Our Better Half

Join us for an exciting conversation with inventors Michael Weiss-Malik and Elizabeth Dell, co-founders of Groove Thing, a way to bring music vibrations inside your body, an astounding invention. They say it's a way to "transform your body into a concert hall." Not a sex toy, not a musical instrument, it's more of a tactile music experience and a synthesis of music and sensation. For older adults, it's an experience of pleasure for many types of bodies -- it's low impact, and it's about letting the music radiate inside the body. If you're interested in learning more, please go to their website. If you want to catch up on other shows, just visit our website and please subscribe! We love our listeners and welcome your feedback, so if you love Our Better Half, please give us a 5-star rating and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. It really helps support our show! As always, thanks for listening!  

Join a few of our co-hosts for a light, lovely, humorous, and educational romp through some challenges of ageism and how they combat ageism through sexual pleasure.  If you want to catch up on other shows, just visit our website and please subscribe! We love our listeners and welcome your feedback, so if you love Our Better Half, please give us a 5-star rating and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. It really helps support our show! As always, thanks for listening!

Our guest this time is Dr. Damon Constantinides, a queer and trans psychotherapist, sex therapist, sex coach, and trainer living and working on Lenape land. His work focuses on centering the lived experiences of queer and trans folks using a narrative and relational clinical approach. Dr. Constantinides believes that we can only do this work in community and offers a weekly consultation group for trans and non-binary clinicians. Through his coaching practice, Dr. Constantinides offers regular virtual groups including a Trans Masc 30+ Connections Group and a Trans Masc Sexual Pleasure Coaching Group. He is the co-author of the book, Sex Therapy with Erotically Marginalized Clients. He is deeply grateful to his ancestors and transcestors who made it possible for him to thrive and support his community.  We had a deep and beautiful conversation about the need to center trans and queer experiences with our clients, especially older clients, and here are some links to the work we spoke about with him:  Difference between pleasure versus performance model Sara McClelland on intimate justice Damon Constantinides' website Sex Therapy with Erotically Marginalized Clients Nine Principles of Clinical Support by Constantinides, Sennott and Chandler If you want to catch up on other shows, just visit our website and please subscribe! We love our listeners and welcome your feedback, so if you love Our Better Half, please give us a 5-star rating and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. It really helps support our show! As always, thanks for listening!  

Our guests this time are the dynamic duo, mother/daughter team of The Buehler Institute, Dr. Stephanie Buehler and Anneka Buehler. Stephanie Buehler, MPW, PsyD, CST-S, IF, is a licensed psychologist, AASECT-certified sex Therapist and Supervisor, and Fellow of the International Society for the Study of Women's Sexual Health. She is the President of The Buehler Institute and LearnSexTherapy.com, which provides APA, AASECT, NBCC, and California BRN-approved inclusive continuing education in sex therapy and sexuality counseling. In addition to pelvic pain disorders and using the sexological ecosystemic approach she developed, Dr. Buehler has written about and lectured on the intersection of sexuality and sexual identity, thriving after breast and prostate cancer; neurodivergent sexuality and relationships; post-trauma recovery of sexual function and pleasure; counseling for couples; infertility, pregnancy, and post-partum issues; and menopause and other lifespan concerns affecting women. She provides AASECT individual and group supervision and case consultation to therapists. She is the author of several books, including the third edition of What Every Mental Health Provider Needs to Know about Sex. Anneka Buehler, MEd, is a recent graduate of George Mason University with a master's degree in counseling. She is the Vice President of The Buehler Institute and is a true multi-tasker responsible for directing day-to-day operations, marketing and social media, and content development. Ms. Buehler is an intern at a group practice that serves DC, Maryland, and Virginia. Her areas of concentration include working with neurodiverse clients, trauma, pelvic pain, and kink, and she has extensive experience with the LGBTQ+ population. If you want to catch up on other shows, just visit our website and please subscribe! We love our listeners and welcome your feedback, so if you love Our Better Half, please give us a 5-star rating and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. It really helps support our show! As always, thanks for listening!  

Dr. Laurie Betito is a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in sex therapy. She has been a practicing psychotherapist for over 30 years. Nearly three decades ago, she began her radio career as a co-host on MIX 96 in Montreal, a station that broke barriers by launching The Love Line, a weekly call-in show dedicated to sex and relationships. In 1999, she joined CJAD 800 with her own nightly talk show, PASSION, which remained on the air for 22 years. She has since moved her show away from commercial radio and into the podcasting world with The Passion Podcast where she continues to talk about love, sex, and relationships. She was also affiliated with the Montreal General Hospital's Human Sexuality Unit for many years. Dr. Laurie continues to lecture extensively in Montreal and across North America. She is the Director of the Pornhub Sexual Wellness Center, the author of The Sex Bible for People Over 50, and has done two TEDx talks: The Pleasure Principle: The Secret to a Better Sex Life, and Passion vs. sex: ensuring the viability of your relationship. Learn more about Dr. Laurie Betito by visiting her website! If you want to catch up on other shows, just visit our website and please subscribe! We love our listeners and welcome your feedback, so if you love Our Better Half, please give us a 5-star rating and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. It really helps support our show! As always, thanks for listening!  

Dr. Callie Freitag is an Assistant Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Sandra Rosenbaum School of Social Work. Her work focuses on safety net policies related to aging, disability, and poverty. Prior to that, Callie was a policy analyst & advocate focusing on aging and long-term care policy in California. We recorded this conversation on January 6, 2025, a difficult day in America, when insurrectionists tried to take over the Capitol building in 2020. An auspicious day. The new administration in Washington is already looking to be a disaster for many Americans, especially for people over 65 who qualify for Medicare and Social Security, and are disabled or poor and qualify for Medicaid. Our guest has been studying social policy and aging and has some great insights and ideas about how to mobilize our energies. We are delighted to bring this hopeful conversation to all of our listeners! If you'd like to get in touch with Dr. Callie Freitag, you can find out more here. And if you'd like more information about some of the groups mentioned on this show: Groups working on immigration reform: National Immigration Law Center National Immigrant Justice Center Here are some resources to track anti-trans and anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation: Anti-Trans Legislation Tracker ACLU Mapping Attacks on LGBTQ Rights in U.S. State Legislatures in 2024: Human Rights Campaign Map: Attacks on Gender Affirming Care by State Additional resources: Third Act Indivisible Diverse Elders Coalition National Immigration Law Center National Immigration Justice Center For information on Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security: Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and their state-level affiliates. If you want to catch up on other shows, just visit our website and please subscribe! We love our listeners and welcome your feedback, so if you love Our Better Half, please give us a 5-star rating and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. It really helps support our show! As always, thanks for listening!  

You are invited to an intimate and insightful conversation with our co-hosts. Rosara poses a question about couples who've literally lost touch with each other sexually and, in many cases, physically. Sabitha, Jane, and Rosara discuss their ideas about bridging the canyon, paddling across the ravine, finding their way back to each other, healing old wounds, embracing the vulnerabilities, and reframing intimacy. Our co-hosts offer valuable insights and wonderful recommendations from their collective decades of experience. And they do all of this with kindness, love, and acceptance. Join us for a wonderful conversation. If you want to catch up on other shows, just visit our website and please subscribe! We love our listeners and welcome your feedback, so if you love Our Better Half, please give us a 5-star rating and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. It really helps support our show! As always, thanks for listening!  

This episode explores the significance of intergenerational learning and social/racial justice within the sexual health field. We had the joy of interviewing Mariotta Gary-Smith about her experiences of mentorship from Black women/femme elders that also inspired the trajectory of her career as a social justice actionable agitator. Mariotta Gary-Smith (she/her/Queen [reserved]) is a 3rd generation social justice agitator & Oregonian. Her family history of civil rights seeded her interest in social justice - she found human sexuality on her own. After high school, Mariotta earned degrees from Agnes Scott College and the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University. In Fall 2008, she was one of five nationally selected Fellowship Scholars for the Inaugural Class at the Center of Excellence for Sexual Health (CESH) housed at the Morehouse School of Medicine. In 2009, Mariotta co-founded the Women of Color Sexual Health Network (WoCSHN; pronounced ‘wok-shyn') – an online-based, collective organization for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) women/femme-identifying/gender-expansive sexuality professionals. In 2012, Mariotta joined with 6 other Oregon-based BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color/of the Global Majority) women and femmes that formed the Founding Advisory Committee of the We Are BRAVE! Project, a cohort policy project housed at Western States Center (Portland, OR.) This collective was a foundational part of the local political movement that resulted in Oregon passing the Reproductive Health Equity Act (RHEA) in 2017 – the singular most progressive reproductive health law in the United States to date. With a well-respected reputation for thoughtful, challenging and honest learning experiences centering racial justice, equity, sexuality and social critique, Mariotta continues to offer strategic thought partnership & collaborative consultation with various organizations about racial justice in sexuality education and the Sexuality profession. With over 20 years of experience, Mariotta remains committed to holding space that supports clear & accountable learning on the intersections of social justice, sexual health, equity and “actionable agitation.” She's fully invested in her ‘passion work' – focusing on Black folks and Black sexuality and moving their experience from the margins to the center. You can read Mariotta's contribution about cultivating a liberatory care practice to the Sexuality Social Justice open access resource here. If you want to catch up on other shows, just visit our website and please subscribe! We love our listeners and welcome your feedback, so if you love Our Better Half, please give us a 5-star rating and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. It really helps support our show! As always, thanks for listening!

Our guest this time is Dr. Daniel N. Watter. Dan is an existential sex therapist and he has so much to say about appreciating sexuality as we age instead of extolling the virtues of youthful sexuality. He has a fresh approach to the connection between death anxiety and sexuality. Dan talks with us about the existential importance of the penis and the idea that the penis is speaking but sometimes in a whisper. Dr. Watter is the author of more than 30 professional articles and book chapters on topics such as sexual function and dysfunction, and ethics in healthcare practice. He most recently completed the new book, The Existential Importance of the Penis: A Guide to Understanding Male Sexuality and a new article about men, sex, and aging for the Journal of Sexual Medicine. Dan has been a practicing clinical and forensic psychologist and certified sex therapist for more than 35 years. He is licensed as both a psychologist and a marital and family therapist. In addition, he is Board Certified in Sex Therapy by the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists (AASECT), and the American Board of Sexology (ACS), of which he also holds Fellowship status. Dr. Watter is an AASECT certified sex therapy supervisor and has been elected to Fellowship Status in the International Society for the Study of Women's Sexual Health (ISSWSH). In addition to his clinical practice, he is a faculty member at the University of Michigan School of Social Work's Sexual Certification Program and the Modern Sex Therapy Institutes. He has taught at a number of colleges, universities, and medical schools in the past. Dr. Watter is a member of several professional organizations and has been elected to leadership positions in many including the New Jersey Psychological Association's Ethics Committee, the Society for Sex Therapy and Research (SSTAR), and AASECT. He's been the Chair of the AASECT Ethics Advisory Committee and President of SSTAR. You can reach Dan Watter here. And you can check out his new book here. If you'd like to read any of the other books we discussed, you can find Irvin Yalom's work here, and Peggy Kleinplatz's book, Magnificent Sex: Lessons from Extraordinary Lovers  here. If you want to catch up on other shows, just visit our website and please subscribe! We love our listeners and welcome your feedback, so if you love Our Better Half, please give us a 5-star rating and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. It really helps support our show! As always, thanks for listening!  

Our guest this time is James Wilson, the Executive Officer of the Theatre and Performance program at the City University of New York Graduate Center. His research and teaching interests include African American theatre and performance, gender and sexuality studies, and musical theatre history. He is the author of two books and today we'll be talking about his book Bulldaggers, Pansies, and Chocolate Babies: Performance, Race, and Sexuality in the Harlem Renaissance. His essays have appeared in numerous academic journals and chapter anthologies. He is a voting member of the Drama Desk, nearly 60, and a lover of Broadway. His thoughts and reflections on Florence Mills, Gladys Bentley, and other queer performers in the Harlem Renaissance are spell-binding and we think you'll truly enjoy him like we did! Not only does he shed light on the often overlooked LGBTQ contributions to the era's creativity and fights for justice, he does so with gusto and great research! If you'd like to purchase his book, please go to your nearest local independent bookstore. You can learn more about Jim Wilson here. If you want to catch up on other shows, just visit our website and please subscribe! We love our listeners and welcome your feedback, so if you love Our Better Half, please give us a 5-star rating and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. It really helps support our show! As always, thanks for listening!  

In this episode we interview Dr. Lexx Brown-James, President of the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists (AASECT). Dr. Lexx is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and an AASECT certified sexuality educator and supervisor. Dr. Lexx is also the Director of the University of Michigan's Sexual Health Certificate Program and is the first Black woman to be elected President of AASECT. Dr. Lexx provides education and therapy from womb-to-tomb through her practice, The Institute for Sexuality & Intimacy, LLC . As a multiple time Amazon best seller and creator of Dr. Lexx's Relationship Tune Up Cards and The Black Girls' Guide to Couple's Intimacy, Dr. Lexx is an international sexologist featured in Essence, The New York Times, Scary Mommy, NPR, multiple news outlets, Vice, Buzzfeed, as well as multiple journal publications and books. You can find out more information about Dr. Lexx Brown-James at https://www.lexxsexdoc.com/. For more information about Dr. Konnie Mccaffree as well as the different organizations mentioned in this episode, check out these links: Konstance McCaffree Obituary SIECUS The Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality (SSSS) The American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists (AASECT) If you want to catch up on other shows, just visit our website and please subscribe! We love our listeners and welcome your feedback, so if you love Our Better Half, please give us a 5-star rating and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. It really helps support our show! As always, thanks for listening!  

Jacqueline Boyd brings passion and expertise to the field of aging and LGBTQ+ advocacy. A dynamic speaker, facilitator, and entrepreneur, Jacqueline is the owner of The CarePlan, the country's first LGBTQ+ centered care management and care development company. As part of The Care Plan's leadership, Jacqueline has consulted with national and local organizations such as AARP, SAGE, Howard Brown Health Centers, and AIDS Foundation Chicago to enhance services offered to LGBTQ+ older adults. Jane met Jackie at a conference in Dayton, Ohio and was blown away by her compassion, her wisdom, and her exquisite capacity to connect with others. She is creating what she calls queer magic in her work as an aging advocate and changemaker. She not only works with LGBTQ elders as clients, she's a major proponent of the care ethic and offers valuable resources available on their website. If you want to catch up on other shows, just visit our website and please subscribe! We love our listeners and welcome your feedback, so if you love Our Better Half, please give us a 5-star rating and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. It really helps support our show! As always, thanks for listening!

Hey Listeners! This episode features an interview with Dr. Reece Malone and explores the significance of intersectionality and decolonization to the sex therapy process. Dr. Malone spoke about erotic racism and its impact on desirability of bodies, the internalization of these experiences, and impact on clients. Dr. Reece Malone is an award-winning certified sexologist with a Masters of Public Health and a Doctorate of Human Sexuality. He is a sex therapist and a Certified Sexuality Education Supervisor through the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists (AASECT), and acquired Diplomate status with the American Board of Sexologists. Complementing his private practice, he is an adjunct professor at Antioch University Seattle Couple and Family Therapy Department and an instructor at the California Institute for Integral Studies. Dr. Reece Malone is the CEO and founder of Sexuality Consultants and Support Services in Manitoba and his counterpart company, Diversity Essentials. As an advocate for sexual health and comprehensive human sexuality education and as an internationally respected sexologist, he has provided assistance to organizations such as The World Health Organization – Pan American Health Organization, The Canadian Human Rights Commission, and many others. As a popular culture commentator, he has appeared on Dan Savage's Savage Love and many other media outlets. Collaborating with Mariotta Gary Smith, Marla Renee Stewart, and Dr. James Wadley, he is the co-editor of An Intersectional Approach to Sex Therapy: Centering the Lives of Indigenous, Racialized, and People of Color, published by Routledge Press. As a community-based researcher, Dr. Reece, along with his colleagues, is researching patient engagement and examining mental health outcomes experienced by gender diverse Manitobans. You can find out more information about Dr. Malone's work here! If you want to catch up on other shows, just visit our website and please subscribe! We love our listeners and welcome your feedback, so if you love Our Better Half, please give us a 5-star rating and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. It really helps support our show! As always, thanks for listening!  

Our guest this time is Sarah Dahlston, the Senior Director of Education at Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio. She is a Certified Health Education Specialist and a Certified Sexuality Educator. We recorded this episode before the November, 2024 elections. In the first half of the interview Sarah offers her perspectives post-Dobbs on reproductive justice in a different political climate, then we shift focus to navigating sexuality with a chronic illness. Sarah and Rosara offer helpful ideas for timing, talking, and self-advocacy. If you'd like to learn more about Sarah Dahlston, you can contact her here. If you want to catch up on other shows, just visit our website and please subscribe! We love our listeners and welcome your feedback, so if you love Our Better Half, please give us a 5-star rating and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. It really helps support our show! As always, thanks for listening!  

In this week's episode we welcome Dr. Michele Angello, a leading expert in the field of gender diversity. Dr. Angello specializes in providing therapy for gender-variant and transgender individuals, including youth and adults, as well as those who identify as genderqueer. She offers both individual and group therapy, as well as family therapy. Dr. Angello's expertise has been recognized at local, national, and international conferences, where she has shared her work and experience on transgender youth and children with transitioning parents. She also facilitates several monthly support groups for transgender adults, youth, and their families. As a sought-after speaker, Dr. Angello frequently presents on transgender youth issues to universities, corporations, and media outlets. Her appearances include notable shows like Larry King Live and the Tyra Banks Show, as well as various documentaries on transgender issues. In addition to her clinical work, Dr. Angello is a trailblazer in academia, having developed the first graduate course in the U.S. focused on clinical issues within transgender communities. She holds a doctorate in human sexuality and a master's degree in psychological services, and is a certified clinical sexologist. Dr. Angello serves on the board of directors for the Main Line Youth Alliance and the Renaissance Transgender Association, and is an active member of several professional organizations, including the American College of Sexology and the American Psychological Association. Go check out Dr. Michele Angello's new book: On the Couch with Dr. Angello: A Guide to Raising and Supporting Transgender Youth, and if you would like to get in touch with her, you can contact her on her website! If you want to catch up on other shows, just visit our website and please subscribe! We love our listeners and welcome your feedback, so if you love Our Better Half, please give us a 5-star rating and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. It really helps support our show! As always, thanks for listening!  

As an older adult, if your doctor is not comfortable asking about your sexual health but you've got questions, this episode is just what you need. Our guest this time is Dr. Jennifer Vencill, an assistant professor, board certified clinical health psychologist, and AASECT certified sex therapist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. She is passionate about answering patient questions and teaching her colleagues. She is dually appointed in the Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, as well as the Division of General Internal Medicine, where she spends the bulk of her time providing integrated sexual health care and educating fellows, residents, and medical students about the importance of sexual and gender health. Dr. Vencill's research focuses on sexual health, health disparities and minority stress in marginalized sexual and gender communities, and mixed orientation relationships. She sits on the editorial board of The International Journal of Sexual Health and Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity and is a past president of the Society for the Psychology of Women's Section on Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Concerns. Dr. Vencill received her PhD in Counseling Psychology from Texas Tech University and completed her postdoctoral training as the first Michael E. Metz fellow in Sexual Health at the University of Minnesota Medical School's Institute for Sexual and Gender Health. Along with her co-author, Lauren Fogel Mersy, Dr. Vencill is co-author of the new book, Desire: An Inclusive Guide to Navigating Libido Differences in Relationships. You can reach her at the Mayo Clinic or on Instagram. If you want to catch up on other shows, just visit our website and please subscribe! We love our listeners and welcome your feedback, so if you love Our Better Half, please give us a 5-star rating and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. It really helps support our show! As always, thanks for listening!

Join us for our first ever live recording at the Annual AASECT Conference in a fascinating discussion with our esteemed guest, De-Andrea Blaylock-Solar. She's the first Black AASECT Certified Sex Therapist in St. Louis. We're talking about sex, religion, exegesis, prostate cancer, embodied sexuality, widowhood, and a thing she calls Christian plus. Resources we talked about on this episode include the Instagram account Unfit Christians and The Day God Saw Me As Black from D. Danyelle Thomas, Red Lip Theology: For Church Girls Who've Considered Tithing to the Beauty Supply Store When Sunday Morning Is Not Enough by Candice Marie Benbow, Sensual Faith: The Art of Coming Home to Your Body by Lyvonne Briggs, the Theater of War productions, and the Women of Color Sexual Health Network (WOCSHN). You can reach De-Andrea directly at Sankofa Sex Therapy. If you want to catch up on other shows, just visit our website and please subscribe! We love our listeners and welcome your feedback, so if you love Our Better Half and want to support our show, please give us a 5-star rating and follow us on Facebook and Instagram! As always, thanks for listening!

Hey Listeners! You may have guessed we are on our summer break. While we're all trying to rest and recuperate and regenerate, we're reverberating with great news! What a season we had last year! So many great guests. So many things we learned. So many laughs. And a few tears, mostly of joy, because we won a coveted award. We won the AASECT award for best podcast of the year. What an honor and what a hoot to not only receive the award from our peers and our own organization, but we got to record an episode in front of a live audience (our first) at the AASECT conference in June. I won't give away too much. You'll hear more soon. It was fabulous! The other great news is we got picked up for Season 10! Yes that's right we will be back with a whole new season in September with Jane, Sabitha, Rosara, and Jayleen. And our wonderful sponsors. And a whole slew of new and captivating discussions and guests. Talk to you soon! If you want to catch up on other shows, just visit our website and please subscribe! We love our listeners and welcome your feedback, so if you love Our Better Half and want to support our show, please give us a 5-star rating and follow us on Facebook and Instagram! As always, thanks for listening!

Join us for a fast-moving and fun conversation with Sabitha, Rosara, and Jane as we talk about sexual fantasies as we age. What are sexual fantasies? How are they useful? What's the difference between masturbatory and relational fantasies? Sabitha offered some great resources for our listeners: any of Nancy Friday's books (though they are a bit heteronormative), Jack Morin's book, The Erotic Mind, and Justin Lehmiller's book, Tell Me What You Want. If you want to catch up on other shows, just visit our website and please subscribe! We love our listeners and welcome your feedback, so if you love Our Better Half and want to support our show, please give us a 5-star rating and follow us on Facebook and Instagram! As always, thanks for listening!  

In honor of Mother's Day, Jane, Rosara, and Sabitha are talking about mothering, the havoc it wreaks with our lives, the discoveries, and impacts on our sexuality. They also wonder aloud about daughtering, especially as their parents age. Join us for a look into the lives of our co-hosts. And let us know your thoughts. If you want to catch up on other shows, just visit our website and please subscribe! We love our listeners and welcome your feedback, so if you love Our Better Half and want to support our show, please give us a 5-star rating and follow us on Facebook and Instagram! As always, thanks for listening!  

Our guest this time is Mx. Sizzle, a trailblazing Persian and Kurdish hard femme who serves as a sexual health, BDSM, and kink educator. They hold a bachelor's degree from New College of Florida and a master's degree in public health from the University of Florida, with a focus on queer and transgender health. As the founder of "A Different Kind of Different, LLC," they create safe spaces for sexuality exploration and empowerment that prioritize equity and justice. Mx. Sizzle's nationally acclaimed workshops and unwavering dedication to amplifying marginalized voices have a profound and positive impact on society. Their pursuit of a PhD in Clinical Sexology is a testament to their commitment to education and inclusivity, while inspiring others to join the movement of decolonizing sex education. Learn more about Mx. Sizzle on their website: mxsizzle.com, and check out these great articles on kink and sexual health! In other news… Our Better Half won the 2024 AASECT Podcast Award! We are thrilled to have received this award from AASECT and we are so grateful for you all listening and supporting our podcast. If you want to catch up on other shows, just visit our website and please subscribe! We love our listeners and welcome your feedback, so if you love Our Better Half and want to support our show, please give us a 5-star rating and follow us on Facebook and Instagram! As always, thanks for listening!  

Our guest this time is Kathy Labriola, a nurse, counselor, and hypnotherapist in Berkeley, California. She has provided affordable mental health services to alternative communities for the past 30 years. Kathy is the author of four books on consensual non-monogamy including her latest, Polyamorous Elders: Aging in Open Relationships. She is extra crunchy, rides a bike, lives in a housing cooperative, grows organic vegetables, raises chickens, and has been a card-carrying bisexual and polyamorist for 50 years. If you want to learn more about Kathy Labriola and her writing, check out her website at www.kathylabriola.com! If you want to catch up on other shows, just visit our website and please subscribe! We love our listeners and welcome your feedback, so if you love Our Better Half and want to support our show, please give us a 5-star rating and follow us on Facebook and Instagram! As always, thanks for listening!  

Our guest this time is the wonderful Dr. Israel Martinez, a certified sex therapist and coach with a group practice that specializes in therapy with the LGBTQ+, ethically non-monogamous, and kink/BDSM communities. He is the author of the book Helping Gay Men Find Love: Tips for Guys on Dating and Beginning a Healthy Relationship, has been published in the book Social Workers: Finding Real Solutions to Real Problems, and created and curates www.queermentalhealthhelp.com. He also supervises and trains other therapists to more ethically and effectively treat clients within gender, sexual, and relationship diversity. Dr. Martinez is clinically licensed in NY and NJ. He lives in NJ with his husband, Matt, and their cat, Mijo. You can reach him at www.LGBTtherapyNJ.com. If you want to catch up on other shows, just visit our website and please subscribe! We love our listeners and welcome your feedback, so if you love Our Better Half and want to support our show, please give us a 5-star rating and follow us on Facebook and Instagram! As always, thanks for listening!  

Tushabe Wa Tushabe, an Assistant Professor at Widener University in The Center for Human Sexuality Studies, graduated from St. Mary's College, Notre Dame, in Indiana, earned a Master's in women's studies from Texas Women's University, and received a Ph.D. in Decolonial African Epistemologie from Binghamton University. Tushabe's research interests focus on decolonial and indigenous knowledges and practices, and sexualities through languages. When not in the classroom, writing, or mentoring students, Tushabe can be found enjoying the outdoors, especially waterfalls, mountains, and hiking. When Tushabe is with family, they enjoy listening to the young and the elders in the community tell stories they grew up hearing from their elders. If you would like to learn more about Tushabe's work, you can check it out HERE! If you want to catch up on other shows, just visit our website and please subscribe! We love our listeners and welcome your feedback, so if you love Our Better Half, please give us a 5-star rating and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. It really helps support our show! As always, thanks for listening!

Cindy Gallop is a woman taking the world by storm, disrupting venture capital and erotic imagery available online. Cindy is an advertising consultant, the founder and former chair of the US branch of the advertising firm Bartle Bogle Hegarty, and, most important for our conversation today, she is the founder of If We Ran The World and MakeLoveNotPorn. Cindy's TED Talk is one of the most talked about presentations from the 2009 TED conference, and she was recently quoted in the New York Times. Go check out Cindy's amazing work at MakeLoveNotPorn, and If We Ran The World! If you want to catch up on other shows, just visit our website and please subscribe! We love our listeners and welcome your feedback, so if you love Our Better Half, please give us a 5-star rating and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. It really helps support our show! As always, thanks for listening!  

Dr. Igor Grabovac graduated in Medicine from the School of Medicine, University of Zagreb in Croatia. During his student days, he developed an interest in improving health in vulnerable communities and conducted research on discrimination of LGBT patients and doctors in the Croatian health care system. He has worked for the International Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex and Queer Youth and Student Organization (IGLYO) as a member of the Health Working Group, where he was involved with policy and research on access to healthcare for young LGBTIQA+ people in Europe. After a medical internship and obtaining his medical license as a general practitioner, he started working at the Institute of Occupational Medicine, University Clinic for Internal Medicine at the Vienna General Hospital. He has also earned his doctorate in Public Health at the Medical University of Vienna in Austria, where he was the first resident physician in public health in Austria at the Department of Social and Preventive Medicine. Igor also coordinates the Public Health curriculum for undergraduate students in human medicine at the Medical University of Vienna. He is also a co-editor of the recent book, Sexual Behaviour and Health in Older Adults. If you would like to learn more about Dr. Igor Grabovac and his work, go check out his lab, and his research. If you want to catch up on other shows, just visit our website and please subscribe! We love our listeners and welcome your feedback, so if you love Our Better Half, please give us a 5-star rating and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. It really helps support our show! As always, thanks for listening!

Our guest today is Tyler Buchiero. Tyler is a licensed clinical social worker and AASECT certified sex therapist. He earned his master's degree from the Greater Rochester Collaborative program and currently also works for the University of Rochester in their older adult service. He has a particular interest in working with individuals struggling with sexual functioning problems, as well as intimacy issues and LGBTQ related concerns. Tyler works through the lens that the understanding and intervention in these complex life experiences is driven by the strength of the therapeutic relationship; as he says in the episode, “What is shame but the story that we're telling ourselves?” To that end, safety is foundational to all treatment, as is the pursuit of the emotional truth of the situation. He uses multiple therapeutic approaches and discusses one that he has developed an interest in while working with older clients -- acceptance and commitment therapy. If you'd like to learn more about Tyler, check out his website here. If you want to catch up on other shows, just visit our website and please subscribe! We love our listeners and welcome your feedback, so if you love Our Better Half, please give us a 5-star rating and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. It really helps support our show! As always, thanks for listening!

We are delighted to welcome Dr. Gretchen Frey back to the podcast. We first interviewed Gretchen right after she retired from her specialty in Obstetrics and Gynecology. She practiced Gynecology from 2010 until 2021. She is now completely retired from clinical practice focusing primarily on sexuality education. ​Sabitha and Jane taught a pre-conference seminar with Gretchen a few years ago with another colleague and had a great time working together! During her years of working as a physician, she developed special expertise in treating older adults and saw many patients with formerly undiagnosed sexually transmitted infections or STIs. A number of our listeners have asked us to focus more on this area so we asked Gretchen to come back and talk with us about STIs. She talks with Sabitha and Jane about STIs and focuses specifically on Herpes Simplex Virus. She provides us with a common sense approach to testing, treatment, and the difficult issue of shame. If you'd like to learn more about Dr. Frey, check out her website. If you want to catch up on other shows, just visit our website and please subscribe! We love our listeners and welcome your feedback, so if you love Our Better Half, please give us a 5-star rating and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. It really helps support our show! As always, thanks for listening!  

Our guest this time is Dr. Pebble Kranz from the Rochester Center for Sexual Wellness. She is a Family Medicine doctor with a background in theater who now specializes in sexual medicine. Mentored by a beloved sex therapist, the late Gina Ogden, she has been trained in sexual medicine through the European Society of Sexual Medicine and became a Fellow of the European Committee on Sexual Medicine (FECSM) in 2018. Because one training program is never enough, she also has trained with the International Society for the Study of Women's Sexual Health (ISSWSH), the American Association of Sexuality Counselors Educators and Therapists (AASECT), and the World Professional Association on Transgender Health (WPATH) where she is pursuing certification in gender-affirming medical care. Dr. Kranz founded the Rochester Center for Sexual Wellness with her husband Dan Rosen, a sex therapist and supervisor in 2017. They see patients and clients of all genders and also do training for therapists interested in becoming sex therapists and sexuality counselors. Since 2021, she has been honored to serve on the board of the Scientific Network on Female Sexual Health and Cancer. Pebble talks with Sabitha and Jane about seeing her patients as whole people, exploring their life stories, asking what sex means to them in their own bodies, and enjoys teaching about so many areas of sexual health and wellness. If you're interested in more information about Pebble Kranz, please check out her page on the Rochester Center for Sexual Wellness website. If you want to catch up on other shows, just visit our website and please subscribe! We love our listeners and welcome your feedback, so if you love Our Better Half, please give us a 5-star rating and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. It really helps support our show! As always, thanks for listening!  

Our guest this time is Rev. Jennifer Brower, Certified Life Coach, semi-retired Unitarian Universalist minister, and Fellow in Thanatology. We talk with her about death, dying, and bereavement and their links to sexuality. She works with people who are navigating significant life transitions. Some are joyful, like marriage, and others, like mourning a death or loss, are not. Rev. Jennifer Brower is a native of Manhattan, a graduate of Union Theological Seminary in New York City and, with her one child off to college, she has just become an empty nester. Rev. Jennifer Brower was also one of the ministers in Rosara's home UU congregation and she performed the ceremony where Rosara chose a godmother, Rosara's wedding, and both of Rosara's children's naming and dedication ceremonies. Join us for an enlightening conversation on death and sex. Listeners, check out our Rev. Jennifer Brower's website, Instagram, and Facebook pages. And if you are interested in end-of-life choices in New York State or Associations for Death Education, you can find more information here. If you want to catch up on other shows, just visit our website and please subscribe! We love our listeners and welcome your feedback, so if you love Our Better Half, please give us a 5-star rating and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. It really helps support our show! As always, thanks for listening!  

Erica Berger-Hausthor is a native New Yorker who practices Elder Law in New York and Florida. She assists clients with planning, preparation, and execution of estate planning documents, drafting petitions and motions for probate and estate administration, and long-term care asset protection planning. Erica is committed to supporting people with their unique needs and concerns by providing personalized, caring, and holistic counsel.    Erica is a member of the New York State Bar Association Elder Law and Special Needs Section and Trust and Estates Law Section as well as the Florida Bar Elder Law Section and Real Property, Probate, and Trust Law Section. She received a Bachelor of Science in Human Development from Binghamton University and earned her JD degree from the City University of New York School of Law.    You can learn more about Erica and her work on her website, and if you would like to learn more about SAGE and the resources they offer, check out their website as well!   If you want to catch up on other shows, just visit our website and please subscribe! We love our listeners and welcome your feedback, so if you love Our Better Half, please give us a 5-star rating and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. It really helps support our show!   As always, thanks for listening!

Our guest this time is Carrie Baker, the Baumann professor of American Studies and Chair of the Program for the Study of Women and Gender at Smith College. Dr. Baker is a lawyer and has a Ph.D. in women's studies from Emory University. She teaches courses and writes on gender, law, and public policy; feminist social movements; reproductive justice; sexual harassment, and feminist public writing. She is also a co-founder of the Five College Program in Reproductive Health, Rights, and Justice. Dr. Baker is a regular writer and contributing editor at Ms. Magazine, has a monthly column in the Daily Hampshire Gazette, and a monthly radio show, called Feminist Futures, on WHMP in Northampton. If you would like to learn more about Dr. Baker's work you can read her articles in Ms. Magazine here! And if you want to catch up on other shows, just visit our website and please subscribe! We love our listeners and welcome your feedback, so if you love Our Better Half, please give us a 5-star rating and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. It really helps support our show! As always, thanks for listening!

Dr. Adrienne N. Williams is a Colorado native living in Atlanta, GA by way of Philadelphia, PA. She is a licensed clinical social worker and an AASECT-certified clinical sex therapist and in private practice, her goal is to dismantle stigma and shame about mental health and sex in our society. Using an intersystems approach, she provides individual therapy, couples counseling, sex therapy, workshops, and life path mapping. Her clinical philosophy is rooted in developing authentic relationships with the people she serves by providing an open and safe therapeutic environment. Dr. Williams is a lecturer at Columbia University School of Social Work, teaching courses in Human Sexuality, Gender and Sexuality, Racial Identity Development, and Power, Race, Oppression, and Privilege. Additionally, she teaches graduate students in the School for Health and Human Services at Widener University teaching Sexual Dysfunctions. Dr. Williams facilitates weekly wellness groups – one for Black folx, one for LGBTQIA+ folx – for MusiCares, the nonprofit charitable arm of The Recording Academy (Grammys). Dr. Williams is a dedicated and driven clinician with over fifteen years of diverse work experience as a therapist, educator, social justice advocate, community activist, and social worker. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, reading, cooking, and traveling. Dr. Williams holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Arts from Clark Atlanta University, a Master of Social Work from Widener University, a Master of Human Sexuality Education from Widener University, and a Ph.D. in Human Sexuality from Widener University. If you would like to learn more about Dr. Williams' work, check out her website, and if you would like to get in touch with her, you can send her an email at adrienne@mylifeepiphany.com. And if you want to catch up on other shows, just visit our website and please subscribe! We love our listeners and welcome your feedback, so if you love Our Better Half, please give us a 5-star rating and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. It really helps support our show! As always, thanks for listening!

Our guest this time is Tiff Cagle, MD, CSC. Dr. Cagle is a board-certified family medicine physician, sex educator, sex counselor, and certified coach from Durham, North Carolina. She is the founder of Sensate Health, a virtual clinic providing medical consultations for sexual concerns at sensatehealthnc.com. She received her medical degree from UNC, where she first discovered her passion for sex-positivity while providing HIV testing and counseling. She went on to complete her residency training at Duke University Hospital with a concentration in Law, Ethics, and Health Policy, and she now holds a consulting position providing resident education in Duke's Department of Community and Family Medicine. She chose to specialize in family medicine because of her desire to provide care through the lens of each person's mind, body, relationships, and community, and she's delighted to bring this holistic approach to her work in sexual health. If you're interested in Dr. Tiff Cagle's information on how to avoid getting an STI, check out her blog and if you'd like to book an appointment with her, click here. And if you want to catch up on other shows, just visit our website and please subscribe! We love our listeners and welcome your feedback, so if you love Our Better Half, please give us a 5-star rating and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. It really helps support our show! As always, thanks for listening!  

Our guest today is Dr. Abel Knochel! Dr. Knochel (they/them pronouns) is an Associate Professor in the University of Minnesota Duluth Social Work Department. Abel teaches undergraduate and graduate students about socially just, anti-oppressive practice with groups, organizations and communities. They research aging among transgender and nonbinary people and co-facilitate a monthly online Trans, Nonbinary, and Bigender (TNB) Elders Social Club.   While the Social Club is based in Minnesota, they welcome all gender expansive people aged 55 and above. Contact TNBElders@gmail.com to join in!   And if you want to catch up on other shows, just visit our website and please subscribe! We love our listeners and welcome your feedback, so if you love Our Better Half, please give us a 5-star rating and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. It really helps support our show!   As always, thanks for listening!

Hey listeners! It's Jane here with great news. We got picked up for Season 9! Can you believe it? And starting in just 2 weeks, we've got a line-up of guests who will educate you, entertain you, and inform you on everything you'll need to know about sex in the second half of life.  We've also got a new sponsor this year, Hot Octopuss, and you'll be hearing from them and a few of their products for older bodies along with a whole team of remarkable sponsors supporting us all the way: The Center for Human Sexuality Studies  at Widener University Gazebo  Sex Coach U That Drawer Uberlube We couldn't do it without them either! So find us wherever you get your favorite podcasts or subscribe today at www.ourbetterhalf.net.  See you in season 9!   And if you want to catch up on other shows, just visit our website and please subscribe! We love our listeners and welcome your feedback, so if you love Our Better Half, please give us a 5-star rating and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. It really helps support our show!   As always, thanks for listening!

Hey listeners! While our co-hosts are away on vacation this summer (doing who knows what!), we are thrilled to present you with an archived episode. One of our favorite interviews from this season is back. So sit back and enjoy!   We're delighted to welcome back the wonderful Rev. Dr. Gregory C. Carrow-Boyd, a Unitarian Universalist Minister of Religious Education who received his EdD from the University of Southern California Rossier School of Education. He serves on the General Assembly Advisory Council of the Unitarian Universalist Association. Rev. Dr. Carrow-Boyd is a sexuality and racial justice educator in the greater Los Angeles and metro O'ahu areas. He just started as Executive Minister of Religious Education at the First Unitarian Church of Honolulu, HI.   Greg's research interests include critical theory, social media, Black liberation theology, effective sex education for Black teens, teacher education, and adult education. Today, we are specifically inviting Rev. Dr. Carrow-Boyd back to Our Better Half to discuss the findings of his dissertation research.   Find out more about Rev. Dr. Carrow-Boyd's work at https://uuhonolulu.org/.   If you like our show or have any questions contact us here at our website, and you can subscribe to our podcast any way you'd like. We love our listeners and welcome your feedback, so if you love Our Better Half, please give us a 5-star rating and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. It really helps support our show!   As always, thanks for listening!

Hey listeners! While our co-hosts are away on vacation this summer (doing who knows what!), we are thrilled to present you with an archived episode. One of our favorite interviews from this season is back. So sit back and enjoy!   Our guest this time is Dr. Mark Levand, a sexuality educator and researcher who has spent many deep and reflective years in the church. He's passionate about training future sexuality educators through his deep interests in sexuality, religion, and diversity. Take a listen. It's a terrific episode and we had a great time talking all things religion and sex with him.   Dr. Levand has a Ph.D. in Human Sexuality Studies from Widener University and a Master's in theology and religious studies from John Carroll University. Among other publications, he has recently published on matters of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church in the National Catholic Reporter and about Catholic Theology and Sexuality Education in the Journal of Theology & Sexuality. Mark has received awards for his collaborative work in sexual diversity, cross-cultural sexuality studies, and organizational change around human sexuality in Catholic higher education.  He is the author of the forthcoming book Inclusion and Sexuality in Catholic Higher Education: Possibilities for Institutional Change to be released by Routledge in mid-2023. Mark was the editor for a special issue of the Journal of Sexuality and Relationship Therapy on sexuality, religion, and spirituality and serves as a reviewer for several journals in the fields of sexuality and health.  He has held leadership roles to address Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at large institutions. Mark holds memberships in sexuality organizations, as well as the Catholic Theological Society of America, and the Society of Christian Ethics.    If you'd like to learn more about Mark, go to his website where you can find a link to his forthcoming book, Inclusion and Sexuality in Catholic Higher Education: Possibilities for Institutional Change, and links to his articles and book chapters.   If you like our show or have any questions contact us here at our website, and you can subscribe to our podcast any way you'd like. We love our listeners and welcome your feedback, so if you love Our Better Half, please give us a 5-star rating and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. It really helps support our show!   As always, thanks for listening!

Hey listeners! While our co-hosts are away on vacation this summer (doing who knows what!), we are thrilled to present you with an archived episode. One of our favorite interviews from this season is back. So sit back and enjoy!   Dr. Bill Stayton is a psychologist, sexologist, and theologian. After serving as a pastor, hospital chaplain, and seminary faculty member, he was a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, Widener University, and Morehouse School of Medicine. He received a Gold Medal Award from the World Association for Sexual Health for promoting dialogue with religion and medicine about sexuality. Go check out Bill's new book, Sinless Sex: A Challenge to Religions, on his website!   If you like our show or have any questions contact us here at our website, and you can subscribe to our podcast any way you'd like. We love our listeners and welcome your feedback, so if you love Our Better Half, please give us a 5-star rating and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. It really helps support our show!   As always, thanks for listening!  

Hey listeners! While our co-hosts are away on vacation this summer (doing who knows what!), we are thrilled to present you with an archived episode. One of our favorite interviews from this season is back. So sit back and enjoy!   Join Rosara, Sabitha, and Jane for a wonderful discussion about sex therapy in the Jewish Orthodox community with Talli Rosenbaum, an individual and couple therapist, and Certified Sex Therapist and Supervisor. She co-hosts her own podcast, Intimate Judaism (which is fantastic!) and is co-author of the book “I am For My Beloved: A Guide to Enhanced Intimacy for Married Couples,”  and co-edited “The Overactive Pelvic Floor.”    She has authored over 40  journal articles and several book chapters on sexual pain disorders, sexual health, unconsummated marriage, and sexuality and Judaism and is an associate editor of the Sexual Medicine Reviews. Before training in psychotherapy, Talli treated patients as a physical therapist for 25 years. In addition to maintaining an active private practice, Talli is the academic advisor for Yahel: The Center for Jewish Intimacy.  Talli frequently lectures both in Israel and abroad, to lay as well as professional audiences.   Join us for an insightful and reflective discussion with Talli Rosenbaum and learn more about her publications and courses here.   If you like our show or have any questions contact us here at our website, and you can subscribe to our podcast any way you'd like. We love our listeners and welcome your feedback, so if you love Our Better Half, please give us a 5-star rating and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. It really helps support our show!   As always, thanks for listening!  

This is it, listeners, our last episode for the season. We have been having a blast this year bringing you fascinating, captivating, and inspiring conversations with some of the best thinkers in the field of sexuality and aging. And now it's time for us to take a well-needed break for the summer. But don't worry, we've still got some great shows we're bringing back from our archives so you can still listen all summer!   And if you want to catch up on other shows, just visit our website and please subscribe! We love our listeners and welcome your feedback, so if you love Our Better Half, please give us a 5-star rating and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. It really helps support our show!   As always, thanks for listening!

Hey listeners! This is our last new episode of the season before we take a break for the summer and we are delighted to end our season with a fantastic guest. Dr. Patti Britton! Dr. Britton is a nationally board-certified Clinical Sexologist and is known as the “Mother of Sex Coaching.” She's the author of hundreds of articles, book chapters, forewords, and five major books in sexology. Dr. Patti is a popular speaker to consumers and a seasoned professional trainer for her peers. She has also hosted over 40 DVD programs on couples' sexual enhancement, with appearances on over 200 television shows, and over 350 interviews for radio, podcasts, summits, and media such as Cosmopolitan, Men's Health, Women's Health, Oprah's O Magazine, and many more.    Dr. Patti specializes in serving individuals and couples, especially the boomer generation, who are seeking sexual wellness and pleasure. She is known for her holistic approach to sexual healing and has a private practice in Los Angeles and online via Zoom worldwide.    And by the way, Dr. Patti Britton is the Co-Founder of Sex Coach U -- one of our favorite sponsors -- and it's the world's premier training and credentialing organization for sex coaches. Dr. Patti believes that we have a divine birthright to experience our full erotic and sexual potential.   Listeners, Patti has generously offered all of you a FREE copy of her eBook, Happy Sexy Aging!  To learn more about Dr. Patti Britton, check out her website and Sex Coach U!   If you like our show or have any questions contact us here at our website, and you can subscribe to our podcast any way you'd like. We love our listeners and welcome your feedback, so if you love Our Better Half, please give us a 5-star rating and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. It really helps support our show!   As always, thanks for listening!

We're delighted to welcome back the wonderful Rev. Dr. Gregory C. Carrow-Boyd, a Unitarian Universalist Minister of Religious Education who received his EdD from the University of Southern California Rossier School of Education. He serves on the General Assembly Advisory Council of the Unitarian Universalist Association. Rev. Dr. Carrow-Boyd is a sexuality and racial justice educator in the greater Los Angeles and metro O'ahu areas. He just started as Executive Minister of Religious Education at the First Unitarian Church of Honolulu, HI.   Greg's research interests include critical theory, social media, Black liberation theology, effective sex education for Black teens, teacher education, and adult education. Today, we are specifically inviting Rev. Dr. Carrow-Boyd back to Our Better Half to discuss the findings of his dissertation research.   Find out more about Rev. Dr. Carrow-Boyd's work at https://uuhonolulu.org/.   If you like our show or have any questions contact us here at our website, and you can subscribe to our podcast any way you'd like. We love our listeners and welcome your feedback, so if you love Our Better Half, please give us a 5-star rating and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. It really helps support our show!   As always, thanks for listening!

Sex therapist, Dr. Bat Sheva Marcus, has dedicated her career to helping women reclaim pleasure in their bodies and spirits. With nearly 25 years of experience as a clinical director of one of the largest sexual health centers in the US, she bridges the gap between the medical and psychological aspects of women's sexual health. Dr. Marcus holds a Ph.D. in Human Sexuality, a master's in public health, master's degrees in social work from Columbia University, a degree in Jewish Studies from the Jewish Theological Seminary, and to top it all off she is also a certified bariatric counselor.   In the past, Dr. Marcus has served as executive director of not-for-profit institutions and corporations, medical practices, and laboratories. She has lectured internationally on women's issues, gives frequent Grand Rounds to health care providers, and lectures to sex therapists around the world. She has been a guest on numerous radio and television shows, including CNBC, CBS News, Huffington Post Live, and NPR, and has been profiled by numerous magazines including the New York Times Magazine, Time Magazine, and Westchester Magazine.    If you'd like to learn more about Dr. Bat Sheva Marcus, check out her website, her book, and read a synopsis of her Ph.D. dissertation on women and the use of vibrators which was published in a peer-reviewed journal! And if you're on social media, check out her Instagram and TikTok!   If you like our show or have any questions contact us here at our website, and you can subscribe to our podcast any way you'd like. We love our listeners and welcome your feedback, so if you love Our Better Half, please give us a 5-star rating and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. It really helps support our show!   As always, thanks for listening!  

Our guest this week, Dr. Donna Oriowo LICSW, CST, is an award-winning DEI advocate, international speaker, and certified sex and relationship therapist in the Washington D.C. metro area. Dr. Donna is the owner of the private practice, AnnodRight, which specializes in working with Black women on issues related to colorism and texturism and its impacts on mental and sexual health. Dr. Donna specializes in working with Black women to feel Free, Fabulous, and F*cked! She is the author of Cocoa Butter & Hair Grease: A Self Love Journey Through Hair and Skin and the host of a weekly family meeting for Black women called In My Black Feelings. Dr. Donna collects inspiring quotes, eats donuts, loves pasta, travels to learn, gives COVID safe handshakes, warm hugs, and (figurative) knocks on the head.   Dr. Oriowo served as DEI Co-chair and Communications Steering Committee Chair for AASECT, and she is a member of the Women of Color Sexual Health Network (WOCSHN). She can be found on social media @Dr.DonnaOriowo, or you can visit her website or interact with her by joining the Free, Fabulous, & F*cked Community on Facebook!   If you like our show or have any questions, contact us here at our website. You can subscribe to our podcast any way you'd like. We love our listeners and welcome your feedback. Please like us and rate us on Facebook and Instagram. If you love Our Better Half, please give us a 5-star rating. It really helps boost our show! As always, thanks for listening!  

Our guest this week is Dr. Neil Cannon. Dr. Cannon is an AASECT Certified Sex Therapist & Supervisor, as well as a WPATH Certified Gender Therapist. Neil is a co-founder and the Clinical Director of The Cannon Institute. Neil is a master therapist and clinical thought leader in the field of sex therapy and supervision. Neil is one of the very few people with over 10,000 hours of sex therapy supervision experience. Neil is a contributing author in the only book dedicated exclusively to sex therapy supervision. Neil is the creator of, A Strength-Based Approach for Treating Kinky Couples and a published author on the same topic. Dr. Cannon has been involved in AASECT leadership since 2007 and currently serves as Chair of the Ethics Advisory Committee (EAC), as well as the Section Leader for Colorado. Neil is highly committed to DEI & Social Justice and Co-Founded The Sexuality Diversity Matters Supervision Scholarship Program for People of Color. Listeners, if you'd like to learn more about Dr. Cannon, please check out the websites: Doctorcannon.com and https://cannoninstitute.com/. If you like our show or have any questions, contact us here at our website. You can subscribe to our podcast any way you'd like. We love our listeners and welcome your feedback. Please like us and rate us on Facebook and Instagram. If you love Our Better Half, please give us a 5-star rating. It really helps boost our show! Thanks for listening!  

In this second part of our special 2-part series, our co-hosts, Jayleen, Sabitha, Rosara, and Jane are again sitting around a virtual kitchen table with mugs of tea, great baked goods, and lots of honest reflections. We talk with each other about the impact this podcast has had on our work and how it has impacted the field of human sexuality. We start with giving permission, intergenerational conversations, our work with students and clients, our mentors, how we live at the intersections, how oxytocin may increase your lifespan, and so much more. If you like our show or have any questions, contact us here at our website. You can subscribe to our podcast any way you'd like. We love our listeners and welcome your feedback. Please like us and rate us on Facebook and Instagram. And please write to us at this address. Thanks for listening!

Our guest this time is Dr. Mark Levand, a sexuality educator and researcher who has spent many deep and reflective years in the church. He's passionate about training future sexuality educators through his deep interests in sexuality, religion, and diversity. Take a listen. It's a terrific episode and we had a great time talking all things religion and sex with him. Dr. Levand has a Ph.D. in Human Sexuality Studies from Widener University and a Master's in theology and religious studies from John Carroll University. Among other publications, he has recently published on matters of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church in the National Catholic Reporter and about Catholic Theology and Sexuality Education in the Journal of Theology & Sexuality. Mark has received awards for his collaborative work in sexual diversity, cross-cultural sexuality studies, and organizational change around human sexuality in Catholic higher education.  He is the author of the forthcoming book Inclusion and Sexuality in Catholic Higher Education: Possibilities for Institutional Change to be released by Routledge in mid-2023. Mark was the editor for a special issue of the Journal of Sexuality and Relationship Therapy on sexuality, religion, and spirituality and serves as a reviewer for several journals in the fields of sexuality and health.  He has held leadership roles to address Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at large institutions. Mark holds memberships in sexuality organizations, as well as the Catholic Theological Society of America, and the Society of Christian Ethics.  If you'd like to learn more about Mark, go to his website where you can find a link to his forthcoming book, Inclusion and Sexuality in Catholic Higher Education: Possibilities for Institutional Change, and links to his articles and book chapters. ​If you like our show or if you have questions, contact us here at our website. You can subscribe to our podcast by sending us your email or whatever way you subscribe to podcasts. We love our listeners and welcome your feedback. Please like us and rate us on our social media platforms. And please write to us at this address. Thanks for listening!

In this first part of a 2-part series, our co-hosts, Jayleen, Sabitha, Rosara, and Jane are sitting around a virtual kitchen table with mugs of tea, great baked goods, and lots of honest reflections. We talk honestly to each other about our own journeys with aging as sexual beings. How we feel about growing older, our gender identities, going through cancer treatment and reconstruction, our images of aging, invisibility, liberation, and more. One book we mentioned was Peggy Kleinplatz and Dana Menard's book, Magnificent Sex: Lessons from Extraordinary Lovers which we all agreed would be a terrific antidote to all of the negative scripts about aging sexually. ​If you like our show or if you have questions, contact us here at our website. You can subscribe to our podcast by sending us your email or whatever way you subscribe to podcasts. We love our listeners and welcome your feedback. Please like us and rate us on our social media platforms. And please write to us at this address. Thanks for listening!

Dr. Bill Stayton is a psychologist, sexologist, and theologian. After serving as a pastor, hospital chaplain, and seminary faculty member, he was a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, Widener University, and Morehouse School of Medicine. He received a Gold Medal Award from the World Association for Sexual Health for promoting dialogue with religion and medicine about sexuality. Go check out Bill's new book, Sinless Sex: A Challenge to Religions, on his website! ​If you like our show or if you have questions, contact us here at our website. You can subscribe to our podcast by sending us your email or whatever way you subscribe to podcasts. We love our listeners and welcome your feedback. Please like us and rate us on our social media platforms. And please write to us at this address. Thanks for listening!

Our guest this time, Support Pup Cooper (aka Dr. Justin Sitron), is a professor, sexologist, sexuality educator, and advocate for diversity and inclusion. He's also a coach who helps his clients get the most joy out of their sex lives and relationships.  As a culturally responsive and kink-affirming sexuality educator, his social media and educational programming aim to make the LGBTQ+ BDSM, pup play, and pet play communities inclusive and affirming so players of all backgrounds can find safety and belonging among other pups, pets, and kinksters.  He can be found wagging, howling, barking, and living his best dog life on Instagram @supportpupcooper, Twitter @support_cooper, and on the web at supportpupcooper.com.  ​If you like our show or if you have questions, contact us here at our website. You can subscribe to our podcast by sending us your email or whatever way you subscribe to podcasts. We love our listeners and welcome your feedback. Please like us and rate us on our social media platforms. And please write to us at this address. Thanks for listening!