of acts changes people's relationships to their own bodies. Toward the end of the conversation, Lulu shares a recent stage IV colon cancer diagnosis and what she's holding onto for the future.Guest: Heather "Lulu" Mazzei, licensed clinical social worker, certified psychedelic-assisted therapist, tantra and sacred sexuality practitioner, author of Spirit SexHost: Andrew Phipps, Intimacy Inquirywebsite: alternativelove.comSubstack: https://alternativelove.substack.com/IG: https://www.instagram.com/alternativelove.sf/

Kori Strobl spent two decades doing the emotional labour of people-pleasing before learning to hold boundaries instead of just setting them. A self-leadership and relationship coach with a master's in spiritual psychology, she works with couples both individually and together, a combination most therapists are trained to avoid.In this conversation, Andrew and Kori talk about the real difference between a boundary and a request, why chemistry so often gets mistaken for compatibility, how victim/villain thinking keeps couples stuck, and why some differences between partners are simply irreconcilable, without either person being at fault. They also cover ethical non-monogamy, the modern loneliness epidemic, and why the body often knows what the mind hasn't caught up to yet.Guest: Kori Strobl, self-leadership and relationship coach https://www.koristrobl.com/ https://www.instagram.com/koristrobl/Host: Andrew Phipps, Intimacy Inquiry

Dr. Anna Elton is a licensed marriage and family therapist and clinical sexologist with over 15 years of clinical experience. She's the author of Couples Therapy in the Digital Age, and her new book, The Formula of Desire, draws on research with over 700 couples to explain what actually sustains attraction over time.Andrew and Anna talk about why desire in long relationships doesn't disappear, it redirects, sometimes toward parenting or career, sometimes toward AI companions, and what that means for couples who feel like they've simply "gone flat." They cover the relationship shift model that predicts how couples drift from positive to neutral to negative, the research behind pre-terminal and terminal stages that quietly precede a gray divorce, where the modern lines of cheating actually sit in a world of OnlyFans and AI chatbots, and the difference between spontaneous and responsive desire. Anna also shares the one simple practice she recommends to every couple she works with.Guest: Dr. Anna Elton, licensed marriage and family therapist and clinical sexologist, author of The Formula of DesireHost: Andrew Phipps, Intimacy Inquiryhttps://annaelton.com/https://theformulaofdesire.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/annaelton/https://www.facebook.com/drannaelton@drannaelton@drannaelton

Shoshanna Blanca, known publicly as Jesus Christ Pornstar, is a sex writer, adult performer, sexologist and PhD candidate in clinical sexology. She talks with Andrew about how psychedelic experiences, from MDMA and mushrooms to ayahuasca and iboga, helped her recognise and work through patterns of workaholism, disordered eating and self-rejection.The conversation covers why she believes many men are unsettled by a woman who openly knows and states her own desire, the double standards sex workers face in dating, how she uses image and persona to reclaim control over how she's seen, and her concerns about AI, from generic AI-written communication to the ethics of submissive sex robots. She also discusses reconciling her religious identity with her work, and her ongoing PhD research on religious sex workers.This episode discusses sex work and sexuality in explicit terms and is intended for a mature audience.Guest: Shoshanna Blanca (AKA Jesus Christ Pornstar), sex writer, adult performer, sexologist, PhD candidate in clinical sexologyHost: Andrew Phipps, Intimacy Inquiryhttps://linktr.ee/shoshannalovesjesus1

Caroline Hood grew up in a religious family and religious school, learning virtually nothing about sexuality except that it was something to be ashamed of. What stayed with her was a nagging suspicion that it couldn't be right: something so universal couldn't also be shameful. That suspicion became a career, a book, and a practice she calls Desire in Real Life, dedicated to the conversations women wish they could have with a trusted friend who happens to be a sex therapist.In Sex Begets Sex: Reclaiming Desire, Power, and Pleasure in Long-Term Love, Caroline challenges the assumption that desire must precede sex. Drawing on Emily Nagoski's research into spontaneous and responsive desire, she argues that physical and emotional intimacy form a loop, not a hierarchy, and that maintaining physical closeness is itself a buffer against the drift toward roommate, co-parent, and coworker that so many long-term couples experience.In this conversation with Andrew, Caroline covers a lot of ground. Why the gender archetypes around desire are serving nobody, including men. Why women's desire always seems to require an explanation while men's is validated without question. Why defining sex as penetration creates unnecessary barriers and diminishes female pleasure, given that around 80% of women orgasm through non-penetrative means. Why the most pleasurable sex reported by many people is not spontaneous but planned, communicated, and intentional.They also explore: the difference between touch that is a request for sex and touch that simply is; how to start the desire conversation outside the bedroom and before things reach crisis point; why mismatched libido is better understood by asking what need is actually being met; why the high and low libido labels are too static to be useful; and whether monogamy is a natural human state or a relatively recent social construct, drawing on Esther Perel and recent research from the Kinsey Institute.Caroline also talks about what writing the book did to her own relationship (spoiler: only good things), and why she believes the mundane, imperfect, ten-minute version of sex is just as important to a relationship as the two-hour tasting menu.Warm, practical, and genuinely freeing. Sex Begets Sex is available now. Caroline writes at Substack under Desire in Real Life.https://www.desireinreallife.com/

Dr. Stephanie Zwonitzer is a doctor of nursing practice, certified nurse practitioner, and the founder of Revive Institute of Sexual Health, a cash-based clinic dedicated to hormone optimisation and sexual wellness. She also hosts the podcast Between the Sheets with Dr. Z. Her path into this work began in cardiac, surgical, and geriatric nursing, but it was urology and sexual medicine that changed everything: saving relationships, addressing erectile dysfunction and vaginal pain, and realising that dramatic change was possible for patients who had simply been told their bodies were done.In this conversation with Andrew, Stephanie traces the thread from a rural Wisconsin upbringing where sex education meant abstinence and essentially nothing else, through a clinical career that repeatedly exposed the same gap: nobody in mainstream medicine was connecting hormonal decline to quality of life, and nobody was treating sexual wellness as the essential part of overall health that it is.They cover a great deal of ground. Why erectile dysfunction is often one of the first signs of heart disease, and why it is always multifactorial. What happens to testosterone, estrogen, and progesterone from your 30s onwards, and how those changes affect everything from cognition and mood to pain during sex. Why hormone replacement therapy is still not taught in standard medical school training. Why women were not required to be included in US research studies until 1993. And why early hormone replacement may reduce the risk of dementia, osteoporosis, and cardiovascular disease.Stephanie and Andrew also explore what it means to redefine sex as pleasure rather than performance; the value of wellness tools and a self-pleasure practice; what providers can learn from the BDSM community about ongoing consent; and why a single yes is not a yes for life.She explains why she walked away from corporate medicine and ten-minute appointments to found Revive, a clinic where she takes as long as each patient needs, examines hormones in combination rather than in isolation, and has no intention of franchising. Practical, warm, and long overdue.Revive Institute of Sexual Health: revivish.comBetween the Sheets with Dr. Z: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/between-the-sheets-exploring-sexual-health-wellness/id1760176031?uo=4https://www.instagram.com/betweenthesheetswithdrz/

Amanda Montoni describes herself as the kind of person strangers tell their life story to in a grocery queue. At 32, married, newly sober, raising two children, and several months into her decision to go no contact with her mother, she has more than earned that description.Raised between South Carolina and El Paso by a young single mother, Amanda learned early to adapt herself to whatever environment she was in. Outwardly confident, top of her class, socially fluent; inwardly fighting an eating disorder and self-harm she kept hidden from everyone around her for five years. Her sense of identity was fragile, her sexuality was uncertain, and at 14 she was sent without warning from South Carolina to El Paso with no phone, no explanation, and no one who knew where she had gone.In this conversation with Andrew, Amanda traces the events that shaped her: the bullying that made her push down her attraction to girls; the older men who groomed her as a teenager and the distorted sense of power that made her believe she was in control; the unplanned pregnancy at 19 that changed the direction of everything; and the inpatient psychiatric treatment in 2017 that eventually led to a bipolar II diagnosis, and with it the most profound relief of her life.She describes the years that followed: the medication that finally stabilised her, the husband who did not flinch, and the slow, painful recognition that her mother was not going to change. She reflects on what it meant to go no contact without a confrontation, to notice the silence from the other end, and to arrive at something she simply calls indifference. Because the opposite of love is not hate, it is indifference.The conversation also moves through pansexuality and ethical non-monogamy; parenting as a third-generation estranged child who is actively choosing to do things differently; what it feels like to like yourself while still trying to meet yourself fully; and what she is building towards: finishing her degree, switching to zoology or biology, and eventually opening an animal rescue with her husband.One of the most unflinchingly honest conversations The Intimacy Inquiry has had.

Natasha Senjanovic is an award-winning journalist, gender violence reporter, and the host and creator of Women Like Sex, a myth-busting, research-driven podcast dedicated to dismantling the misinformation, biases, and taboos that have long distorted understanding of female sexuality. A co-creator of the media training course I Wish I'd Known, she holds a regional Edward R. Murrow Award for feature reporting and spent years reporting from Rome before specialising in domestic and sexual violence journalism at Nashville Public Radio.In this conversation with Andrew, Natasha traces the thread from her European upbringing, free of puritanical religious shame, through years of reporting in Italy, to the pivotal moment in a Nashville newsroom when a rape retrial changed the direction of her career.She reflects on the chronic failures of media coverage of gender-based violence: the staggering gap between the statistics (Nashville alone sees 25-30,000 domestic violence investigations per year, against roughly 10 domestic homicides) and what actually makes the news; the loaded language that alibis perpetrators and re-traumatises survivors; and why terms like "she snapped," "monster," and "violence against women" are not neutral, but actively harmful.The conversation moves through the Epstein case and what it reveals about power protecting power; the criminalisation of marital rape (UK: 1991, Tennessee: 2012); how Saint Augustine helped reshape the church's definition of sex as procreative only; and why the anatomy of the clitoris was not fully mapped until 2005.Natasha and Andrew also explore how hypersexual myths about men damage male sexuality; why "foreplay" is a term worth questioning; the gendered double standards baked into everyday language; and the inextricable link between sexual inequity and intimate partner violence.Natasha shares the personal toll of gender violence reporting, how the Women Like Sex project helped her step back without stepping away, and her plans to train as a certified sex health educator, because she wants to do more than funnel expert voices. She wants to become one.Topics include: sexual shame and cultural conditioning; domestic violence statistics and the media blind spots that hide them; coercion as the most prevalent form of sexual assault; the Madonna-whore complex and its religious roots; consent education; unconscious bias in journalism; privilege, race, and newsroom culture; and what it will take to flip the script.Women Like Sex podcast: https://womenlikesex.com/I Wish I'd Known: https://www.pmja.org/contacts/natasha-senjanovic

Jennifer Douglas, known as Inked Mom 3 to her many thousand Instagram followers, is a South Carolina-based model, wife, and mother of three who launched her modeling career at 43 after a boudoir shoot for her husband took an unexpected turn. She won the 2025 Best New Model award for a style she describes as raw and authentic: tattooed, entirely natural, and unapologetically herself.Jennifer's path to the camera ran through a childhood defined by emotional neglect and sexual abuse. Molested at 10 by a family friend, raised largely by herself from the age of six, she grew into adulthood carrying those wounds without ever being taught how to process them. What she did instead was pour herself into others: 13 years of passionate anti-human trafficking work, sparked by watching the film Taken, which led her to join a local task force, educate college communities about the signs of trafficking, and focus specifically on the protection of minors. polarisproject.orgThis conversation is honest about all of it. Jennifer talks about managing vicarious trauma through repeated breaks, about the reality that trafficking most often involves people the victim knows and trusts, and about the fact that no amount of education fully protected her own family: her eldest daughter was raped at 16 by an older boy at a party, a disclosure she shares with quiet candour.The modeling story is equally candid. She describes saying yes immediately to photography offers that followed her boudoir photos, with one significant exception: a terrifying experience with a fake photographer early in her career, involving an empty house, a husband locked outside, and a stranger banging on the door, that she shares as a direct warning to younger women navigating Instagram casting calls.Body image runs through the whole conversation. Jennifer is self-conscious about her breast size, wakes at 3am worrying about bookings, and admits she has cried over the gap between what she looks like and what the most heavily booked models look like. She also shares what her tattoos mean: each one tells a chapter of her life, and the one that reads "I am set free" came after she finally, through law enforcement contacts made during her trafficking work, found out what happened to the man who abused her as a child.The episode closes on her goals: more tattooed women in mainstream fashion and branding, and a platform that inspires women of any age and any body to embrace, in her words, an I-don't-give-a-fuck attitude toward who gets to be seen as beautiful.https://www.instagram.com/inkedmom3/https://inkedmomshop.printify.me/Note: this episode contains frank discussion of childhood sexual abuse, sexual assault, and adult themes. Listener discretion is advised.Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and via RSS.

Erika Shershun is a somatic psychotherapist and EMDR practitioner based in the San Francisco Bay Area, specialising in healing sexual trauma, PTSD, and CPTSD. After a career in the arts she retrained in somatic psychology, drawing on organic intelligence, brainspotting, somatic experiencing, and internal family systems. She is the author of the Healing Sexual Trauma Workbook and the Healing Sexual Trauma Guided Journal, with a new book for practitioners forthcoming from PESI.Erika's path to this work began with her own struggle to heal. After 17 years of talk therapy that addressed her depression but never touched the sexual trauma beneath it, a single bodywork training session triggered unexpected flashbacks and everything shifted. She returned to school to study somatic psychotherapy, pieced together the approaches that finally worked for her, and began teaching them to the survivors who arrived in her practice.The conversation opens with Erika reflecting on growing up with contradictory messages about female sexuality, and on the sexual assaults she experienced as a teenager that she did not recognise as assault at the time. She describes how the body stores what the mind pushes away, and why the unconscious protects a person from their trauma until they have enough resources to face it.Sexual trauma, Erika says, is not just a body-mind wound but a soul wound; one that tends to produce more symptoms and run deeper than most. She explains how EMDR combines integration with memory reconsolidation so that the negative beliefs survivors hold about themselves organically become positive ones when the process is complete.Much of the conversation focuses on practical healing: establishing safety and presence before deeper work begins, understanding what emotions reveal about needs, and formulating those needs as requests. Erika describes Betty Martin's Wheel of Consent and the body mapping exercise she uses to help survivors and their partners navigate touch with clarity and care.She is direct about the role of partners in healing: they need to regulate their own nervous systems, because the survivor cannot manage both. She shares a striking example of a client whose partner's anger during a flashback mid-sex set her recovery back significantly, and explains what genuine support actually looks like.Andrew and Erika also discuss the $160,000 average financial cost of sexual trauma per survivor according to CDC data, and where to begin if you have never done body-based work. Erika describes her orienting exercise, Coming Into Safety or Presence, the first chapter of her workbook, available free at healingsexualtrauma.com.https://erikashershuntherapy.com/healing-sexual-trauma/ link to Erika's excellent booksNote: this episode contains frank discussion of sexual assault and trauma. Listener discretion is advised.Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and via RSS.

Fran Frye https://www.franfrye.com/ is a certified sex educator, counselor, and clinician trained in compulsive sexual behaviours, and a somatic sex practitioner based in Charleston, South Carolina. She holds certifications from the Sexual Health Alliance, the American Board of Sexology, and the Somatic Institute. She also brings to this conversation something rarer: her own lived experience as a sexual assault survivor, a former military spouse, and a hospice volunteer.Fran describes a childhood spent finding meaning through connection with others, often the marginalised and overlooked, long before she understood why. After being raped by an acquaintance, with a friend's involvement complicating the dynamic further, Fran found that traditional therapy did not address her sexual trauma. It was through somatic work, specifically training at the Somatica Institute, that she felt truly heard for the first time.From there, Fran built a life around understanding why people hurt themselves and others. Working in food scarcity, domestic violence, rape crisis advocacy, and human trafficking support, she identifies a single recurring thread: dysregulation. She argues that men in particular are taught that their sexuality is acceptable but their emotions are not, leading the nervous system to route fear, stress, and loneliness through arousal, sometimes with damaging consequences.Fran is sharply critical of the addiction model as applied to sexual behaviour, arguing that labelling someone an addict can entrench the very shame that drives the behaviour in the first place. She introduces what she calls the fifth F, alongside fight, flight, freeze, and fawn, and explains how understanding the body's stress responses can change a person's relationship with their own sexuality.The conversation moves into somatic therapy more broadly: why talking about trauma often isn't enough, how the body holds what the mind cannot process, and why Fran believes reconnecting with physical sensation, including through weightlifting in her own case, was essential to her healing.Perhaps most strikingly, Fran speaks openly about her use of BDSM as a deliberate, consensual way of processing her assault, reframing an experience of powerlessness into one where she holds control. She and Andrew discuss why kink communities often communicate far more openly and consensually than conventional relationships, and why this openness can be transformative.Fran also reflects on staying in her marriage longer than she felt was right, what it taught her about safety, and how the years since her divorce have been spent deliberately exploring her own sexuality without rushing toward a new relationship. She and Andrew discuss whether humans are naturally monogamous or polyamorous, the cultural building blocks, like understanding jealousy and compersion, that Fran believes are missing for polyamory to be widely accepted, and how self-sabotage often shows up as a way of confirming our deepest fears about ourselves.The conversation closes with Fran's hopes for the future: writing about the people she meets through volunteering, advocacy for men's emotional and sexual wellbeing, and a particular interest in death doula work, supporting intimacy, touch, and connection at the end of life, something she says is too often ignored.This episode contains frank discussion of sexual assault, trauma, and adult themes. Listener discretion is advised.Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and via RSS.

What if everything you were taught about sex was designed to disconnect you from your own body? In this episode of The Intimacy Inquiry, Andrew Phipps sits down with Maria Merloni, psychotherapist, sex and relationship coach, and sacred spot massage practitioner, for one of the most honest and wide-ranging conversations the show has produced. Maria's story begins in a Catholic household where sex was never mentioned but nudity was ordinary. She became a nude model at university, then an exotic dancer, then a clinical social worker, and eventually a therapist specialising in sex, relationships, and somatic healing. Now 60, she says she is having the best sex of her life, a statement she backs up with both personal experience and clinical insight. The conversation moves across a remarkable amount of ground. Maria explains what men at strip clubs were really seeking when they broke down in front of her: not sex, but genuine connection, the same thing that brings people to dominatrices, OnlyFans creators, and therapists alike. She describes her journey toward what she calls her sacred work, including a course for women navigating perimenopause and post-menopause, built on the practice of self yoni massage, which she credits with eliminating her own vaginal dryness and restoring her libido after just a few weeks.Maria and Andrew explore why talk therapy so often fails to create real change, and how somatic techniques such as gentle reprocessing and EMDR work differently, rewiring the brain at a level where language cannot reach. Maria shares her own experience: years of unknowingly choosing partners with addiction issues, a pattern that only ended after she worked through the childhood trauma that was driving it. She explains how unhealed wounds do not disappear; they recruit new people to re-inflict them until something shifts at the cellular level.The pair dig into what tantra actually is, not the westernised caricature of exotic positions, but a philosophy that everything in the universe is sacred and connected, and that the deepest intimacy begins with presence. Maria describes simple practices, including eye gazing and synchronised breathing, that can transform a conversation or a sexual encounter in under two minutes.They also cover the psychology of erectile dysfunction, the real logistics of polyamory, why couples stop touching each other and what that costs them in oxytocin and closeness, and why redefining pleasure beyond a narrow heteronormative script opens up possibilities that many people close off prematurely, often in their forties or fifties, assuming their best years are behind them.This is a conversation for anyone who has ever felt that their desire was something to be managed or suppressed rather than understood and celebrated. Maria makes the case, calmly and from experience, that it is not too late. It may, in fact, be just beginning.Maria Merloni: mariamerloni.com Free five-minute guided yoni reconnection practice: mariamerloni.com/ritualAvailable on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and via RSS.

What happens when a feminist writer, therapist, and sex educator takes an ibogaine trip and emerges with a calling to bridge the sacred and the sensual? Shoshanna Blanca joins Andrew Phipps on The Intimacy Inquiry to share the story behind Jesus Christ Porn Star, a spiritual erotic performance art project on OnlyFans that blends singing, prayer, worship, vlogging, and explicit imagery to challenge the religiously rooted sexual shame that has shaped Western culture for centuries.Shoshanna traces the journey from her first psychedelic encounter with Jesus in 2021, through her research into feminist biblical scholarship, to the creation of projects including Church in Bed, Coming to God, Uncovering Eve, and The Second Cumming. Her latest book, Eve's Blessing: Uncovering the Lost Pleasure Behind Female Pain, reinterprets the story of Adam and Eve, arguing that the curses of Genesis were not divine punishments but prophetic descriptions of patriarchy and capitalism, already redeemed by the crucifixion and waiting to be claimed.In this rich and wide-ranging conversation, Andrew and Shoshanna explore the philosophical and theological case for treating the body as a sacred portal to the divine, the difference between spiritual erotic performance art and conventional pornography, the ethics of the sex work industry, and why so many content creators and performers also hold deep spiritual lives. They discuss the virgin/whore dichotomy, the outdated laws governing the therapy profession, the politics of psychedelic prohibition, and Shoshanna's belief that the Rapture is already unfolding online through cancel culture and collective awakening.Shoshanna also shares her vision of the Second Coming: not a single figure descending from the sky, but a collective awakening led by women reclaiming spiritual authority and embodying Christ consciousness through non-judgment, unconditional love, and body acceptance. And she outlines her most ambitious project yet: staging the Rapture on Pornhub as a space for radical emotional honesty and conflict resolution.Thought-provoking, theologically curious, and genuinely unlike anything else in your podcast feed.This episode contains mature themes and explicit discussion of sexuality and adult content creation. Intended for adult listeners.

She films her real sex life, raises her kids, runs a spray tan and massage business, and just moved to Miami to build an empire. This is Michelena Rose, and she holds nothing back.In this episode of The Intimacy Inquiry, Andrew Phipps sits down with Michelena Rose, Playboy cover model and Playmate, international model, adult film star, licensed massage therapist, and sex and relationship coach. Based in Miami after building her brand in Myrtle Beach, Michelena films her actual sex life on her own terms, with zero compromise. She is also a mum, a business owner, and one of the most grounded, honest, and genuinely warm people you will hear on this show.This conversation goes exactly where you hope it does, and somewhere you probably did not expect.IN THIS EPISODE:Why what you see on camera is exactly who she is off cameraHow OnlyFans changed the power dynamic for women in adult contentWhy your man is not subscribing to her for the sex (and what he actually needs)Knives, swords, cacti, Roman candles: the shock and awe content explainedHow to ask your partner for what you really want, without shamePegging: why more women should try being the one in controlBisexuality, non-jealousy, and where she draws her personal lineWhat love means to her, and giving someone permission to break your heartThe conversation she already had with her son at age 10Her five to ten year vision: podcast, coaching, and taking the sex and relationship world by stormTIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Introduction 01:30 What You See on Camera Is Exactly Who She Is 03:00 Filming Real Sex vs Performing: The Key Difference 04:30 Why She Never Considered Mainstream Studios 05:30 OnlyFans, Creator Control, and the Connection Economy 07:00 Why Her Fans Subscribe (and What Partners Miss at Home) 09:00 Social Media, Disconnection, and Making People Feel Alive 13:00 Growing Up Italian, Free-Spirited, and Body Confident 14:30 How Women React When They First Meet Her 17:00 What She Wants People to Feel Watching Her Work 19:30 Knives, Swords, Cacti, Roman Candles: Shock and Awe Explained 22:30 Every Object Is a First Time, Live on Camera 24:00 A Typical Day: 5AM Gym, Massages, Soccer, Dinner at 6 25:30 The Conversation With Her Son at Age 10 29:00 How to Ask Your Partner for What You Really Want 32:00 The Right Way to Bring Up Pegging 33:30 Why Pegging Is Empowering for Women 39:00 Partners on Camera: When Someone Was Not Comfortable 41:00 Bisexuality, Non-Jealousy, and Where She Draws the Line 42:00 What Love Really Means to Her 46:00 Giving Someone Permission to Break Your Heart 48:30 What People Misunderstand About Women in This Industry 51:00 Travelling Alone to Reset Her Mind 53:00 Her Vision: Miami, Podcast, Sex and Relationship CoachingABOUT MICHELENA ROSE: Playboy cover model and Playmate. International model, adult film star, licensed massage therapist, sex and relationship coach. Owner of Get Naked and Glow. Based in Miami, FL. Website: itsmichelenarose.comABOUT THE INTIMACY INQUIRY: Hosted by Andrew Phipps, exploring energy dynamics, authentic connection, and what intimacy really means. New episodes weekly.Subscribe on YouTube. Listen on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, search "The Intimacy Inquiry." Connect with Andrew on LinkedIn: Leave a review on Apple Podcasts if this episode moved you.#TheIntimacyInquiry #MichelenaRose #OnlyFans #AdultContentCreator #Intimacy #SexPositive #Pegging #BodyConfidence #SexAndRelationshipCoaching #PlayboyModel #WomenInAdultIndustry #KinkPositive #SexEducation #Podcast #MiamiCreator #SexualEmpowerment #OpenRelationships #ConsciousLiving #PodMatch

What happens when desire becomes obsession, obsession becomes psychological warfare, and the whole thing turns out to be the mirror you needed all along?In this episode of The Intimacy Inquiry, Andrew Phipps sits down with Dr. Stephen Paul Edwards, PhD in Spiritual Counseling, international speaker, coach, and author of "The Venus Fly Trap: Sex, Lies, and Repercussions." Born in Blackpool, UK and now based in Florida, Stephen has spent decades helping people untangle the relational and sexual patterns that keep them looping through the same chaos. His memoir has been described as equal parts erotic, soul-stirring, and genuinely healing.This conversation goes deep: childhood trauma and gaslighting, running away from home eight times, electroconvulsive therapy at 16, four marriages, working with Tony Robbins, Deepak Chopra and Wayne Dyer, the relationship that became his mirror, shame, forgiveness, the sexual revolution, and why vulnerability is not a weakness.WHAT WE COVER:Childhood gaslighting, control, and running away from home eight timesElectroconvulsive therapy at 16 and the shame that followed for yearsHow working with Tony Robbins, Deepak Chopra and Wayne Dyer shaped his pathWhy he wrote "The Venus Fly Trap" and what radical honesty cost himWhy you don't have a relationship problem, you have a pattern problemThe letter to his parents he was told not to send (but mailed anyway)Social media, pornography, and why growing up is harder nowThe future of gender, androgyny, masculine and feminine energyHis vision: Netflix, stage shows, and a shame-free sexuality movementABOUT DR. STEPHEN PAUL EDWARDS: PhD in Spiritual Counseling. International speaker, coach and author. Born in Blackpool, UK, based in Florida. Worked alongside Tony Robbins, Deepak Chopra and Wayne Dyer. Author of "The Venus Fly Trap: Sex, Lies, and Repercussions." Leading voice in Quantum Wealth and conscious living. Book and website: vft23.comABOUT THE INTIMACY INQUIRY: Hosted by Andrew Phipps, exploring energy dynamics, authentic connection, and what intimacy really means, with yourself, with others, and with life. New episodes weekly.Listen on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, search "The Intimacy Inquiry." If this episode moved you, please leave a review. It helps more people find the show.Dr. Edwards has created a unique link exclusively for you to access the complimentary first 3 chapters of The Venus Flytrap: Sex, Lies & Repercussion. . In addition, we’re including the link for the coaching and counselling sessions Dr. Edwards offers.Here is the Landing unique link for you: https://bit.ly/48uidPvHere is the Coaching unique link for you: https://vft23.com/coaching-and-counselling/?utm_source=Andrew+Phipps&utm_medium=The+Intimacy+Inquiry&utm_campaign=Podcast+Interview+-+Andrew+PhippsDiscount Code: VFT23!#TheIntimacyInquiry #StephenPaulEdwards #VenusFlyTrap #ToxicRelationships #HealingTrauma #Intimacy #SpiritualHealing #VulnerabilityIsStrength #RelationshipPatterns #TonyRobbins #ShameFree #Forgiveness #MasculineAndFeminine #SexualRevolution #MindBodySpirit #Podcast

Listening to Desire: Dark Nights, Relationship Myths, and Pleasure-Based Intimacy with LiYana SilverA transformational coach and author of "Feminine Genius" LiYana Silver discusses how she helps clients—especially women—rebuild self-trust, body connection, and desire after heartbreak or divorce, and explains why many people can’t safely access what they truly want. She outlines three common relationship myths: the “myth of romance” (partner above all else), the “relationship escalator” (preset steps toward longevity), and the belief that love equals merging and self-erasure, particularly for women. The conversation reframes divorce as not inherently a failure and emphasizes validating devastation before moving through phases of transformation. LiYana describes couple work as identifying entrenched patterns rooted in wounds, doing individual healing, and learning communication skills, while also normalizing shifts in sexual spark over time. They explore pleasure practices, de-centering orgasm and penetration, creating safer erotic conversations, reconnecting to bodily yes/no signals, parenting amid social media and pornography through open dialogue, and her own self-care and future goals, including a forthcoming divorce-focused book.00:00 Meet the Coach00:43 What Do You Do02:27 Finding What You Want04:46 Three Relationship Myths09:57 When It Falls Apart15:28 Divorce Is Not Failure16:24 Dark Night or The End21:12 Being Yourself in Love25:25 Raising Kids Online29:47 Talking About Sex31:08 Listening to Your Body32:07 Body Truths and Intuition34:53 Yes No Body Signals41:26 Relationship Escalator Talks46:05 Pleasure Practice and Shame53:39 Beyond Performance Sex57:36 Therapist Self Care01:00:26 Future Vision and Closinghttp://liyanasilver.com/maphttps://www.facebook.com/liyana.silverhttps://www.instagram.com/liyana_silver/https://liyanasilver.substack.com/

Ashmita Arora on Spiritual Awakening, Presence, and Breaking Repeating PatternsSpiritual teacher and transformation guide Ashmita Arora discusses her intuitive practice supporting people through grief, heartbreak, burnout, disconnection, and awakening by helping clients identify the root of repeating patterns and create lasting inner shifts in safe, confidential spaces. She reflects on early sensitivity, anxiety about death and OCD-like repetitive thoughts, and how later miscarriages, family stress, and physical symptoms led her into meditation and a pivotal “pop” experience that opened intuitive communication and channeling, which she initially feared was postpartum psychosis. Arora critiques Western avoidance of death and a standardized, memorization-based education system, arguing AI will push people toward creativity, intuition, and individuality. She emphasizes presence over multitasking, describes common stuck patterns rooted in fear, guilt, and obligation, and explains relationship growth through communication, evolving “many relationships” within one partnership, and nonjudgment toward monogamy.00:00 Meet Ashmita Arora00:50 Formative Years Reflection01:32 Early Magic and Death Anxiety04:08 Why We Avoid Death Talk08:06 School Dread and Body Signals09:35 Meditation Pop Awakening13:57 Education AI and Creativity20:52 Birth of Intuitive Practice24:15 Patterns Beyond Self Help27:33 Intimacy Needs and Wholeness32:14 Media Pressure and Burnout35:21 Fluid Balance Mindset36:36 Phones vs Presence39:47 Slow Down Before Burnout41:08 Mindful Pleasure Analogies42:35 Energy Amplification Manifesting45:21 Tuning Frequency Intuition48:30 Protecting Your Energy53:19 Evolving Relationships Communication59:52 Monogamy Personal Choice01:01:44 Future Path and Closinghttps://www.ashmitaarora.com/https://www.instagram.com/the_intuitive_practice/

Lacey Kelly on Unbecoming, Belonging, and Reclaiming Wholeness in a Hyper-Stimulated WorldTrauma therapist and author Lacey Kelly, founder of the Unbecoming Hub, discusses her work at the intersection of psychology, nervous system science, and existential questions of identity, burnout, and belonging. She reflects on being an anxious, ungrounded teen drawn to philosophy and meaning, and says she first felt at home in herself in her late twenties after an autoimmune illness and stepping off the “hamster wheel” of self-fixing. Lacey defines “unbecoming” as releasing constant striving to become someone else and returning to a grounded home base of ease and inherent wholeness. The conversation critiques self-help culture, isolation and loss of “third spaces,” and how technology provides accessible but often unsatisfying connection. They explore AI companions and attention addiction, the decline of religion/spirituality and shared meaning, therapy’s tendency to pathologize normal existential distress, and a practical step: get curious about the fear of stopping self-improvement and question the premise that you are the exception to inherent worth.00:00 Meet Lacey Kelly00:43 Teen Years Curiosity01:51 Finding Home In Self02:53 What Unbecoming Means04:24 Why We Feel Broken07:40 Tech Connection Paradox11:59 AI Companions And Loneliness17:56 Attention Economy Starts Young25:11 Presence Memory And Phones28:38 Smartphone Regret Ahead29:11 Self Fixing Hurts Love30:42 Self Help Relationship Rules32:16 Spiritual Wholeness Seat34:56 Losing Religion Meaning38:08 Nature Reconnection Wisdom43:08 Unbecoming Hub Future46:52 Therapy Pathologizing Trap52:23 Returning Without Shame54:33 Try Unbecoming Curiosity56:09 Closing Thanks Farewellhttps://www.theunbecominghub.com/https://theunbecominghub.substack.com/

Alexandra Beller on Body Image, Somatics, and Creating Embodied ArtChoreographer, educator, and author Alexandra Beller discusses her early experiences coming of age in the 1980s amid intense diet culture, bullying, and body shaming, while finding wholeness and spiritual aliveness through dance. She describes how her body type limited casting and training opportunities, the power critics once held, and how joining choreographer Bill T. Jones’ company broke industry norms but increased public scrutiny of her body. Beller reflects on building chosen family in dance, developing internal guardrails for self-worth, and learning to receive praise without taking criticism as truth. She explores menopause as a neurological and personal rewiring that strengthened consent and self-advocacy, and shares creating a pivotal work based on her preverbal child’s developmental movement. She explains her somatic approach to helping clients access body-held emotion and why she wrote a book to support artists, creativity, and inner-critic work.00:00 Meet Alexandra Beller01:09 Teen Years and Body Image04:38 Disordered Eating Pressures06:08 Rejection and Breaking In09:42 Critics Then and Now11:58 Dance Community and Self Worth16:06 Learning to Receive Praise19:31 Love Mirrors and Self View21:22 Menopause Rebellion and Renewal25:22 Healthcare Gaps and Finding No29:10 Starting a Dance Company31:41 A Work Where Words Fail34:03 Baby Movement as Spiritual Research38:04 Inner Child Onstage40:25 Why We Stop Moving42:26 Undoing School Body Locks45:51 Nature As Sensation47:56 Breastfeeding And Wholeness51:16 Helping Clients Embody53:38 Somatic Patterns And Emotion56:43 Why Write The Book58:32 Writing Flow And ADHD01:02:19 Vulnerability In Print01:04:39 Pruning Ego And Therapy01:06:14 Next Decade And Good Life01:08:22 Closing Thankshttps://www.alexandrabellerdances.org/https://www.facebook.com/alexandra.beller.73/https://www.youtube.com/@alexandrabeller9868https://www.instagram.com/alexandrabellerdances/https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandra-beller-0a56a57/https://www.tiktok.com/@thelabanista?lang=en

Embodying Pleasure: Patty Alfonso on Erotic Innocence, Nervous System Healing, and Expanding IntimacyPatty Alfonso, an “erotic priestess” and creator of the Embody Her mentorship, explains her trauma-aware, body-based approach to helping women integrate pleasure, power, and truth by reconnecting with the body rather than living solely “from the neck up.” She and the host discuss somatic healing for trauma responses, technology-driven disconnection, and how patriarchy and mixed cultural messages shame women’s sexuality while exploiting it. Patty shares her personal path from a sex-silent upbringing to feminine embodiment through S Factor movement, and reframes erotic energy as creative life force connected to nature and “womb wisdom.” They explore expanding the definition of sex beyond penetration, introduce erotic blueprints as a framework for pleasure, and emphasize communication, community support, and discernment in relationships, including ethical polyamory. Patty offers resources at pattyalfonso.com/innocence.00:00 Meet Patty Alfonso00:43 What Is An Erotic Priestess02:08 Living In Your Head05:44 Trauma Lives In The Body08:37 Her Path To Sensual Movement12:12 Patriarchy And Pleasure21:06 Grounding Orgasmic Energy24:47 Erotic Living Everyday32:39 Redefining Sex As Pleasure34:24 Erotic Blueprints Explained37:45 Shame And Self Exploration41:18 Can Women Have It All43:04 Rebuilding Community Support44:47 Feminine Values and Balance46:49 Womb Wisdom Beyond Motherhood49:30 Erotic Innocence Mindset50:04 Monogamy vs Polyamory59:45 Kink and Safe Sex Talks01:04:04 Erotic Energy Fuels Life01:08:24 Sensual Blueprint Senses01:12:08 Discernment in Partnership01:17:58 Future Visions and Pilgrimage01:21:57 Closing and Listener Offerhttps://www.youtube.com/@PattyAlfonsoTVhttps://www.pattyalfonso.com/innocencehttps://www.facebook.com/pattyalfonsohealerhttps://instagram.com/thepattyalfonso

Cidney Green on Sexual Liberation, Non‑Monogamy, and PowerOn Intimacy Inquiry, the host speaks with Cidney Green, creator of viral Atlanta alt orgy events, the Pussy Over Pain Movement, and author of the upcoming book All Three In Me.Green describes her private self as playful and affection-seeking, contrasts her teenage prudishness and dependence on male validation with an early fascination with sex, and discusses porn as entertainment rather than education. She argues society’s comfort with violence but discomfort with sex stems largely from religion and that sexual shame suppresses personal power, especially for women.Green explains her path into polyamory via a poly Facebook group and an open relationship, framing monogamy as illogical and historically tied to property and womb control. She shares why she wrote the book, reactions to her sex-party notoriety, her views on nudity, self-care practices, sex magic/manifestation, fantasies she hasn’t fulfilled, and her long-term desire for a compound with two to three husbands.00:00 Meet Cidney Green00:41 Who Is Cidney Really01:45 Teen Years And Validation03:58 Early Sexual Awakening06:31 Why Violence Wins11:43 Porn As Entertainment17:18 Sexual Shame And Power20:19 Defining Sexual Freedom22:41 Discovering Non Monogamy28:13 Monogamy And Womb Control31:35 Writing All Three In Me35:20 Backlash And Going Viral40:18 Book Cover Meanings42:11 Nudism And Authority44:41 Body Shame Learned Early46:33 Europe vs UK Nudity48:29 Strip Clubs and Odd Laws51:09 Private Sex Shops Era51:56 Evolving Sexual Needs53:39 Sex Magic Manifesting58:02 Porn Preferences Unfiltered01:00:11 Fantasies Threesomes and Anal 01:04:56 Pleasure Patriarchy and FGM01:09:04 Religion Rape Culture and Orgasm Gap01:14:55 Self Care and Saying Yes01:17:31 Hollywood Casting and Poly Love01:20:37 Wrap Up and Farewellhttps://www.all3inme.com/https://x.com/thecidneyghttps://www.youtube.com/@thecidneyghttps://www.instagram.com/cidney_green?igsh=MTRlczF5eGpvOHcxaA==https://www.tiktok.com/@cidneygreen?_r=1&_t=ZP-94wGESSy5D4

Radical Honesty, Modern Intimacy, and Sex Work: Elizabeth Romanova on Stigma, Boundaries, and IndependenceLondon-based escort and adult content creator Elizabeth Romanova, a single mother to a 15-year-old, discusses her decade-plus in sex work, her choice of “radical honesty” at home, and how she navigates stigma and judgment by avoiding online comments. She describes exploring different parts of the industry (escorting, porn, webcamming, OnlyFans) and valuing creator control, travel, and flexible work. Romano explains client motivations—from married men seeking intimacy to lonely single men wanting companionship—and how she sets boundaries, including refusing condomless sex and blocking unsafe requests. She reflects on trust, spotting lies, and the difficulty couples have discussing desires, which she links to cheating. She outlines self-care, peer support among sex workers, the business side (marketing, tax, accountants), legal caution when touring, and her focus on supporting her daughter toward university while feeling happy and independent.00:00 Meet Elizabeth Romanova01:38 Why She Stays02:14 Exploring Sex Work03:49 OnlyFans Control04:53 Porn Industry Shift06:06 Honesty With Daughter07:59 Handling Stigma Online10:51 Married Clients Needs14:13 Emotional Boundaries16:24 Dating As Sex Worker19:06 Safety And Hard Limits22:28 Trust And Intimacy Talk27:13 Dating Men vs Women27:45 Redefining Masculinity28:58 Equality and Independence30:42 Intimacy Beyond Sex32:18 Self Care Routines33:23 Industry Friendships35:34 Business Side of Sex Work38:23 Setting Boundaries41:00 Staying Legal on Tour42:05 Future Plans and Parenting45:31 AI and Career Security46:14 Happy Ending and Farewellhttps://www.vivastreet.co.uk/escort/gbhttps://www.adultwork.com/dlgExtRatings.asp?U=4386722

From Sexual Shame to Sovereignty: Pleasure, Communication, and Unlearning Conditioning with Jocelyn SilvaEmpowerment coach and sex educator Jocelyn Silva shares how growing up Catholic in the San Fernando Valley shaped intense shame-based messages about sex, and how a positive first sexual experience and feminist activism led her to leave the church and become a sex educator with Coochie La, teaching comprehensive sex ed in low-income communities. She and the host discuss how shame and political forces restrict bodily sovereignty, why online information and porn can mislead young people, and how reframing “sex” as “pleasure” reduces performance pressure. Silva explains signs of performative sex, how stress and lack of emotional safety affect desire, and how clients can shift limiting beliefs using a thoughts-feelings-actions framework. She emphasizes scripts and mediated conversations to help couples speak desires, build distress tolerance, and address compatibility, and she outlines hopes to keep traveling, create retreats, write a book, and expand her community.00:00 Meet Jocelyn Silva00:43 Catholic Shame Messages03:10 Is Sex Education Improving04:56 Power Shame Control07:13 Porn Information Overload11:48 From Repression To Educator16:12 Redefining Sex As Pleasure19:44 Performative Sex Signs22:44 Feeling Broken And Healing26:49 Sex Differences Myth27:52 Social Conditioning Clash29:12 Same Gender Dynamics31:33 Breaking Cultural Scripts33:18 Rewiring Beliefs CBT37:06 Aging Bodies New Sex38:59 Speak Your Desires41:13 Sharing Kinks Safely43:38 Vulnerability Money Sex44:59 Place Shapes Intimacy47:50 Disconnecting Tech Era50:04 Coach Boundaries Self Care52:17 Future Vision Wraphttps://www.jocelynsilva.com/https://www.instagram.com/iamjocelynsilva/https://substack.com/@therelentlesslover

Healing Trauma, Reclaiming Self-Trust, and Building Real Connection with Tori JenaeTrauma-informed relationship and confidence coach Tori Jenae shares how complex childhood trauma shaped her nervous system and dating patterns, including perfectionism, control, low-grade anxiety, and avoidant “push-pull” intimacy. She explains how early attachments create “love maps,” why trauma is stored in the body, and critiques talk therapy that stops at the mind, emphasizing somatic work and safety in relationship as key to healing. Tori recounts leaving home at 17, breaking a family lineage of addiction, and finding safety with her ex-husband, with whom she was married for 20 years. The conversation also covers antidepressants and holistic health factors, the loneliness epidemic and monetized intimacy, what healthy intimacy feels like, ways couples rebuild connection, and her “Reclamation Method” and ABCs of healing: awareness, beliefs, and clearing.00:00 Meet Tori Jenae00:48 Early Trauma Signs02:57 Love Maps and Attachment05:07 Breaking Family Cycles09:32 Resilience and Purpose12:40 Learning to Trust16:56 Healing Through the Body21:43 Holistic Mental Health28:38 Loneliness and Lost Intimacy32:14 Loneliness Needs People32:31 Dating Apps Reality Check34:08 What Matters Most35:04 Stop Living Through Phones37:33 Success Yet Unworthy40:33 Happiness Inside You43:06 Reclamation Method Basics45:34 ABCs of Healing51:08 Therapist Boundaries54:12 Healthy Love Today55:41 Rekindling Long Term Intimacy01:02:16 Never Stop Dating01:03:17 Planning the Future01:04:44 Closing Thankshttps://www.torijenae.com/opt-in-d7dec567-5a03-4245-b2fa-929599de006ahttps://www.torijenae.com/https://www.instagram.com/tori.jenae/https://www.linkedin.com/in/tori-jenae-ma-psych-a6051766/

Elana Auerbach on The Sure Thing: A Weekly Pleasure Practice for Lasting IntimacyElana Auerbach, a sensuality guide and educator, discusses her book and “The Sure Thing” love experiment: a simple weekly pleasure practice designed to help couples replace sex struggles and performance pressure with reliable intimacy, desire, and joy.She shares her personal history of dissociation, sexual awakening, and her purpose as a “priestess of love and connection,” explaining how a 12-year desire mismatch with her spouse shifted after they committed in December 2020 to a weekly Saturday practice focused on connection rather than goals or orgasm. The conversation covers redefining sex beyond penetrative acts, addressing shame as “the elephant in the bedroom,” building the ability to ask for what you want, and how regular pleasure practices can improve relationships, family life, and community well-being. She also touches on consent, solo practice, non-monogamy as a choice, and future plans to expand the book’s reach and create audio guided visualizations.00:00 Meet Elana Auerbach00:57 Book Arrival Surprise03:05 Teen Years Awakening06:54 Calling and Priestess Path07:56 Creating Weekly Practice14:30 Why It Works19:50 Redefining Sex and Pleasure26:46 Practical How To Start29:00 Preparing and Rituals32:28 Requests and Knowing Wants34:09 Inviting Partner In34:39 Inviting Your Partner35:54 Solo Pleasure Practice36:46 Shame In The Bedroom38:37 Naming And Healing Shame42:35 When Desire Changes46:46 Ask For What You Want50:00 Pleasure Changes Everything54:38 Designing Your Sure Thing59:17 Monogamy Or Choice01:01:21 Whats Next And ClosingA special gift for listeners to the podcast:A guided journey to deepen with your wild, sensual self and connect with your passion and desire!https://guide.surethingexperiment.com/wild-sensual-selfWebsite: https://surethingexperiment.com/FB: facebook.com/ElanaAuerbachAuthorIG: https://www.instagram.com/elana.auerbach/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elana-auerbach-387875b3/

Embodiment, Consent, and Leaving a Sexless Marriage: Skylar Lyralen Kaye on Queer Intimacy and Self-LoveNon-binary, gender-fluid writer and solo performer Skylar Lyralen Kaye discusses their work on intimacy, queerness, and mental health, and describes a day-to-day life grounded in solitude, meditation, yoga, hiking, and paddleboarding after moving from the US to Portugal, which they find safer, more peaceful, and less achievement-driven.They redefine success as quality of life, joy, love, and inner peace, and explain how embodiment practices and theater training helped release trauma-held “armor,” highlighting limits of talk therapy and the importance of somatic work. Skylar recounts leaving a 35-year sexless marriage in their sixties after recognizing asexuality, grief-related disconnection, and awakening sexual energy, then navigating queer online dating, boundaries, and consent. They share how they handle vulnerability in memoir/performing through craft, distance, and universality, and emphasize self-love through integrating shadow and inner parts while embracing a quieter, happier future.00:00 Meet Skylar Kaye00:45 Daily Life and Solitude02:15 Portugal vs America05:02 Redefining Success09:37 Embodiment Breakthrough13:20 Somatic Healing Beyond Talk19:24 Social Media and Self Worth22:01 Leaving a Long Marriage29:12 Dating Again and Boundaries32:56 Consent Culture in Practice38:57 Sharing Intimacy on Stage39:52 Gut Check Boundaries41:57 Memoir Not Diary43:36 Queer Story Duty46:04 Learning Self Love52:11 Nature Connection57:16 Aging Wisdom Access01:04:23 Bridging Generations01:09:48 Why Publish Memoir01:15:36 One Step Unstuck01:19:42 Future In Portugalhttps://lyralenkaye.com/https://www.instagram.com/lyralenkaye/?hl=enhttps://lyralenkaye.substack.com/

Bridging the Desire Gap: Somatic Intimacy, Communication, and PleasureDr. Laura Jurgens, a certified sex and relationship coach and creator of the Desire Gap Bridge Method, discusses how her background in science and personal trauma informed her somatic, body-based approach to helping couples navigate libido mismatches, which she says affect about 80% of long-term couples. The conversation explores how people attach painful meaning to desire differences, why stereotypes about which partner wants more sex are often wrong, and how narrow, patriarchal definitions of sex and inadequate sex education push people toward porn-based scripts and performance, shame, and disconnection. Jurgens emphasizes pleasure-focused intimacy, moment-to-moment embodied consent, reconnecting with the body, and practicing difficult conversations in a low-stakes setting to reduce pressure and build vulnerability. She explains how one partner changing can shift the relationship system, addresses empty-nest transitions and aging, and warns that AI may worsen disconnection because human regulation relies on tone and body language.00:00 Meet Dr Laura Jurgens00:56 Her Path to Coaching02:58 Why Desire Gaps Happen05:23 Redefining Sex as Pleasure08:30 Sex Ed and Porn Myths12:05 Consent Is Moment to Moment14:37 Why Somatic Work Works19:03 Healing Desire and Fantasy21:44 Talking About Different Sex23:32 Practice Conversations Safely29:42 Being Seen Without Shame32:55 One Partner Can Shift System39:33 Authentic vs Performative Desire41:07 Performance vs Authenticity42:32 Relearning Safety and Pleasure44:25 Stop Tolerating Touch47:59 Mind Reading Myth49:04 Arousal Curves and Foreplay51:14 Empty Nest Intimacy Reset55:44 Aging Bodies New Tools59:30 Client Crushes and Boundaries01:02:54 Transformations in Coaching01:06:31 Empathy and Self Care01:10:19 Future Mission and Hope01:13:36 AI vs Human Connection01:19:26 Closing Reflectionshttps://laurajurgens.com/https://www.facebook.com/ljurgens00/https://www.instagram.com/laura.jurgens.coach/?hl=en

Caasi O’Day on Being “Too Much,” Somatic Healing, and Treating the Clients Others AvoidLicensed clinical social worker Caasi O’Day, founder of Las Vegas practice Polarized Parts, shares her path from being a “lost cause” teen in a small Iowa town—angry, self-harming, using drugs, and distrustful of therapy—to becoming a clinician known for radical honesty, dark humor, and working with clients often judged or labeled “treatment resistant.”She explains why she centers nonjudgment, authenticity, and self-disclosure, and outlines DBT’s four modules (mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, interpersonal effectiveness) alongside internal family systems and somatic work. The conversation explores intimacy, attachment, rejection fears, her fast engagement and later divorce (requested June 2024), and her practice of taking a year off dating after breakups.O’Day discusses ketamine-assisted psychotherapy, her own first experience (panic attack, then joy after letting go of control), and the importance of integration and body awareness. She also covers therapist self-care, private practice boundaries, and future plans for more somatic workshops, teaching, and nature-based offerings, ending with what she’d tell her 16-year-old self: “You are not too much.”00:00 Meet Caasi O'Day01:09 Early Life Template02:25 Acting Out and Therapy05:31 Sent Away and Too Much06:56 Becoming the Therapist09:37 Working With Outcasts12:13 DBT Skills Breakdown14:56 Nonjudgmental Client Care19:21 Intimacy and Self Worth23:53 Marriage Divorce and Growth28:47 Talking About Sex Safely34:39 Curiosity Over Assumptions34:57 Erotic Communication Skills37:41 Puberty And Mixed Signals41:10 Receiving Honest Feedback43:05 Desire Changes Over Time44:20 Somatic Clues In The Body46:53 Beyond Talk Therapy51:39 Ketamine And Integration58:00 Therapist Burnout Boundaries01:01:59 Rebuilding And Future Vision01:05:26 Advice To The Sixteen Year Old Cassihttps://polarizedparts.com/https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61587040433132https://www.instagram.com/polarized_parts

Transforming Conflict into Intimacy: Valerie Greene on Attachment, Communication, and Lasting LoveValerie Greene, a transformational life coach and relationship specialist, discusses how she helps women and couples turn conflict into deeper intimacy using emotional healing modalities and practical communication tools. She reflects on her formative years, including a fraught relationship with her emotionally unavailable father and a spiritual but also emotionally unavailable mother, and how early experiences shaped her insecurity and later passion for relationship work. The conversation explores why modern culture often disconnects people from feelings (industrialization, nuclear family pressures, technology), and how skills like emotional awareness can be learned through neuroplasticity, self check-ins, and nonviolent communication. They cover dating challenges for high-achieving women, masculine vs feminine energy in dating, and how to assess values and emotional availability—especially on apps—while avoiding text-based pseudo-relationships. The episode also addresses sexual intimacy, shame, changing desire over time, and creating safety to talk about sex, including planning for difficult scenarios. Valerie shares guidance for people starting new relationships after long partnerships, discusses monogamy vs polyamory (including Polysecure), offers daily connection practices like love languages and rituals of reunion, and ends with advice she would give her 16-year-old self: prioritize self-liking, attend to feelings and needs, and be herself.00:00 Meet Valerie Greene: Transformational Coach & Relationship Expert00:56 Would 16-Year-Old Valerie Recognize Her Today?02:07 A Fraught Father-Daughter Dynamic & Learning Conflict Language06:23 Mom’s Spirituality, Inner Child Work & Learning to Feel Feelings11:15 Why We Lost Emotional Attunement: School, Industry & the Nuclear Family16:36 Tech, Tablets & the Imagination Gap in Kids26:09 Rewiring Emotional Skills: Neuroplasticity, Check-Ins & NVC Tools27:07 From Toxic Cycles to a Healing Partnership: Her Relationship Journey31:46 High-Achieving Women, Secure Attachment & Balancing Masculine/Feminine Energy40:48 Dating Apps Done Right: Filters, Values, and Getting Off the App Fast47:38 The Real Source of Couple Conflict: Needs vs. Strategies (Not the Dishes)52:12 Setting Up the Next Topic: Physical Intimacy, Desire Gaps & Obligation52:52 Intimacy Beyond Penetration: Redefining What ‘Counts’53:24 Breaking the Silence: Shame, Stress & Talking About Desire55:28 Body Image, Libido Shifts & Self-Acceptance Work56:16 When Sex Changes: Expanding the Menu & Passionate Marriage Mindset58:25 Avoidance Patterns & Why Couples Need a Safe Space to Talk01:01:02 Relearning Pleasure: Self-Exploration, Journaling & Normalizing Change01:01:59 Planning for the ‘What Ifs’: Scripts for Erections, Pain & Staying Kind01:04:19 Desire Evolves: Food Analogy, Gottman Research & Regulating Fear01:08:43 Starting Over After Long Relationships: Grief, Growth & New Intimacy01:15:49 Monogamy vs Polyamory: Attachment, Safety & What Actually Works01:24:17 Daily Connection Rituals: Love Languages, Check-Ins & Deeper Questions01:28:00 Advice to My 16-Year-Old Self: Self-Liking, Needs & No-Regrets Wrap-Uphttps://coachvaleriegreene.com/free-strategy-session/https://coachvaleriegreene.com/

Existential Kink, BDSM, and Reclaiming Intimacy: with Tina EstrellaCertified existential kink coach and former professional dominatrix Tina Estrella shares her path from years of substance abuse, self-harm, and misdiagnoses to discovering she’s on the AuDHD spectrum and shifting toward nervous-system-informed, somatic, parts-based work.She recounts a pivotal “bathroom floor” moment—hearing a clear inner voice ask, “Tina, what are you doing?”—that sparked self-responsibility and a rapid decision to stop destructive behaviours, despite the social upheaval of reinventing her life. The conversation explores her BDSM work (starting as a professional sub, later domme), emphasizing consent, boundaries, and how submission can feel freeing—especially for people burdened by constant control and productivity.Tina explains existential kink as a parts-based, meditative practice of finding the hidden “turn-on” in unwanted patterns so they lose charge in real life. They discuss how societal norms, patriarchy, and productivity culture shape shame around sex and identity, why many relationships struggle with “should,” and the need to build skills for uncomfortable conversations about desire. Tina highlights pleasure practice, self-knowledge, and nervous system care as foundations for better intimacy, and envisions intimacy becoming increasingly moment-to-moment, self-approved, and quality-focused.00:00 Meet Tina Estrella: Existential Kink Coach & Former Dominatrix01:12 Teen Years, Family Roots & Feeling ‘There’s More’02:47 Misdiagnoses, ADHD Realization & Why Labels Can Trap You05:26 The Bathroom-Floor Wake-Up Call: “Tina, What Are You Doing?”10:32 From ‘Why Me?’ to ‘What Am I Doing?’—A Practical Path Out of Loops12:29 Quitting Addictions Fast: Closing the Door & Reinventing Your Life15:05 Sober in the Club: Identity, Energy, and Not Needing Substances18:41 Entering BDSM Professionally: From Sub to Domme (and Why It Helped)24:33 Why Submission Can Feel Like Freedom: Yin/Yang, Presence & Permission31:19 From Dungeon to Coaching: Training, Skillsets & Building the Practice34:39 What ‘Existential Kink’ Means: The Origin Story & Money Patterns37:32 Meditation for ‘Existential Dread’ Kink: Let the Charge Fizzle Out38:54 Why Society Labels Us ‘Broken’: Control, Capitalism & Suppressed Authenticity43:44 Redefining Success Beyond GDP: Rest, Joy, and Real Productivity45:28 IFS Meets Intimacy: Performance, ‘Shoulds’ & Talking About What You Want49:30 Uncomfortable Conversations as a Skill: Timing, Practice & Coaching Support54:22 Redefining Sex as Pleasure: Consent Culture, Boundaries & Better Sex Education01:01:59 Know Thyself: Nervous System Care, Pleasure Practice & Sexual Blueprints01:07:55 When Pleasure Opens Old Pain: Feminine Conditioning, Tears During Sex & Power of Sexual Energy01:10:25 Tattoos, Grounding, and a 10-Year Vision for Intimacy (Closing)https://tina-estrella.com/https://linktr.ee/tinaestrella

Creating, Maintaining, and Rebuilding Long-Term Intimacy with Bella Krutik Bella Krutik, a relationship nervous system and feminine embodiment coach, shares how she helps successful women and men rebuild trust, intimacy, and long-term connection. She reflects on her formative years as a rule-following, approval-seeking “good girl,” shaped by a first-generation Australian/Latvian immigrant family culture of playing small and staying safe. Bella describes marrying at 20, divorcing four years later, then repeating similar patterns in a second marriage (people-pleasing, self-abandonment, blame, weak boundaries). Years after separating and divorcing her second husband (the father of her son), they reconciled and rebuilt a deeply honest, connected partnership after both did substantial work: she trained as a feminine embodiment coach; he stopped drinking, attended therapy and men’s circles. They discuss how unrealistic cultural narratives about “perfect love” reduce self-responsibility and make normal human flaws look like red flags. Bella explains embodiment as shifting from living “neck up” into the body—tracking felt sensations, releasing “frozen tension,” and learning to respond rather than react in conflict. The episode also covers signs of “flatmate” relationships (logistics-only talk, screens, intimacy dropping), redefining sex as broader intimacy, practical reconnection via intentional touch and deeper conversations, gratitude as a practiced muscle, and how high-achievers must soften and drop control at home. Bella outlines how she helps clients discern whether to stay or leave without “should,” and how she protects herself by holding sessions in a “container” and using embodiment practices afterward. 00:00 Meet Bella Krutik01:08 Formative Years03:24 Immigrant Family Culture: Playing Small, Staying Safe05:11 Embodiment & Learning Through Mistakes07:04 Early Relationships: Unaware Patterns & a First Marriage at 2009:49 Second Marriage, Same Patterns: The Myth of the ‘Ideal Partner’12:43 Reconciliation After Divorce: Inner Work, Boundaries & Vulnerability15:54 Society’s ‘Perfect Love’ Script19:15 What Feminine Embodiment Means in Practice (From Head to Body)25:29 Holding Pain to Access Pleasure31:08 From Lovers to Flatmates35:41 Redefining Sex: From Performance to Intimacy37:24 Rebuilding Connection: Touch, Presence, and Turning Off Distractions39:45 The Gratitude Practice: Training Your Brain to See the Good43:42 Imperfect Love: Slipping, Repairing, and Embracing Messy Emotions45:12 High Achievers at Home50:28 Stay or Go? Untangling ‘Should’ and Taking Responsibility55:03 Protecting the Helper: Holding a ‘Container’ for Clients’ Trauma57:50 What’s Next: Career Vision, Partnership Without Remarriage, and a Possible Book01:05:41 Final Reflections & Farewellhttps://bellakcoaching.com/https://www.instagram.com/bellakcoaching/https://www.facebook.com/isabel.krutik

Lauren Venables on Safety, Somatics, and Dropping the Guard to Create Deeper IntimacyLauren Venables, a Sydney-based feminine embodiment and intimacy coach who supports high-achieving women in feeling safe enough to drop their guard and receive intimacy, pleasure, and devotion through somatic practices, nervous system work, trauma-informed coaching, grief, and relational healing. Lauren shares how she was shy, perfectionistic, and afraid to be seen as a teen despite being a dancer, and how bullying and a lack of safety in relationships shaped her early intimacy and self-expression. She describes a major turning point after a nine-year relationship that lacked passion and polarity, followed by years of mindset work before discovering body-based nervous system practices. She emphasizes creating safety in the body to support boundaries, communication, consent, and deeper intimacy, and outlines a practical approach for discussing desires with a partner: get clear on what you want, regulate through breath and somatic awareness, then speak from vulnerability without blame. The conversation explores redefining sex as intimacy and pleasure rather than penetration and performance. They address shame in the body, releasing emotion through somatic validation and feeling sensations, and the importance of self-pleasure for understanding desire and communicating preferences. The host and Lauren discuss how BDSM/kink communities often model clearer communication and boundaries, and they examine how mainstream porn and sexualized media can distort expectations and harm self-worth. Lauren reinforces that it’s never too late to reconnect with libido, especially by restoring safety amid burnout, hormones, or menopause. She also describes practitioner self-care, energetic boundaries, mentors, nature grounding, and her future aims to follow her “aliveness,” and continue living what she teaches through ongoing learning.00:00 Meet Lauren Venables: Embodiment, Intimacy & Nervous System Safety00:51 From Shy Teen to Confident Coach03:15 Dancer in Her Head: Perfectionism, Bullying & Fear of Being Seen04:43 Why High-Achieving Women Keep Their Guard Up in Love07:06 Safety, Discernment & Finding Your Yes/No in the Body08:24 When Success Masks Coercion: The Hidden Side of “Having It Together”11:03 Lauren’s Turning Point13:31 Learning to Ask for What You Need: Masculine Safety & Being Held16:02 How to Talk About Desire Without Shame: Somatic Prep + Vulnerable Language20:06 Redefining Sex as Intimacy: Beyond Penetration, Toward Connection23:11 Feminism, Polarity & the Craving to Be Led (Without Losing Power)26:13 Boundaries Without Walls: Discernment, Nervous System Clarity & Shame Release30:38 Meeting Shame with Validation: Somatic Tools to Let It Dissolve33:08 Why We Rush Self-Pleasure (and What We Miss)34:12 Know Your Desire: Self-Exploration & Communicating Needs35:46 What Kink Communities Get Right: Consent, Boundaries & Debriefs37:58 Learning to Love Yourself Through Body Work39:09 Porn, Media & Sexual Scripts: The Impact on Self-Worth42:59 1:1 vs Group Work: Safety, Shame, and Going Deeper44:48 “You’re Never Too Old”: Reclaiming Libido by Creating Safety49:13 The Body Keeps the Score: Integrating Mind + Somatic Healing51:04 Holding Space Without Burnout: Practitioner Self-Care & Boundaries53:40 Grounding in Nature + Looking Ahead (Practice, Love, and Closing)https://www.laurenvenables.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenvenables1/

Navigating Modern Therapy and Relationships with Briana BassIn this episode, Briana Bass, a licensed professional counselor associate and board-certified clinical psychologist, shares insights from her unique background, combining high-level corporate experience and work in addiction centers.She discusses the transformative power of modern, evidence-based therapy in addressing the challenges of today's high-pressure world. Briana reflects on her formative years and explains how modern therapy differs from traditional approaches by focusing on real-world issues such as chronic stress, gender roles, political climate, and technology.She also touches on the loneliness epidemic, the impact of dating apps, and the importance of authenticity and communication in building deep, meaningful relationships.00:00 Introduction to Briana Bass00:45 Briana's Formative Years02:35 Modern Therapy Explained04:57 Challenges of Modern Life07:33 The Impact of Technology on Relationships16:41 Loneliness in a Connected World17:30 Deepening Emotional Intimacy22:25 Navigating Life Transitions24:10 Navigating Life's Changes Together25:02 The Power of Communication25:41 Rebuilding Connection26:04 Emotional Regulation and Vulnerability27:34 Practical Tips for Reconnecting30:23 The Impact of Modern Dating38:47 Challenges of High-Pressure Environments40:33 Balancing Personal and Professional Life43:01 Maintaining Mental and Emotional Health45:18 Final Thoughts and Reflectionshttps://brianabass.org/

Rebuilding Self-Trust with Brylye Collins: Navigating Love, Life, and LeadershipIn this episode, Brylye Collins, a relationship coach, talent leader, and founder of Building with Bry, shares her journey from a corporate HR and talent acquisition background to empowering singles in finding intentional relationships. Drawing on over 20 years of experience, Brylye discusses the importance of self-trust and clarity in dating, her transition from traditional corporate roles to relationship coaching, and the unique challenges high-achieving professionals face in their personal lives.Brylye also talks about the value of embracing one's individuality outside of societal labels, the drawbacks of relying on dating apps, and the importance of practicing self-care and intentional living. Additionally, she introduces her upcoming workbook and single empowerment retreats aimed at helping individuals reconnect with themselves before pursuing relationships. The conversation also touches on the dynamics of modern dating, the importance of realistic expectations, and fostering genuine connections.00:00 Introduction to Brylye Collins01:27 Career Journey and Transition 03:18 Founding Rose Talent Consulting04:52 Building with Bry: Personal Empowerment05:40 Reconnecting with Yourself09:45 Challenges in Modern Dating17:19 Matchmaking Insights and Practices21:37 Client Expectations and Realities24:51 Evaluating Client Readiness26:30 The Lessons in Meeting People27:09 Navigating Post-Divorce Relationships28:23 The Impact of Modern Communication on Relationships31:22 The Importance of Thriving Solo33:26 Embracing Solitude and Self-Discovery35:02 Handling Intimacy After Long-Term Relationships36:59 Empowerment Retreats and Workbooks43:01 Balancing Personal Wellbeing45:57 Finding the Right Relationship50:25 Final Thoughts on Relationships and Self-Growthhttps://www.buildingwithbry.com/http://instagram.com/buildingwithbry.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/brylyecollins/https://www.tiktok.com/@bryduffy?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc

Embracing Pleasure and Power: A Deep Dive with Dr. Jordin WigginsIn this insightful episode, Dr. Jordin Wiggins, a naturopathic doctor, author, and pleasure and intimacy coach, shares her revolutionary approach to women's sexual health and wellness. As the CEO of the Pleasure Collective and host of the Amazing Pleasure Principles podcast, Dr. Wiggins combines her 13 years of holistic medical experience with personal insights as a sexual abuse survivor to help high-achieving women reclaim their pleasure. She discusses her journey, the impact of hormone health on sexual desire, and the systemic issues in women's healthcare. Dr. Wiggins also emphasizes the importance of pleasure in all aspects of life and offers practical advice for women to receive and enjoy more from their lives. This episode is a must-listen for anyone looking to understand the deep connections between pleasure, health, and overall well-being.00:00 Introduction to Dr. Jordin Wiggins01:20 Formative Years and Early Influences03:24 Hormone and Sexual Health Journey05:23 The Pink Canary and Rediscovering Pleasure07:01 Challenges in Women's Health and Hormone Therapy09:35 Super Traits and Their Impact on Relationships21:39 Expanding the Definition of Pleasure26:35 Medical System Gaps and Women's Health35:05 Receiving in Life and Relationships39:13 The Value of Support and Compensation39:56 Embracing Sensation and Tantra40:34 Emotional Shifts and Relationship Dynamics41:58 Navigating Perimenopause and Hormone Therapy44:09 Pleasure-Centered Relationships46:35 Challenges of Long-Term Relationships49:07 Self-Discovery and Authenticity51:35 Protecting Mental Wellbeing54:26 Healing from Abuse and Rebuilding01:01:17 Recognizing Coercive Control01:04:12 Starting the Journey to Deeper Intimacy01:07:35 Future Plans and Final Thoughtshttps://form.typeform.com/to/p9OQD3F5?typeform-source=www.upwork.comhttps://www.thepleasurecollective.com/https://www.facebook.com/jordin.wigginshttps://www.youtube.com/@thepleasurecollectivehttps://www.instagram.com/drjordinwiggins/https://www.linkedin.com/in/drwigginsnd/https://www.tiktok.com/@drjordinwiggins

Reclaiming Intimacy: Xanet Pailet's Journey from Sexless Marriage to Passionate CoachIn this episode, Xanet Pailet, a nationally recognized sex and intimacy coach, shares her transformative journey from a 26-year sexless marriage and a successful career as a healthcare executive to becoming a somatic sexologist and author. Pailet discusses her immersive healing retreats, her approach to trauma-informed body-based sexuality, and the importance of emotional and physical intimacy. She offers practical insights into how couples can reconnect and rekindle their passion, emphasizing the roles of empathy, safe communication, and somatic experiences. As she gears up for the release of her new book, 'The Sex and Intimacy Repair Kit,' Pailet provides valuable advice for those seeking to improve their intimate lives.00:00 Introduction to Xanet Pailet01:04 Personal Journey and Formative Years02:00 Challenges in a Sexless Marriage05:41 Awakening and Self-Discovery09:37 Transition to a New Career13:05 The Importance of Pleasure and Intimacy15:12 Modern Challenges to Intimacy24:32 Tools for Improving Intimacy27:46 Expectations vs. Reality of Couples Retreats28:57 Tools for Emotional Safety and Empathy30:19 Physical Aspects of Intimacy31:18 Navigating Empty Nest Syndrome35:19 The Importance of Somatic Experiencing43:20 Future Plans and New Projects48:35 Self-Care and Professional Boundaries51:19 Taking Action to Reclaim Intimacyhttps://howtoimprovemylovellife.com/https://www.passionateintimacyretreats.com/https://www.instagram.com/xanetpop/https://www.youtube.com/@thepowerofpleasure8132/featuredhttps://www.facebook.com/xanetpailethttps://www.linkedin.com/in/xanet-pailet-2b464671/

Exploring the Complexities of Sexuality with Gigi EngleIn this episode, we dive deep into sexuality, intimacy, and diverse relationships with Gigi Engle, a renowned sex and relationship psychotherapist. Starting with Gigi's formative years and journey in sex education, the discussion spans various topics including the pitfalls of traditional sex education, the impact of pornography on young minds, and the importance of pleasure-based sex education. Gigi shares insights on the dynamics in kinky and polyamorous relationships, the significance of open communication, and how societal norms shape our views on intimacy. They also discuss Gigi's forthcoming book 'Kink Curious,' shedding light on its contents and its aim to guide beginners and seasoned kinksters alike. The conversation further touches on the intersectionality of gender, sexuality, and disabilities in sex therapy, and ponders the future of sexual wellness in the age of AI and virtual connections.00:00 Introduction to Gigi Engle01:04 Formative Years and Early Career03:55 Sex Education and Societal Norms05:45 Impact of Pornography on Sexuality12:00 Redefining Sex and Pleasure16:26 Communication and Consent in Relationships25:46 Exploring Kink and BDSM29:07 Insights from Writing 'Kink Curious'30:20 Introduction to the Book30:35 Book Structure and Content31:58 Exploring Unique Kinks33:01 Non-Monogamy and Polyamory36:39 Jealousy and Relationship Dynamics41:26 Therapist's Personal Journey49:44 AI in Sexual Wellness53:22 Future Trends and Final Thoughhttps://www.missgigiengle.com/https://www.missgigiengle.com/portfolio/books

Exploring Power, Art, and Intimacy: A Deep Dive with Mistress MalisandreMistress Malisandre, an artist, author, and power dynamic educator, discusses how her work with the House of Embers explores the transformation of power through art and immersive experiences. She shares her journey into power dynamics, beginning with observing power in her formative years and eventually becoming a professional dominatrix. Malisandre elaborates on the misconceptions surrounding BDSM and how she integrates elements of power dynamics into the lives of vanilla couples, emphasizing the importance of communication and consent. She also reflects on the vulnerability involved in her role, the ritualistic aspects of her practice, and her efforts to mentor others in the community. Additionally, Malisandre talks about her ongoing projects, including writing a book, and her mission to change conversations around power dynamics and therapy. The conversation touches on themes of intentional living, self-acceptance, and the necessity of maintaining boundaries.00:00 Introduction to Mistress Malisandre00:42 Early Life and Power Dynamics03:21 Exploring Power in Relationships04:50 Journey into BDSM08:47 Misconceptions About BDSM13:13 Communication in Relationships18:24 Professional Domination and Personal Growth31:15 Art and Ritual in Domination41:17 Empathy and Holding Space42:05 Freedom Through Control42:52 Understanding Power Dynamics44:07 The Process of Release48:09 Setting Boundaries in Domination53:35 Maintaining Personal Wellbeing58:54 Balancing Vulnerability and Strength01:08:32 Future Aspirations and Projectshttps://www.instagram.com/malisandres_place/https://substack.com/@malisandrehttps://www.mistressmalisandre.com/

Exploring Erotic Integrity with Dr. Claudia SixDr. Claudia Six, a clinical psychologist, couple’s counselor, and author with over 35 years of experience, discusses her journey from a shy teenager to a renowned sex therapist. She shares her background, influences, and key concepts from her book 'Erotic Integrity: How to Be True to Yourself Sexually.' Dr. Six elaborates on the challenges couples face regarding sexual satisfaction, authenticity, and connection. She also addresses the impacts of body image issues, pornography, and the evolving nature of relationships throughout different life stages. Additionally, she offers insight into the importance of self-awareness and honesty in sexual relationships and discusses her own aspirations for personal and professional growth.00:00 Introduction to Dr. Claudia Six00:55 Teenage Years and Early Influences02:39 Journey to Becoming a Sex Therapist08:58 Understanding Erotic Integrity13:51 Navigating Sexuality in Relationships20:14 Challenges of Long-Term Relationships34:41 Impact of Pornography on Sexuality37:17 The Role of Porn in Sexual Education37:41 Talking to Kids About Porn38:31 Porn as Entertainment, Not Education39:28 Authenticity in Relationships40:37 The Door Handle Moment41:04 Challenges in Modern Relationships42:15 Monogamy vs. Non-Monogamy43:24 Understanding Infidelity48:29 Role Play and Sexual Exploration50:13 Cultural Differences in Sexuality52:36 Faulty Beliefs and Relationship Dynamics56:23 The Loneliness Epidemic01:00:57 Future Planshttps://drsix.net/tedx-austin-south-congress-video-what-happened-to-sex-in-our-relationships/https://drsix.nethttps://www.facebook.com/claudia.sixphd/https://x.com/drsixnethttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_KRHr7JJOs5XoZ8amEtzaghttps://www.instagram.com/drclaudiasix/https://www.linkedin.com/in/claudiasixphd/https://substack.com/@itsneveraboutsex

The Sacred Undressing Journey with Nedjma BelaidIn this episode of the Intimacy Inquiry, host Andrew welcomes Nedjma Belaid, founder of With Kind Awareness. Nedjma, a former pharmacist turned empowerment coach, shares her inspiring journey from people-pleasing to deep self-love and authenticity. She discusses her diverse experiences, including her transition from mathematics to pharmacy to spiritual coaching, and the various coaching modalities she has mastered.The conversation delves into topics such as overcoming people-pleasing, the process of 'sacred undressing,' the balance of masculine and feminine energies, and the importance of self-responsibility. Nedjma also touches on the challenges of adapting to life changes, supporting others on their journeys, and the potential impact of AI and virtual reality on personal connections and coaching.00:00 Introduction to the Intimacy Inquiry00:56 Nedjma Belaid's Formative Years01:58 From Mathematics to Pharmacy03:55 Struggles with People Pleasing06:26 Journey to Self-Love and Authenticity10:10 The Sacred Undressing Journey12:53 Non-Pharmaceutical Approaches to Mental Health20:35 Embracing Feminine Energy in Business30:37 Impact of Personal Growth on Relationships34:40 Navigating Personal Growth and Relationships35:31 Sobriety and Social Reactions36:31 Veganism and Social Perceptions39:11 Processed Foods and Personal Choices41:17 Dealing with Disappointment and Inner Work45:17 Exploring Plant-Based Medicines and Psychedelics50:03 AI Companions and Virtual Reality57:08 Coaching and Personal Wellbeing01:00:33 Future Aspirations and Global Impact01:04:31 Final Thoughts and Farewellhttps://www.facebook.com/withkindawareness/https://www.instagram.com/withkindawareness/https://www.linkedin.com/in/nedjma-belaid-a3619144/https://www.withkindawareness.com/https://www.withkindawareness.com/sparkle

Kimberly Braun: From Monastic Solitude to Spiritual LuminaryIn this episode, former Carmelite nun Kimberly Braun shares her profound journey from the cloistered life of a monastery to becoming a spiritual luminary, retreat leader, and author. She explores the evolution of her spirituality, the mystical experiences that shaped her, and the reasons behind her decision to leave the monastic life. Kimberly discusses how her lifelong practices of meditation, presence, and contemplation have transformed her, leading her to guide others in integrating spiritual wisdom into everyday life. The conversation delves into topics like the nature of reality, the essence of prayer, the impact of technology on human connection, and the concept of home. Throughout, Kimberly’s insights into intimacy, joy, and love offer a compelling narrative of spiritual exploration and service.00:00 Introduction to Kimberly Braun01:04 Early Life and Spiritual Awakening06:09 Journey to Becoming a Carmelite Nun06:47 Mystical Experiences and Monastic Life24:48 Leaving the Monastery and New Beginnings41:28 The Smartphone Distraction Epidemic42:46 The Evolution of Human Connection46:01 The Paradox of Technology and Spiritual Growth48:28 The Complexity of Intimacy in Modern Times50:05 The Joy of Simple Pleasures58:46 Writing and Publishing a Book01:16:07 The Concept of Home and Belonginghttps://www.kimberlybraun.com/https://www.facebook.com/kimberlybraun.mahttps://www.youtube.com/@kimberlybraunmediahttps://www.instagram.com/kimberlybraun09/https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberlybraunma/

Reclaiming Pleasure and Intimacy: A Conversation with Kayla MooreIn this episode, Kayla Moore, a certified sex therapist and pleasure coach, discusses her journey and mission to help women and couples reclaim sex, intimacy, and embodiment as sacred and life-giving parts of their lives. Kayla shares insights from her upbringing influenced by strong female role models, her transformation from traditional psychology to becoming a sex therapist, and her shift towards integrating spirituality and sacred feminine healing into her practice. She highlights the importance of understanding and dismantling patriarchal narratives around sexuality, the necessity of addressing systemic issues, and fostering genuine connections. Kayla also talks about the significance of pleasure in various forms, the impact of pornography on sexual expectations, and the vital role of communication and consent in relationships. This episode is a profound exploration of human connection, vulnerability, and the pursuit of authentic pleasure.00:00 Introduction to Kayla Moore01:02 Kayla's Upbringing and Spiritual Journey07:02 Transition from Therapy to Pleasure Coaching08:20 Challenges in the Therapy Profession14:31 Embracing the Sacred Feminine15:20 The Role of Priestesses in Ancient and Modern Times21:53 Healing the Divine Masculine and Feminine29:23 Reclaiming Sexuality and Pleasure32:42 Addressing Intimacy in Long-Term Relationships33:37 Redefining Sex and Pleasure46:57 The Quick and Hurried Nature of Male Self-Exploration47:28 The Importance of Self-Pleasure and Communication47:55 Debunking Myths About Self-Pleasure in Relationships48:47 Slowing Down and Exploring the Body51:48 The Fear of Receiving and Building Trust55:24 The Role of Consent and Communication in Long-Term Relationships59:35 Addressing Pornography and Its Impact on Expectations01:07:24 Finding Pleasure in Everyday Life01:15:55 The Power of Love and ConnectionPlease take the chance to join the waitlist for Kayla's Sacred Desire course:When you sign up for the waitlist you get Kayla's FREE Sacred Body Workbook: A Guide to Healing Body Image and Experiencing Pleasure and you'll also get a FREE 45 minute Desire Discovery Call with Kayla before needing to commit and put a deposit down to solidify their spot in the circle. Here is the link to the waitlist sign up page. https://connected-pleasure-coaching.kit.com/sacreddesirehttps://connectedpleasurecoaching.com/https://instagram.com/connectedpleasurecoaching

Navigating Life and Love with Psychic Medium June EdwardIn this episode, award-winning author, psychic medium, and relationship coach June Edward delves into her life story and spiritual journey, discussing how her early psychic experiences and a near-death event shaped her understanding of life, relationships, and the soul’s journey. She explains her seven-week relationship mastery program, which helps individuals transform their relationships through understanding energy and self-worth. June shares insights on how meditation led to the full awakening of her psychic abilities, the nature of different types of relationships, and the importance of raising one's vibration for attracting positivity. The conversation also touches on the spiritual aspects of death, dealing with toxic relationships, and the balance between good and evil in the universe. June emphasizes the significance of gratitude, self-love, and the seemingly small interactions that can profoundly impact others.00:00 Introduction to June Edward01:10 Discovering Psychic Abilities03:12 Near-Death Experience and Awakening11:26 Understanding Relationships and Energy19:16 The Importance of Self-Worth26:52 Embracing the Flow of Life27:13 Gratitude for Past Relationships27:46 Understanding Soul Visits29:13 Navigating Toxic Relationships30:23 Life as a Play36:18 The Power of Vibration38:18 The Role of Angels40:43 Impact of Social Media on Youth44:33 Energy in Relationships46:10 Finding Love After Loss49:56 Setting Intentions with the Universe55:19 The Importance of Small GesturesHTTPS://Twitter.com/junemassmediumHttps://instagram.com/JuneedwardmassmediumHttps://Facebook.com/juneedward111HTTPS://linkedin.com/juneedwardhhttps://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B07H7LH293/aboutttps://juneedward.com/https://www.youtube.com/@juneedward3760/community

Anastasia Pierce: Empowerment and Strategy in the Adult IndustryIn this episode of 'Intimacy Inquiry,' the host welcomes Anastasia Pierce, a figure who seamlessly blends artistry, entrepreneurship, and personal empowerment within the adult industry.Anastasia, with a unique dual perspective from her background in both accounting and performance, discusses her journey from a shy girl in Switzerland to a top business coach for creators on platforms like Loyal Fans. The conversation delves into topics like treating adult content creation as a business, empowering performers to think like CEOs, and the changing dynamics of the adult industry in a digital age.Anastasia also offers valuable insights into the importance of consistency, authenticity, and strategic planning for long-term success. The episode underscores the evolution of societal acceptance of adult content creation as a viable career path and the critical need for financial planning and self-care within the industry.00:00 Introduction to Anastasia Pierce01:06 Anastasia's Formative Years02:39 Journey into the Adult Industry04:37 Embracing Sexuality and Confidence06:37 Transition to Camming18:35 Building a Business in the Adult Industry27:24 The Importance of Loyal Fans Platform30:51 The Challenges of Running an Online Business32:36 The Evolution and Acceptance of Online Careers34:40 Balancing Personal Creativity and Fan Demands36:09 Exploring Diverse Content and Personal Growth37:37 The Artistic Side of Adult Content47:00 The Future of Adult Content with Technology51:29 Maintaining Personal Wellbeing and Financial Planning56:09 Final Thoughts and Advicehttps://allmylinks.com/anastasiapiercehttps://www.loyalfans.com/anastasiapiercehttps://www.instagram.com/AnastasiaPierceOfficial

Exploring Intimacy and Connection: A Conversation with Holly NelsonIn this episode, we speak with Holly Nelson, the founder of the Connection Couch and a licensed professional counselor specializing in intimacy, sexuality, and emotional connection. Holly shares her journey from a rebellious LDS upbringing to becoming a sex-positive, queer and kink-affirming therapist. She discusses her various certifications, including EMDR and advanced EFT training, and her passion for helping clients through shame, trauma, and anxiety related to sexuality. Holly also dives into her reasons for founding the Connection Couch and the importance of communication and negotiation in both monogamous and polyamorous relationships. Additionally, she addresses the impact of cultural and religious teachings on sexual shame, the role of feminist porn in healthy sexual relationships, and her techniques for helping clients recover from sexual trauma. Finally, Holly highlights the significance of self-love and the therapeutic practices that individuals and couples can incorporate into their daily lives to foster intimacy and connection.00:00 Introduction to Holly Nelson and Her Work01:11 Holly's Teenage Years and Early Influences02:38 Exploring Sexuality and Overcoming Shame05:09 Journey into Sex Therapy07:06 Creating the Connection Couch10:40 Navigating Intimacy in Long-Term Relationships18:11 The Importance of Self-Love and Personal Growth24:44 The Impact of Pornography on Society26:01 Couples and Pornography: Challenges and Misconceptions27:40 Exploring Feminist and Holistic Porn29:16 Common Kinks and Desires in Therapy30:41 Approaches to Sex Therapy for Individuals and Couples33:30 Ethical Non-Monogamy and Polyamory35:55 Addressing Sexual Trauma in Therapy41:25 Therapist Self-Care and Wellbeing43:16 Future Aspirations and Closing Thoughtshttp://www.theconnectioncouch.com/https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100091893859082https://www.instagram.com/sextherapywithholly/https://www.tiktok.com/@sextherapywithholly?lang=enhttps://www.reddit.com/user/TheConnectionCouch/

Empowering Your Intuitive Self: A Conversation with Spiritual Guide Gloria BattiniIn this episode, Gloria Battini, a renowned spiritual guide, psychic, medium, astrologer, and transformational teacher, discusses her mission to help individuals reconnect with their intuitive intelligence and heal from past traumas.Sharing insights on tarot, oracle cards, and astrology, Gloria emphasizes that psychic abilities are innate and can be developed by anyone. She also shares her personal journey through severe OCD and emotional abuse, shedding light on the importance of self-discovery and authenticity.The conversation touches on societal conditioning, the power of vulnerability, and practical guidance on using spiritual tools for self-awareness and growth.00:00 Introduction to Gloria Battini01:50 Gloria's Personal Journey and Mission02:07 Understanding Psychic Abilities03:07 Experiences with Intuition and Energy04:46 Society's Disconnection from Intuition15:58 The Role of Astrology24:37 Astrology and Personal Healing32:54 Mediumship and Translating Energy36:40 The Importance of Practice37:02 Exploring Intimacy Beyond the Physical40:10 The Journey of Self-Love and Healing44:18 Leaving a Toxic Relationship50:00 Finding New Love and Trust54:41 Reconnecting with Childhood Joys58:53 Understanding Tarot and Oracle Cards01:04:33 Protecting Your Energy01:08:17 Hopes for the Futurehttps://www.gloriabattini.com/https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_Lzf1AT9bSdbL8EB3LGQFghttps://www.instagram.com/gloriabattini/https://www.tiktok.com/@gloriabattini

Exploring Intimacy and Identity with Tonya ToddTonya Todd, a Las Vegas-based author, actress, and activist, delves into her life and work in this engaging script. Known for her evocative stories about passionate women, her new book '52 Love' offers bite-sized lessons on intimacy.Tonya champions marginalized voices and shares her journey from being painfully shy to becoming empowered through acting. She discusses her writing process, the significance of representation in media, and her penchant for vampire literature.Tonya also reveals her insights on cosplay and the importance of creative resistance. This script highlights her commitment to storytelling that reflects diverse experiences and relationships. 00:00 Introduction to Tonya Todd01:10 Early Life and Struggles02:18 Overcoming Shyness Through Acting07:31 Defining Powerful Women in Writing08:27 Challenges of Gender and Inclusion15:26 Writing vs. Acting: A Creative Journey18:06 The Writing Process and Future Projects25:05 Exploring Comic Books and High Art31:56 Embracing Character Confidence32:31 Role Play and Cosplay in Relationships35:13 The Birth of '52 Love'36:19 Navigating Love During Turbulent Times37:45 From Blog to Book and Podcast40:08 Exploring Love Languages42:38 The Importance of Communication47:00 Vampire Fascination and Writing56:14 Balancing Creativity and Downtime59:33 Final Thoughts and Future Planshttps://www.imdb.com/name/nm8904672/https://www.mstonyatodd.com/https://www.instagram.com/mstonyatodd/?hl=enhttps://www.facebook.com/tonya.todd.9440https://www.youtube.com/@mstonyatodd