Podcasts about Certified Sex Therapist

*Disclaimer* This episode contains adult content and is not recommended for young listeners.   284. DON'T MISS THIS! Controversial Sex Questions, Answered with Dr. Juli Slattery   1 Samuel 24:19b NIV “May the Lord reward you well for the way you treated me today.”   *Transcription Below*   Bio: Instagram Facebook Authentic Intimacy Website Java with Juli Podcast   Thank you to Our Sponsor: Leman Property Management Company   Questions and Topics We Cover: As Christ followers, should we use a friend's preferred names and pronouns? If one part of Scripture talks about turning the other cheek, is that the same as saying God expects you to stay in an abusive marriage? Is it reasonable to assume that once they have a smartphone, 100% of kids will be exposed to pornography?   Previous Episodes on Sexual Intimacy on The Savvy Sauce, Including Past Episodes with Dr. Juli Slattery: Fostering a Fun, Healthy Sex Life with your Spouse with Dr. Jennifer Konzen  Ways to Deepen Your Intimacy in Marriage with Dr. Douglas Rosenau  Ten Common Questions About Sex, Shared Through a Biblical Worldview with Dr. Michael Sytsma Hope For Treating Pelvic Pain with Tracey LeGrand Treatment for Sexual Issues with Certified Sex Therapist, Emma Schmidt Talking With Your Kids About Sex with Brian and Alison Sutter Natural Aphrodisiacs with Christian Certified Sex Therapist, Dr. Douglas Rosenau Healthy Sexuality, Emotional Intelligence, and Parenting Children with Autism with Counselor, Lauren Dack Pain and Joy in Sexual Intimacy with Psychologist and Certified Sex Therapist, Dr. Jessica McCleese Identifying and Fighting Human Trafficking with Dr. Jeff Waibel Bridging the Gap Between Military and Civilian Families with Licensed Professional Counselor, Cuthor, Podcaster, and 2015 Military Spouse of the Year, Corie Weathers Enjoying a God-Honoring, Healthy Sex Life with Your Spouse with Certified Sex Therapist and Ordained Minister, Dr. Michael Sytsma Enjoying Parenting and Managing Conversations About Sex with Certified Sex Therapist and Author, Dr. Jennifer Konzen Conflict Resolution, Infidelity, and Infertility with Licensed Psychologist and Certified Sex Therapist, Dr. Jessica McCleese Hormones and Body Image with Certified Sex Therapist, Vickie George Passion Pursuit with Dr. Juli Slattery Female Orgasm with Sue Goldstein Erectile Dysfunction, Premature Ejaculation, and Treatments Available with Dr. Irwin Goldstein Turn Ons, Turn Offs, and Savoring Sex in Marriage with Dr. Jennifer Konzen Desire Discrepancy in Marriage with Dr. Michael Sytsma Answering Listener's Questions About Sex with Kelli Willard Anatomy of an Affair with Dave Carder Supernatural Restoration Story with Bob and Audrey Meisner Healthy Minds, Marriages, and Sex Lives with Drs. Scott and Melissa Symington Female Pornography Addiction and Meaningful Recovery with Crystal Renaud Day Building Lasting Relationships with Clarence and Brenda Shuler Healthy Ways for Females to Increase Sexual Enjoyment with Tracey LeGrand Pornography Healing for Spouses with Geremy Keeton Sexual Sin Recovery for You and Your Spouse (Part Two) Personal Development and Sexual Wholeness with Dr. Sibylle Georgianna  Our Brain's Role in Sexual Intimacy with Angie Landry Discovering God's Design for Romance with Sharon Jaynes Sex in Marriage and Its Positive Effects with Francie Winslow, Part 1 Science and Art of Sexual Intimacy in Marriage, Part 2 Making Love in Marriage with Debra Fileta Mutually Pleasing Sex in Marriage with Gary Thomas Sex Series: God's Design and Warnings for Sex: An Interview with Mike Novotny Sex Series: Enhancing Female Pleasure and Enjoyment of Sex: An Interview with Dr. Jennifer Degler Sex Series Orgasmic Potential, Pleasure, and Friendship: An Interview with Bonny Burns  Sex Series: Sex Series: Healthy Self, Healthy Sex: An Interview with Gaye Christmus Sex Series: Higher Sexual Desire Wife: An Interview with J Parker Sex Series: Six Pillars of Intimacy with Tony and Alisa DiLorenzo 215 Enriching Women's Sexual Function, Part One with Dr. Kris Christiansen 216 Enriching Women's Sexual Function, Part Two with Dr. Kris Christiansen 217 Tween/Teen Females: How to Navigate Changes during Puberty with Dr. Jennifer Degler 218 Secrets of Sex and Marriage: Interview with Dr. Michael Sytsma 222 Pornography: Protecting Children and Personal Healing, Victory, and Recovery in Christ with Sam Black Special Patreon Release: Holy Sex: An Interview with Dr. Juli Slattery Special Patreon Release: His Desires and Her Desires in the Bedroom with Dr. Jennifer Konzen 224 Surprising Discoveries of Sex in Marriage: An Interview with Shaunti Feldhahn 252 Maximizing Sexual Connections as Newlyweds to Long Term Marriages and Recovering from a Sexless Marriage with Dr. Cliff & Joyce Penner 260 Sex After Cancer with Dr. Kris Christiansen 277 Breaking Through Addiction in Marriage with Matthew and Joanna Raabsmith   Connect with The Savvy Sauce on Facebook or Instagram or Our Website   Gospel Scripture: (all NIV) Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”   Romans 3:24 “and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”   Romans 3:25 (a) “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.”    Hebrews 9:22 (b) “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”    Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”    Romans 5:11 “Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”    John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”   Romans 10:9 “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”    Luke 15:10 says “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”   Romans 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”   Ephesians 1:13–14 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession- to the praise of his glory.”   Ephesians 1:15–23 “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”   Ephesians 2:8–10 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God‘s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.“   Ephesians 2:13 “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.“   Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”   *Transcription*   Music: (0:11 – 0:11)   Laura Dugger: (0:11 – 2:21) Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, where we have practical chats for intentional living. I'm your host, Laura Dugger, and I'm so glad you're here.   Today's message is not intended for little ears. We'll be discussing some adult themes, and I want you to be aware before you listen to this message.   Leman Property Management Company has the apartment you will be able to call home, with over 1,700 apartment units available in Central Illinois. Visit them today at lemanproperties.com or connect with them on Facebook.   My returning guest for today is Dr. Juli Slattery.   She has authored another book entitled Surrendered Sexuality: How Knowing Jesus Changes Everything, and we're going to cover a few themes from this book, but I think what you're going to find most helpful are her candid responses to some really tricky questions related to dating and pornography, technology, thought life, shows that we watch as believers, divorce, and just intimacy in general as married couples.   So, I think this is an episode that you're going to want to learn from yourself, but you'll also want to share with others because Dr. Juli has offered us such a gift as she directs us back to the heart issues and wisely guides us into sexual integrity in our own lives.   Here's our chat.   Welcome back to The Savvy Sauce, Dr. Juli.   Dr. Juli Slattery: (2:21 – 2:21) Thanks so much for having me back. It's always a joy.   Laura Dugger: (2:21 – 2:22) Well, I love that you've been a repeat guest many times. So, we get to just dive right in today because I'm going to link all of your previous episodes in the show notes. But to dive in, I'm just curious, as believers, where does your heart break as you see us compromising on God's design for sex?   Dr. Juli Slattery: (2:22 – 3:31) Hmm. That's such a good question. You know, I think my heart breaks the most in that when we compromise God's design for sexuality, or even when we don't understand it or understand His goodness, it means that there is a breach in our relationship with God.   And so, I am so passionate about what I do, not necessarily because I love talking about sexuality, but because for a lot of people, sexuality represents a wall between them and God, like an issue they can't resolve, or a place of shame that they just can't quite shake free from, or battle with sin that they feel like they're enslaved to. And so, those things mean that there's a limit to how much they invite God into their lives.   And so, for me, that's where my heart breaks the most is, you know, ultimately, we were created for the greatest fellowship with God and anything that gets in the way of that is something that God cares about and something that I care about.   Laura Dugger: (3:32 – 4:03) You say that well, and you've written many books, but in this most recent one, you plainly state one issue when you write, “You will not be able to obey God with your sexual thoughts, while binging shows and music that continually display the exact opposite.”   And I love how practical that is. So, Juli, why do you think this has become so normalized? And I would say, especially in Christian marriages.   Dr. Juli Slattery: (4:05 – 5:58) Yeah, you know, I think a lot of it is that the church has been historically really quiet about sexuality, you know, like we might talk about save sex for marriage, and don't cheat on your husband and that sort of thing. But the gray areas about how we think about our sexuality and kind of what we have the liberty and freedom to engage in, there's kind of silence, or maybe there's legalism.   And I think in that space, what ends up happening is the culture is so forthright with a message about sexuality, like woven throughout every single show that you could stream on any platform, you know, your music on Spotify, even the news you consume, the Instagram feeds, whatever, it's consistently showing you a way to understand sexuality that is contrary to God's design, and the messaging can be so subtle, or so repetitive that we don't even realize we're ingesting it.   And so, it's normal to talk about with your friends, like the latest season of The Bachelor, or, you know, the latest thing that you're streaming that if you really look at it, there's probably 100 references to sexuality that are outside of God's design. And so, we end up just having our mind conformed to this world.   And the scripture says really clearly in Romans 12, that we can't offer ourselves to God while we're still thinking like the world thinks that it requires an act of transformation of our thinking. And I don't know that there's anywhere more than we need this than in the topic of understanding our sexuality.   Laura Dugger: (6:00 – 6:59) Okay, so for I'm thinking of married couples, because I was recently at a wedding shower. And I love a friend from church. Her name is Dawn Karius. And she was giving the devotional and just sharing. You know, it's very easy to get married and fall into this trap. She was talking about what you watch specifically.   And she said, so many couples will watch something together, watch a show before bed, but be really intentional. If that is what you choose to do, then the shows that you're watching, even though you're with your spouse, is that drawing both of you closer to Christ? Because if it's pulling you further away from Christ, it's also pulling you away from one another.   And so, with all of that, and with what you've studied and written about, if a couple's hearing that and or some single person just hearing this, what would be your practical advice or encouragement for them?   Dr. Juli Slattery: (7:00 – 9:29) Yeah, some of it is, we can't live in a bubble. You know, it's, I think that there are some couples will have the conviction that, you know, we're just going to get rid of all of our devices, we're going to get rid of every streaming service. And there's nothing wrong with that decision, you might feel convicted to do that.   But for most couples, I would say, they're like, okay, we live in this world, we need to understand even the world we live in. And so, it's not like we're going to completely be cut off. But are we being discerning about what we consume?   And what are the standards that we might hit where we might just say, “You know what, we don't need to be watching this.” You know, like I can think of one show in particularly that my husband and I were watching. And it was a well-written show. It was exciting. But there was just so much profanity and just gross kind of sexual content that after two or three episodes, we're both just like, “You know what, as good as the show is, we just, this isn't, we're not watching this. Like we need to stop.”   And I think you need to have those discussions and you might have a different level of conviction than your spouse does. And that's okay, but at least have those conversations and you need to follow your conviction.   But then the other thing I would say that is equally important, if not more important, what are you consuming that helps you get God's perspective of sexuality? And what I've found is that a whole lot of Christian married couples know very little about what it looks like to build a healthy sex life in their marriage. And they're not consuming anything that helps them know how to love each other better, how to overcome differences, even how their bodies work, how to focus on one another and enjoy sex in a holy erotic way.   And so, even if you're watching and consuming very little content from the world, but you're not actively pursuing anything that gives you a biblical perspective, you're still going to end up defaulting to what the world says. And so, I think that again, it's equally as important or not, if not more important to be pursuing what's true and what's right and what's good.   Laura Dugger: (9:31 – 9:53) I love that, how you flipped it. And that discernment piece is huge because we don't want to be desensitized to then that we're consuming and we also want to feed on the good. So, I think it even leads to a broader question, again, as Christ followers, how can we recognize if our conscience is being pricked?   Dr. Juli Slattery: (9:54 – 12:05) Yeah, we can start by asking the Lord. You know, I mean, I think it's in, is it Psalm 139, where, you know, David is basically saying, “Search me, oh God, and know my thoughts, you know, show me if there's any offensive way within me.”   I think that's a beautiful prayer as an individual and as a couple, like God, we want to honor you with what we consume in media, with what we think about, would you guide us and would you show us? And then I think we all have that experience of watching something or listening to something or reading something where we're like, “Uh, I don't know, like, this is sort of a gray area. Like, I'm uncomfortable here. I probably shouldn't be watching this.” Or “Wow, that's really, that's really in your face. Like that's really graphic.”   And it's heeding the Holy Spirit when you get those prompts, instead of just pushing through and being like, “Ah, it's not that big of a deal. It's not going to affect me.” Like when you feel that sense of prompting, you respond to it and you say, “All right, I'm going to put this down. I'm going to shut this off.”   And, um, you know, the scripture says that we can become callous to those promptings of the Holy Spirit if we are in a habit of just running right through that. But we become more sensitive to the Holy Spirit when we yield and when we obey.   Um, and so, I think even just keeping track, you know, every day or every week, like where were the times regarding this or anything else that I really felt convicted by the Holy Spirit about maybe something I said about a friend, uh, or about a little white lie I told, you know, where were the times where I really felt the Holy Spirit nudging me and what did I do? Um, where do I need to confess that I didn't respond well? And where do I need to celebrate that? Yes, I listened, I obeyed, I yielded. Um, and so, I think that's a practice we get into of either ignoring that conviction or really yielding to it.   Laura Dugger: (12:06 – 12:28) Hmm. And that gets after the heart issue, which Jesus is so concerned about our heart. And that's a very softened heart approach. Yes. I hope we can have. And as it relates to sexual integrity, then what are some other ways that we need to be on guard so that we're careful not to be misled?   Dr. Juli Slattery: (12:29 – 13:37) Yeah, boy, I think there's just so much conversation. Um, again, even in Christian circles, sometimes around having a negative attitude towards sex, um, kind of accepting some forms of pornography as normal and even good, you know, husband bashing, wife bashing, you know, like complaining, kind of letting the thought feed in your mind of maybe I should have married somebody else.   Maybe that my life would be easier if I, I weren't married to this person. I wish they were this or that. So, sort of that discontent that is natural to feel in marriage. But the question is, what do you do with it? Do you give it space to grow and to nurture, or do you bring that before the Lord?   Um, so, I think those are some of the ways that we want to look at, like, how am I giving the enemy space in my life and in my marriage versus how am I inviting God to really reclaim what's broken here?   Laura Dugger: (13:38 – 14:01) Well, and then even thinking of the other side to guard ourselves from having a critical and judgmental spirit toward others or just having self-righteous pride. Can you educate us on some common reasons why some people may be predisposed to struggle with some certain sexual sins?   Dr. Juli Slattery: (14:02 – 17:20) Yeah, absolutely. I think that's so important, um, because the research really shows that some of us are more, I don't know if I'd say it that way, but we are going to be more predetermined maybe to struggle with things like pornography or same-sex attraction, or even hooking up.   And it's never like a one plus one equals two exactly. But there are what we might say indicators or risk factors that make you more vulnerable to those kinds of sexual struggles. And some of them might be unhealthy family dynamics growing up, you know, none of us had a perfect family, but let's say you grew up in a family where one of your parents was like overtly critical towards you all the time.   Maybe you went through a divorce with your parents where, um, you know, at a certain age, you just, your family fell apart and you're kind of looking for that stability and love. People who have experienced sexual trauma in childhood or the teen years are going to be more pre-dispositioned to want to understand that or act that out.   People who might struggle with anxiety. And, you know, some of it is we got to understand that sex, because it elicits dopamine in our brain and oxytocin and endorphins, which are all really feel good kind of experiences and hormones and neurotransmitters. When we had a sexual experience at a young age, our brain can learn, “Oh, this is how I deal with stress. This is how I deal with depression. This is how I deal with loneliness.”   So, a lot of times when you talk to somebody who has an ongoing struggle with a sexual temptation or sin, it's because they've learned as a pattern from maybe the time they were 10 years old or 12 years old or 15 years old, that this is how I dealt with the stress in my family. This is how I dealt with when my father died. This is how I dealt with when I was sexually abused. Like this was the way that I found to self-regulate and to self-medicate and to find comfort.   And that can be masturbation. It can be pornography or again, you know, acting out sexually. And so, for people who have that kind of story, and this might be your spouse, or this might be against somebody that you're looking at and judging to just say, “You need to stop that behavior,” is often not going to be enough. They need to do the work of really looking at what am I using sex for? What are the wounds that I'm using sex to cover up?   And how do I actually get the healing I need and find healthier and safer ways for me to cope with negative emotions? And that's why groups are really important for people who have sexual struggles. Counseling is really important. And again, that long journey of healing and freedom, not just a one-time decision that I'm going to try to never do this again.   Laura Dugger: (17:21 – 20:19) Love that word freedom, even because that hope is available. And just pointing out how you said this is not deterministic. That's not what we're saying is if you experience something, you will act out sexually. But I agree with you that it is fascinating and helpful to hear the correlation of certain things that happen, especially in childhood, and how that plays out long-term.   And I am blanking on which guest it was on The Savvy Sauce, but somebody was enlightening me. I think it was for females that if they were sexually abused, typically before a certain age, then they were more likely to struggle in marriage with wanting to completely avoid sex. But then if it was after a certain age, that it was completely opposite where they maybe used sex to medicate, or they were very aggressive and even would act out, let's say in single years, that they would sleep around with a bunch of partners if they had been wounded.   And so, I just think it just, it helps us to not be judgmental of one another. We don't know the full story.   Dr. Juli Slattery: (20:20 – 21:09) Yes. Yeah. There's always more there than we usually realize at first. And, you know, this plays out a lot in marriage because there are a lot of women who are married to guys who are addicted to pornography. And that's a deeply painful dynamic. That's really hard.   But to understand that your husband didn't want to have this struggle, often doesn't know how to get out of it, you know, gives you compassion. It doesn't mean that you look the other way, you need to get help, and you need to insist on getting help. But it does give you empathy and compassion that there's something underlying this and feeding it. It's not just, “Oh, I think I'm going to, you know, look at porn and hurt my wife again,” that there's always a deeper dynamic at work.   Laura Dugger: (21:10 – 21:50) Absolutely. And even an example from your book, I'll just read a quote where you said, “I spoke with a man who runs a sexual addiction program. He told me he had never met someone with sexual addiction, who did not also have significant sexual or psychological trauma in their past.”   And I think it goes along with what we're saying. But if we also then flip it and look at more of the positive side, how can we rightly prioritize connection and intimacy in marriage as God intended?   Dr. Juli Slattery: (21:53 – 24:24) I think first of all, we need to be convinced that this is worth it. You know, when we look at everything there is to do in life, there's so many worthy demands on our time. You know, from I want my house to look nice, and we need to make friends and we need to be an outreach to our community. And our kids are taking a lot of time and they should, and they've got all their activities and our church needs our help. Like when do you have time to do all this? And then, oh yeah, prioritize your marriage.   And I think we have to become convinced that if we're not working on our marriage, and specifically if we're not working on the sexual connection in marriage, then all those other things have the potential to fall apart. That the way I've learned it over time is that sex is never going to be a neutral issue in your marriage. It's either going to be something that is bonding you together and causing you to work on the deeper levels of intimacy, even as you talk through sexual difficulties, or it's going to be something not immediately, but over time, that becomes a wedge between you.   It might start as a wedge of resentment of my needs aren't getting met, or I feel like you're objectifying me or you're putting pressure on me. Or it might be a deeper wedge of a pornography addiction or something that's not being addressed. Or I don't trust my husband because of my trauma. And those things don't just stay dormant. The wedge becomes bigger and bigger and bigger until you get to the place where now you're not comfortable being in the same room anymore and you feel like roommates. And then now one of you is attracted to somebody else and the story plays on.   And there are very wonderful godly men and women who have gotten married with every purpose to stay together. But a wedge like this has grown over time to the point where they're now thinking about divorce or one of them has cheated on the other. And so, we have to be convinced that honoring God in our lives means prioritizing our marriage, and it means working on this intimate aspect of our marriage so that we can be a stable foundation for our families and our churches and our communities.   Laura Dugger: (24:26 – 24:39) And so, if we're getting as practical as possible, what are the best practices that you've seen in married couples who are happily married? How have you experienced that?   Dr. Juli Slattery: (24:40 – 28:04) Yeah. I'll put it in kind of like a cliche sort of way because I think sometimes that's catchy. Number one, I would say they're couples who will resist the drift, who will repair the rift, and who will adjust to the shift.   So, I can kind of break that down a little bit. But you know, the first thing is resisting the drift of you can go weeks without meaningfully connecting with your spouse. And I don't just mean sexually, but I mean like eye to eye, you know, just loving touch, just connecting to their hearts. And so, couples who know how to resist that drift, like they have regular times built into their calendar where this is where we connect every day. Like even for 10 minutes, this is where we hold each other's hands, we look at each other in the eye, we really connect with what's in your heart, how are you? And they have regular rhythms of once a week or once every other week, we're going to go out and do something fun together, just the two of us. We've worked through what sex looks like in this season. Like how many times do we want to have sex? Are we scheduling that? How are we making sure that's a priority? And so, that's the resisting the drift.   And the second one is repairing the rift. And at every marriage, there are going to be things that tear you apart. And sometimes those things might be sexual in nature, like a temptation, an emotional affair, pornography use, sometimes it's going to be something else where you have a deep disagreement that you can't resolve on your own. And you need to be courageous enough to reach out for help and say, like, if we don't get help, if we don't address this issue, like it's going to become something that tears us apart. Any couple that you meet who is happily married for like 30 years or more, they can tell you a story of when they had a rift, and the kind of help that really address that.   And then I think the third thing is adjusting to the shift. And in even the normal stages of marriage, there are shifts that happen. Like, you know, I'm in the stage right now where me and the people my age are going through biological changes with menopause and with aging. And, you know, some people are going through becoming grandparents and retirement. And there's all these shifts that are happening even naturally. There's other couples that are younger who are going through the shift of pregnancy and battling infertility. And some people are going through cancer. And there are things that happen that require you to shift your expectations. And to not just wish that it is like it used to be. But this is the marriage we have now. Here are the circumstances we have now. Here are the bodies we have now. How do we learn to love each other and embrace this season, given the changes that we're experiencing?   And so, I think that's a framework that I've seen healthy couples navigate over time that really fosters intimacy.   Laura Dugger: (28:05 – 29:29) That is incredible. I love how you put that. And I've shared with you before that my background is in Christian sex therapy. So, sex is a topic that does come up a lot and people feel comfortable sharing or asking questions. So, just in regular conversation, I want to recap two conversations that kind of show stances on both ends of the spectrum. And I'd love to hear your wisdom on how to respond to each one.   So, first, there was a Christian married woman with children, and she was teaching younger women to say yes to every single sexual advance from their husband. And she said, “If your husband has the higher drive, and he wants to have sex twice a day, then consider yourself lucky. And don't ever say no, because your body is not your own.” Yeah, it's hard to recap. So, this is not my perspective. So, sharing both ends.   So, that was one person. And then on the other end, I've heard a woman tell me, “You know, I just didn't feel like having sex for about a year and a half after we had our baby. So, I just told my husband, you're going to have to wait.”   So, loaded question, but Dr. Juli, how would you respond to each of those?   Dr. Juli Slattery: (29:29 – 32:31) Well, Laura, I feel like you probably would have just as good of response as I would to those. Yeah, I like that you're presenting those as two extremes, because they are two extremes. And I think both extremes kind of miss the heart. We want to be able to say yes to sex and intimacy. And being able to say yes means also being able to say no.   In that first situation, essentially, what is going to end up happening is that that wife is going to start feeling like my husband wants me for sex. And I don't have the capacity to enjoy it twice a day. I'm starting to feel like an object or used. And the husband is never going to learn that covenant love requires self-denial. And at every level, you know, what did, what did Paul say to husbands in Ephesians 5, like love your wife as you love your own body and be willing to lay down your, your life for your wife. And that means being sensitive to the fact that she doesn't have the same sexual appetite as you do. She doesn't have the same biology you do, that it actually can be physically painful, emotionally traumatic for a wife to have sex when she's not physically ready. Really, that couple is not working on intimacy. They're, they're kind of reinforcing a pattern that sex is about the husband getting his needs and desires met only through the wife without considering her. And that might work for short term, but that's not building intimacy in the long term. And it's not teaching either of them. And that wife needs to learn her own sexual desires and patterns and be able to communicate those to her husband. So, that's what I would say in that first one.   And the second one, essentially, you have a wife kind of having that more selfish perspective of, I only have sex when I want it and on my terms, instead of considering the husband. And, you know, how do I focus on him? How do I work on experiencing sexual desire? How do I foster that? Because it's important for my husband, it's important for our marriage. And I don't want to be selfish.   And so, I think both of those situations are kind of approaching sex where one person gets to be selfish, and the other person has to sacrifice. That's ministry, that's not intimacy. And so, we really want to be at a place where both of us, the higher desire one and the lower desire one, are learning what does it look like to really love well, to love sacrificially and to communicate the ways that I feel loved. I don't know, what would you add to that or change?   Laura Dugger: (32:31 – 33:11) That's why I asked you, you said that beautifully, better than I could have responded. And again, you're getting back to the heart of it and pointing us back to Jesus with each answer. And, you know, commonly people do struggle with having a safe place where they can ask candid questions about sex.   So, I am going to throw some more at you. And some of these are ones that you wrote about. But just to give us a little taste, even of the book, or if somebody has a burning question like this, I'd love your healthy response.   So, how do you respond when people ask, “How far is too far to go in a dating relationship?”   Dr. Juli Slattery: (33:14 – 36:32) Yeah, I think people are looking for a line, you know, like, as long as I don't cross this line, are we good? And of course, I think their traditional line would be as long as you're not having intercourse. But I think that misses the larger context of the purpose of sex. I've had to be convicted of this in my own life. And we talked very early in our conversation about how we've just sort of ingested messages from the culture. And the culture says that healthy sexuality is an expression of how I feel, right? So, so if I feel safe with you, if I feel romantically connected to you, if I feel sexually attracted to you, then it would be healthy for me to engage sexually with you. And then Christians would come and say, yes, but as long as you don't cross this line. So, that's sort of the narrative that I think a lot of us have heard in the church.   But if we look at, from a biblical perspective, God did not design sex to be an expression of how I feel. Okay, let that sink in for a minute. God did not design sex to be an expression of how I feel. He designed it to be a seal and a celebration of covenant, of the choice that a man and a woman make to covenant their lives to one another. And for them to say, just like I give you my whole life, I promise faithfulness to you. I promise that we are becoming one as a family. We have now a physical way to symbolize that in becoming one with our bodies. And so, even if I feel romantically attached to somebody I'm not married to, I don't act on that. Or even if I don't feel romantically attached to my husband, we work on our sex life because we're in covenant.   And so, when you begin to understand sex from that standpoint, you answer that question differently of how far can I go? Why are you sharing your body with another person when you haven't shared your life with them? And, you know, I think that the standard is not legalistic, but the heart of the question is a lot, that's a harder question. You know, like it says, and I think 2 Thessalonians or 1 Thessalonians, you know, Paul says, the will of God is that you do not engage in sexual immorality. Don't take advantage of a brother or sister.   And how many times in dating relationships do you look back and you're like, “Wow, I gave too much of myself to that person or I took too much of myself from that person. Like we engaged in things that now we're broken apart. Like I wish I could take back.” And so, what does it look like to honor each other? What does it look like to honor the Lord? So, I think those kinds of questions help you get to the heart of how do we steward dating relationships a lot better than looking for a line we're not supposed to cross.   Laura Dugger: (36:33 – 37:31) When was the first time you listened to an episode of The Savvy Sauce? How did you hear about our podcast? Did a friend share it with you? Will you be willing to be that friend now and text five other friends or post on your socials anything about The Savvy Sauce that you love? If you share your favorite episodes, that is how we continue to expand our reach and get the good news of Jesus Christ in more ears across the world.   So, we need your help.   Another way to help us grow is to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts. Each of these suggestions will cost you less than a minute, but it will be a great benefit to us. Thank you so much for being willing to be generous with your time and share. We appreciate you.   As Christ followers, should we use a friend's preferred names and pronouns? So, how would you respond to that?   Dr. Juli Slattery: (37:32 – 39:20) Boy, this is a hot topic. There are people who have really strong opinions on this. You're saying, do I use a friend's preferred names and pronouns?   And I think the fact that you have a friendship means that you can have a deeper conversation about the meaning of the names and pronouns. And I think that deeper conversation needs to happen. Because, you know, ultimately we don't like, we don't want to just say, “Oh yeah, whatever you want to call yourself is fine with me. Truth doesn't matter.” But on the other hand, we really want to get to the spiritual issue underneath this. And there's a, there's a big difference between somebody who doesn't know the Lord, doesn't know where you stand on any of this, and somebody that you can engage in a conversation with and seek wisdom on.   I think there, there's probably more latitude to use somebody's preferred name than pronouns. And I think in friendships, sometimes you can work that through and just say, you know, “Hey, I love you. I understand where you're coming from. I'm going to try my best to use the name that you're asking. But the pronoun is something that I'm not comfortable with. And here's why. And just like I'm, I want to understand where you are. I hope that you would have grace and understand where I am.” So, in a friendship, you're able to have those kinds of conversations. Whereas if it's a coworker or it's a stranger or a neighbor, sometimes we can't have that level of conversation. And so, I, we might choose to handle the situation a little differently.   Laura Dugger: (39:21 – 39:36) That's good. A hundred percent truth, a hundred percent love or kindness. And what if somebody asks, how much attention should we be giving these secondary issues as believers?   Dr. Juli Slattery: (39:39 – 41:03) Boy, I, I think first of all, the secondary issues come out of the primary issues. So, the primary issue, and you know, the issue I wrote Surrendered Sexuality is about is if my life belongs to the Lord, then my whole life needs to belong to Him, including how I think about cultural issues, including how I treat my neighbor.   And so, I don't see them as secondary issues. I see them as an outgrowth of the primary issue. I think when they become secondary issues are when we argue with other believers about it and it becomes the most important thing. Like I put you in a category based on, will you use preferred names and pronouns? And then I think we're missing what God calls us to.   The primary issue is that we want to honor God and we want to love each other. And so, let's keep going back to that primary issue. How do I love my neighbor well? How do I honor God's truth well? How do I pursue unity within the body of Christ well, as we're navigating some of these secondary issues? So, you know, like if we're going back to the primary issue, it means that we have to talk about the secondary issues, but we talk about them in light of what's primary.   Laura Dugger: (41:04 – 41:17) I like that. And I just have three more of these kind of tricky questions. So, another one, does pornography addiction qualify as reasons for a biblical divorce?   Dr. Juli Slattery: (41:20 – 42:50) I would say, first of all, technically, if we look at the word for sexual immorality in the scripture, which is porneia, we would say, yeah, you know, pornography does qualify for that.   But for the person who's asking this, maybe the woman who's asking this, I would say, why do you want to get out of the marriage? And what Jesus said is Moses permitted divorce because of the hardness of your heart. And I think a more important question is where's your heart and where's your husband's heart? Because I've seen people with pornography addictions who have really open hearts towards healing, and they're willing to get the help that they need. They're repentant. They're willing to do the work. They're willing to go through even a time of separation to show that they're serious about that work.   And then there are people who have very hard hearts of, “This is who I am. I might go through the motions, but I'm really not interested in change.” And so, I think the pornography addiction is less the issue than the posture of the person's heart and their willingness to work. And if your spouse is willing to work, then I think it's on us to have soft hearts too, and to be open to the work that God can do.   Laura Dugger: (42:51 – 43:34) That's good because saying you have to zoom out and see more of the story in that stance, because that's very different. Somebody who's working on it and hates the struggle and is wanting to break free versus being married to a narcissist who is abusing you and treating you in a certain way and addicted to pornography. So, you point out well that all of these questions have more to them.   Okay. So, two more, if a spouse has had an emotional affair in the past with a coworker, but they still work with this person, what is the wise thing to do and how should they handle it if their spouse is uncomfortable with them still working there?   Dr. Juli Slattery: (43:36 – 44:33) Yeah, boy, that's something that I would want to seek counseling on. You and your spouse really need to get with a counselor and talk that through. The generic advice in that situation would be to get a different job, to not have that relationship still a temptation or available.   But there are sometimes very extenuating circumstances where that's not a possibility, or at least for now, that's not a possibility. And so, I would really encourage you to meet with a third party to sort through the details of your particular situation. Because it could be that your spouse isn't willing to take that hard step of cutting off that relationship, or it could be that they're willing, but again, there's extenuating circumstances. And I would really want a wise person who is engaging with you to help you navigate that.   Laura Dugger: (44:34 – 44:44) But I love that, how you highlight that something to look for though, is that you would hope your spouse would be willing to make that right, especially if they were the offending.   Dr. Juli Slattery: (44:46 – 44:46) Okay.   Laura Dugger: (44:47 – 45:00) And then also, Juli, because scripture does talk about turning the other cheek, does that mean it's the same as saying God expects you to stay in an abusive marriage?   Dr. Juli Slattery: (45:02 – 47:41) Absolutely not. If you were in an abusive marriage, you are not doing your spouse any good. You are allowing your spouse to be in a place where they're destroying their own life and they're destroying the people that they love.   Now you say, okay, where biblically do we see this? We see that Jesus, he says in John, he says, “I laid down my life for my sheep. I lay it down willingly. No one has the authority to take it from me. I have the authority to lay it down and I have the authority to take it up again.” And we see Him living that out with religious leaders who were after Him all the time, who wanted to stone Him, who were accusing Him of things. It says over and over again that Jesus escaped from them. He just got out of there until it was time that the Father said, now is the time for you to give yourself for the world.   So, we take that principle and we say, Jesus was not abused. Jesus did not let Himself be abused. He gave Himself as a lamb to the slaughter as a sacrifice for the Father and for the world. But that's very different. Up until that time, we see Him have great boundaries. We see Him not get, it even says He didn't entrust Himself to man because He knew what was in their hearts. I mean, He had boundaries with people that could have hurt Him.   And I also love when we see this in the story of King David and Saul, when Saul is chasing David, Saul is abusive, right? He wants to kill David. And so, David escapes. And there's a situation where David has the power or the opportunity to kill Saul and he doesn't do it. And then Saul just is struck by his conscience, and he comes back to David. He goes, “You're a better man than I am. I'm so sorry. You know, come back with me and I'll treat you well.” And even though David doesn't take revenge, he doesn't go back with Saul. He's still, he's like, “You go your way. I'll go my way. I'm going to let the Lord judge between us.”   And I think that's a great model. If you're in any kind of abusive relationship, you don't take revenge, but you also don't stay in that situation. You go your way, let them go their way, and you let God judge between you. And I think we see that over and over again in scripture.   Laura Dugger: (47:42 – 48:19) I think that is so well said. And it reminds me of a somewhat recent conversation in 2025 with Stacey Womack who's saying with domestic violence, really the way God would see it is child abuse. And that kind of helps our paradigm because we are His child.   And she elaborates on that. So, I said that that was the last one, but I actually thought of one more as it relates to our children.   So, is it reasonable to assume that once a child has a smartphone, 100% of them will be exposed to pornography?   Dr. Juli Slattery: (48:21 – 49:15) Yeah, it is. And I would say not just once they have a smartphone, because I know with one of my kids, we delayed the smartphone decision, but he had a learning disability that required him to have an iPad for school. And somehow, even though we locked down all the apps, somehow he's able to access it through that. Or it can be a gaming system, or it can be a friend's phone. And so, having a smartphone or device like that certainly makes it more probable.   But you know, like our kids are surrounded by screens and technology, not just what's in our home, but in other people's homes and at school. And so, I think it's safe to assume, unfortunately, that yes, 100% of our kids are going to be exposed to pornography, probably by the time they're 13 or 14.   Laura Dugger: (49:16 – 49:31) And sadly, some much younger than that. But even if there's parental controls, or filters put on, it is just something on my heart that we have to be so vigilant against.   Dr. Juli Slattery: (49:32 – 50:12) Yeah, no, I felt like when, you know, I have three boys, and when they were all three kind of in those teen years, I felt like I was trying to plug holes in a boat, and there'd be new ones popping up all the time. Whether it's like apps, or you know, things that you think are completely safe. Somehow, pornography can get through.   And our kids are smart, like they know the workarounds to the parental things. And that's why we just need to have conversation after conversation, just discipling them, not just protecting them from pornography, but discipling them through what they're inevitably going to be exposed to.   Laura Dugger: (50:13 – 51:05) That's a great point that not just being reactive, but proactive. I think why I have such a heart for this is because practicing and doing therapy and having so many people come in those wounds, that if that addiction gets a stronghold, and that pornography use, it just can wreak havoc in people long term. And so, if we can do that hard work of discipling early on, it is such a blessing to our children, to the generation.   So, I'm just so grateful for your candid responses. And I think it's also a helpful reminder just to never take on a burden that was never meant for us to carry. So, are there any ways that God has taught you to not try and do His business?   Dr. Juli Slattery: (51:07 – 52:16) Yeah. Boy, that's such a great question. I've had to come to the conclusion that I can't convince anyone of right and wrong. You know, like, I can't convince anyone that pornography is wrong, or gay marriage is wrong, or you know, like, that's not my job. My job is to walk with the Lord with integrity and faithfulness and to testify as to who He is.   And so much of this work, whether we're talking about marriage or our friends or our children, so much of this work has to be the Lord's work. And you reach a stage with your kids when they hit those teen years, where you realize the things my kids most need, I can't give them. I can't give them a relationship with God. I can't give them the desire to follow and seek the Lord. Like, I can model that for them. I can encourage them. But that is between them and the Lord. And if I try to control that, I'm just getting in the way of the work that God wants to do in their lives.   Laura Dugger: (52:18 – 52:33) Goodness, I will need to write that down and reflect on that. That is so good, Juli. And there's still so much more that you could share with us.   So, where is your preferred place that we can go online and continue learning from you?   Dr. Juli Slattery: (52:34 – 52:48) Yeah, I would say two places. Number one, our website is authenticintimacy.com. And the second one is the podcast that I do called Java with Juli. It goes along with The Savvy Sauce, you know, like they kind of go together.   Laura Dugger: (52:49 – 53:11) Yes, absolutely. We will certainly link to all of that in the show notes for today's episode.   And you're familiar, I've asked you many times before, because we are called savvy, because savvy is synonymous with practical knowledge or discernment. So, as my final question for you today, Dr. Juli, what is your savvy sauce?   Dr. Juli Slattery: (53:13 – 53:58) Oh, I don't even remember how I answered this the last few times. I think I may have said this before, but I think reading the dead old guys is one of my savvy sauce, like reading people who didn't live in this generation who loved the Lord.   And learning from them is just, that's probably taught me more discernment than anything, because they just cut right through the cultural noise that I think sometimes can blind us. And they really help me see my heart for what it is and help me really want to pursue God at a deeper level.   Laura Dugger: (53:59 – 54:03) Wow. Any specific recommendations that have been personal favorites there?   Dr. Juli Slattery: (54:04 – 54:22) Yeah, I love A.W. Tozer. I love many of Andrew Murray's books, particularly Humility and Absolute Surrender. And C.S. Lewis is another great one, Mere Christianity. So, those are some that I would recommend you start with.   Laura Dugger: (54:23 – 54:44) That is wonderful. Thank you for sharing that.   And Juli, it's just always such a delight to get to share an hour of conversation with you. And you are just this beautiful mixture of bold and gentle and humble, all combined into one. So, thank you for being my returning guest today.   Dr. Juli Slattery: (54:44 – 54:49) Oh, thank you. And it's such a pleasure to be with you. Thanks for your great questions.   Laura Dugger: (54:51 – 58:33) One more thing before you go, have you heard the term gospel before? It simply means good news. And I want to share the best news with you, but it starts with the bad news.   Every single one of us were born sinners, but Christ desires to rescue us from our sin, which is something we cannot do for ourselves. This means there's absolutely no chance we can make it to heaven on our own. So, for you and for me, it means we deserve death, and we can never pay back the sacrifice we owe to be saved.   We need a savior, but God loved us so much. He made a way for his only son to willingly die in our place as the perfect substitute. This gives us hope of life forever in right relationship with him.   That is good news. Jesus lived the perfect life. We could never live and died in our place for our sin.   This was God's plan to make a way to reconcile with us so that God can look at us and see Jesus. We can be covered and justified through the work Jesus finished. If we choose to receive what he has done for us, Romans 10:9 says, “that if you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”   So, you pray with me now. Heavenly father, thank you for sending Jesus to take our place. I pray someone today right now is touched and chooses to turn their life over to you.   Will you clearly guide them and help them take their next step in faith to declare you as Lord of their life? We trust you to work and change lives now for eternity. In Jesus name we pray.   Amen. If you prayed that prayer, you are declaring him for me. So, me for him, you get the opportunity to live your life for him.   And at this podcast, we're called The Savvy Sauce for a reason. We want to give you practical tools to implement the knowledge you have learned. So, you're ready to get started.   First, tell someone, say it out loud, get a Bible. The first day I made this decision, my parents took me to Barnes and Noble and let me choose my own Bible. I selected the Quest NIV Bible and I love it.   You can start by reading the book of John. Also get connected locally, which just means tell someone who's a part of a church in your community that you made a decision to follow Christ. I'm assuming they will be thrilled to talk with you about further steps such as going to church and getting connected to other believers to encourage you.   We want to celebrate with you too. So, feel free to leave a comment for us here. If you did make a decision to follow Christ, we also have show notes included where you can read scripture that describes this process.   And finally, be encouraged. Luke 15:10 says, “in the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” The heavens are praising with you for your decision today.   And if you've already received this good news, I pray you have someone to share it with. You are loved and I look forward to meeting you here next time.

Many higher sex drive partners are accidentally reinforcing the cycle of getting told no. This episode will help you break the cycle.Certified Sex Therapist, Heather Shannon, explores the patterns and emotional dynamics behind rejection in relationships, especially when one partner has a higher sex drive. In this episode, we'll break down common behaviors like withdrawal, performance, and story-telling, offering insights into how to shift these patterns for healthier intimacy.Chapters00:00 The Rejection Loop in Relationships00:29 Why Rejection Isn't About Attraction00:56 Understanding the Pattern of Withdrawal02:17 The Impact of Withdrawal on Emotional Needs03:08 Attachment to Outcomes and Anxiety03:54 Introducing Self-Energy and Spaciousness05:15 Performance and Doing Sex for Your Partner07:00 Authentic Desire vs. Performing Sex08:18 The Power of Honest Communication09:32 Managing Pressure and Expectations11:37 The Stories We Tell About Rejection12:52 Facts vs. Stories in Relationships14:35 Relating to Thoughts and Stories15:28 Protective and Exiled Parts in Emotional Regulation17:11 Living at the Mercy of External Factors17:37 Achieving Emotional Equanimity18:26 Creating Space for Authentic Desire19:20 Personalized Healing and Emotional ManagementWork with HeatherFind out more about Heather's Pathway to Passion coaching program and see if it can help you stop stressing about sex and start having fun in the bedroom again! https://HeatherShannon.coKeywordsrelationship advice, sex drive, emotional mastery, attachment, communication, Heather Shannon, intimacy, relationship patterns, self-energy, emotional regulationThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp

Sex Therapy, Sobriety & Intimacy On this episode of the Make Mental Health Matter Show host Kelli Melissa Reinhardt has special guest Angela Skurtu. Little bit about Angela's story from her: I am a Sex and Marriage Therapist. I am on e360tv as well. I have couples retreats, a recent best seller anthology I am in where I discuss getting sober from alcohol and I have a fun event "Dinner with a Sex Therapist" coming up on Valentine's Day. Short bio: Angela Skurtu, M.Ed., LMFT-S, ACST-S, is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Certified Sex Therapist, and supervisor for both. Known for “opening bedroom doors” (literally and metaphorically), she helps couples move from being great roommates to becoming great lovers again—no shame, no awkward silences, just real talk about real relationships. She's the author of three books, including From Fck No to Fck Yes Sex!, and the host of The Open Bedroom Doors Show on YouTube, where she explores everything from awkward first times to reigniting passion after decades of marriage. With humor, honesty, and practical strategies, Angela brings tough topics like intimacy, infidelity, and conflict into the light—making them feel less intimidating and even fun. She speaks at conferences across the country and internationally, and leads retreats and events that help couples reconnect in creative, meaningful ways. Learn more at OpenBedroomDoors.com. Find out more about Angela here: www.openbedroomdoors.com https://www.youtube.com/@Openbedroomdoors https://www.facebook.com/groups/iopenbedroomdoors https://www.facebook.com/openbedroomdoors https://www.patreon.com/c/OpenBedroomDoors https://www.instagram.com/openbedroomdoors https://www.tiktok.com/@openbedroomdoors https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B01BX1CK9I?ccs_id=369e9695-932e-41fc-98b5-e6d417fba7d8 Want to find out when the next incredible episode of Make Mental Health Matter show is dropping? Sign up for the Make Mental Health Matter newsletter for special tips, and insider only offers. Click HERE to sign up today! Need more resources? www.makementalhealthmatter.org  https://linktr.ee/makementalhealthmatter

Certified Sex Therapist, Heather Shannon explores the common sexual assumptions and misunderstandings that derail couples' sex lives. She discusses how past experiences shape current perceptions, the importance of maintaining a growth mindset, the influence of hedonic conditioning and the need for open communication to navigate assumptions. The conversation emphasizes the role of curiosity in fostering intimacy and understanding between partners.Chapters00:00 Understanding Sexual Assumptions05:40 The Impact of Past Experiences on Present Relationships10:46 Mindset and Its Role in Sexual Communication14:34 Navigating Assumptions in Long-Term Relationships20:40 The Importance of Curiosity in IntimacyWork With HeatherWant to get out of your sex rut? Request a free consultation for Heather's signature Pathway to Passion coaching program. Unlock Your Passion - Consultation CallVideo VersionCheck out the video version of this epsiode on our YouTube channel here: https://youtu.be/hyyz4ZyY65A This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp

How do you become more emotionally available in dating? My podcast guest, Brooke Bralove, has the answers! She is a Psychotherapist, Certified Sex Therapist, and Master Accelerated Resolution Therapy Practitioner. She helps women and men let go of perfectionism and move toward greater authenticity, joy, pleasure, and connection. She has been in private practice in Bethesda, MD for over 20 years.In this episode:What is ART (Accelerated Resolution Therapy) and how does it work in relationships?What are some common emotional blocks people carry into dating, and how do they show up?How can past experiences or trauma impact someone's ability to connect emotionally with a partner?What are practical steps or exercises listeners can try to become more emotionally available?Connect With BrookeWebsite: www.brookebralove.com FB: https://www.facebook.com/brookebralovepsychotherapy/ IG, TikTok, Threads:: @brookebralovepsychotherapy   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brookebralovepsychotherapy/►Please subscribe/rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts http://bit.ly/lastfirstdateradio ►If you're feeling stuck in dating and relationships and would like to find your last first date, sign up for a complimentary 45-minute breakthrough session with Sandy https://lastfirstdate.com/application ►Join Your Last First Date on Facebook https://facebook.com/groups/yourlastfirstdate ►Get Sandy's books, Becoming a Woman of Value; How to Thrive in Life and Love https://bit.ly/womanofvaluebook , Choice Points in Dating https://amzn.to/3jTFQe9 and Love at Last https://amzn.to/4erpj7C ►Get FREE coaching on the podcast! https://bit.ly/LFDradiocoaching ►FREE download: “Top 10 Reasons Why Men Suddenly Pull Away” http://bit.ly/whymendisappear ►FREE download: “The Green Light Guide to Dating After 50” https://lastfirstdate.com/green-light-guide/ ►Group Coaching: https://lastfirstdate.com/the-woman-of-value-club/ ►Website → https://lastfirstdate.com/ ► Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/lastfirstdate1/ ►Get Amazon Music Unlimited FREE for 30 days at https://getamazonmusic.com/lastfirstdate  

Want to get personalized coaching to improve your sex life? Book a free consultation with Certified Sex Therapist, Heather Shannon or her team. Booking A Consultation With The Right Person SummaryIn this conversation, Heather Shannon and Laura Alyn explore the journey of self-discovery in sexuality through self-inquiry and writing. Laura shares insights from her book, 'A Thousand Questions and Activities to Embrace Your Sexuality,' discussing the importance of understanding one's desires, the role of writing in processing thoughts, and the significance of open communication in relationships. They delve into the connection between body and mind, the exploration of kinks, and the necessity of creating a safe space for sexual expression. The discussion emphasizes the ongoing nature of personal growth and the importance of embracing one's sexuality without shame.Chapters00:00 Introduction to Sexual Self-Discovery02:47 The Journey of Self-Inquiry05:44 The Importance of Writing in Self-Discovery08:48 Exploring Sexual Questions and Preferences11:05 Diving Deeper into Kinks and Desires13:46 Understanding Safety in Sexual Exploration17:40 Connecting the Layers of Self18:59 The Body-Mind Connection in Sexual Desire20:31 Overriding Body Signals and Hustle Culture21:37 Self-Inquiry and Personal Growth22:28 The Ornelian Framework: A Path to Self-Discovery23:55 Understanding Soul and Spirit in Intimacy25:33 Navigating the Anxiety of Self-Inquiry28:50 Complaints as Indicators of Deeper Desires31:31 Responsibility in Relationships32:40 Exploring Intimacy and Connection34:34 Embracing Adventure in Sexual ExplorationVisit Laura Alyn's website and check out her framework here: https://theornelian.com/2025/08/27/framework/Video EpisodeCheck out the video version of this episode on our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/GbUngjPy1nQ Keywordssexuality, self-inquiry, communication, desire, intimacy, kinks, writing, personal growth, relationships, self-discoveryThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp

Angela Skurtu, M.Ed., LMFT-S, ACST-S, is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Certified Sex Therapist, and supervisor for both. Known for “opening bedroom doors” (literally and metaphorically), she helps couples move from being great roommates to becoming great lovers again—no shame, no awkward silences, just real talk about real relationships. She's the author of three books, including From Fck No to Fck Yes Sex! and the host of The Open Bedroom Doors Show on YouTube, where she explores everything from awkward first times to reigniting passion after decades of marriage.With humor, honesty, and practical strategies, Angela brings tough topics like intimacy, infidelity, and conflict into the light—making them feel less intimidating and even fun. She speaks at conferences across the country and internationally and leads retreats and events that help couples reconnect in creative, meaningful ways. Angela's Website: www.openbedroomdoors.com Follow Angela on IG: https://www.instagram.com/openbedroomdoors Follow Angela on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@OpenBedroomDoors/videos

Shownotes  Take your business to the next level with my FREE VITA Coaching Checklist How the American approach to pleasure compares to other cultures Layla shares one of her favorite cemetery sex stories The #1 way to get back into a sexual headspace How to approach shame around your sexuality Dr. Kate shares a take home practice you can use to connect with your body sexually Bio Dr. Kate Balestrieri, Psy.D is a Licensed Psychologist (Clinical and Forensic) in California, Florida, New York, and Illinois. She's a Certified Sex Therapist, Certified Sex Addiction Therapist – Supervisor, and PACT III trained couples' therapist.    As the Founder of Modern Intimacy, a nationwide therapy practice, Dr. Balestrieri is a passionate advocate for mental, relational, and sexual health. Throughout her work, Dr. Balestrieri focuses on helping people build resilience and recovery from what ails them to move from a position of pain or discomfort to one of thriving holistically in their lives.    Dr. Balestrieri is the author of What Happened to My Sex Life? A Sex Therapist's Guide to Reclaiming Lost Desire, Connection and Pleasure, and is the host of the Get Naked with Dr. Kate podcast.   You can learn more about Dr. Balestrieri's work on her website and find Dr. Balestrieri on Instagram: @drkatebalestrieri Timestamps 00:00:00 - Take your business to the next level with my FREE VITA Coaching Checklist  00:00:55 - Guest introduction 00:01:54 - Discover the VITA™ Sex, Love and Relationship Coaching Certification  00:04:39 - Dr. Kate's 2025 mid-year sex in review 00:05:20 - The top ways Dr. Kate sees people lose desire 00:08:40 - How the American approach to pleasure compares to other cultures 00:11:15 - Layla shares one of her favorite cemetery sex stories 00:13:54 - Layla and Dr. Kate drink MOOD SEX MAGIC Elixir  00:16:19 - Dr. Kate shares a deep dive into her work with sex and addiction 00:18:22 - Get 2 FREE stick packs of MOOD SEX MAGIC™ Elixir using code PODCAST 00:20:27 - What it's like working with sex offenders in prison settings 00:25:04 - How better prevention can stop sexual violence 00:28:02 - The #1 way to get back into a sexual headspace 00:30:50 - How sexuality has changed from a cultural perspective over the last 20 years 00:32:11 - Dr. Kate's personal favorite thing about sex 00:32:54 - Dr. Kate shares her current sexual growth edges both personally and professionally 00:35:14 - How to approach shame around your sexuality 00:36:28 - Layla explains what it means to "eat shame for breakfast" 00:37:33 - Dr. Kate shares a take home practice you can use to connect with your body sexually 00:39:17 - Pleasure comes from within and you can access it anytime you desire 00:42:35 - Conclusion  

Tap into your sexual creativity and get past fear and repression. Embrace your darker fantasies without having to make them real! Certified Sex Therapist & Host, Heather Shannon, interviews guest Bria Rose about her journey from working at Disney to becoming a successful author of dark, sexy fairy tales. She discusses the importance of exploring fantasies through fiction, and her personal journey towards sex positivity. Bria emphasizes the significance of communication in relationships and the need for sexual compatibility. She also shares insights on character creation, overcoming writer's block, and the role of inspiration in sexy writing. The conversation concludes with Bria's advice on navigating relationships and where to find her work.Chapters00:00 From Disney to Dark Fairy Tales02:42 Exploring Morality in Storytelling05:32 The Role of Fantasy in Healing08:30 Sex Positivity and Personal Growth10:30 Character Development in Dark Romance13:20 Reimagining Classic Tales As Dark, Sexy Ones16:14 Feminism and Modern Storytelling21:53 Exploring Character Dynamics in Fiction25:30 Generating Sexy Ideas and Finding Inspiration28:25 The Importance of Communication in Relationships34:10 Navigating Personal Growth and Relationship Dynamics38:34 Creating Characters and Their Therapeutic JourneysKeywordsBria Rose, dark fairy tales, Disney fan fiction, storytelling, morality, erotic novels, sex positivity, character creation, relationships, communication, romance novels, romantasy, sexy books, dark sexual fantasies, sex and healingThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp

Certified Sex Therapist answers questions about strap-ons for double penetration, managing mismatched sex drives, psychological erection issues, and the importance of emotional intimacy in relationships. Heather provides insights and advice on how to navigate these personal challenges, emphasizing communication and mindfulness as key tools for improving sexual health and relationship satisfaction.Chapters00:00 Listener Q&A Introduction00:27 Exploring Double Penetration with Strap-Ons05:07 Navigating Mismatched Sex Drives12:36 Understanding Psychological Erection Issues19:50 Reclaiming Sexual Desire in Long-Term RelationshipsKeywordsHeather Shannon, listener Q&A, double penetration, sex drives, sex questions, libido, erection issues, performance anxiety, emotional intimacy, improve communication, mindfulness, sex therapy, sex education, podcast, Ask A Sex TherapistThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp

In this episode, DB talks with Claire Perelman all about the pleasure of non-monogamy! ENM, polyamory, swingers, monogam-ish -- there's so many ways to be non-monogamous, and so many reasons living a life outside of monogamy can be a tremendous joy. Non-monogamous listeners, we see you! Monogamous listeners, this is a great moment to learn about what makes ENM so appealing to so many. Guest Details Claire Perelman (she/her) is a Queer, Jewish, Certified Sex Therapist and Educator living and working in the Bay Area. She is passionate about creating accessible sex education and normalizing play, pleasure, and sexuality through her work with clients, workshops, and across social media. Like many therapists, she channeled her greatest source of pleasure and heartbreak into her area of focus, leading her to specialize in relationships, sex, and intimacy for couples, individuals, and polycules. You can find her at @sexclarified (on all platforms) and www.sexclarified.com ABOUT SEASON 12 Season 12 of Sex Ed with DB is ALL ABOUT PLEASURE! Solo pleasure. Partnered pleasure. Orgasms. Porn. Queer joy. Kinks, sex toys, fantasies—you name it. We're here to help you feel more informed, more empowered, and a whole lot more turned on to help YOU have the best sex. CONNECT WITH US Instagram: @sexedwithdbpodcast TikTok: @sexedwithdbTwitter: @sexedwithdb Threads: @sexedwithdbpodcast YouTube: Sex Ed with DB SEX ED WITH DB SEASON 12 SPONSORS Lion's Den, Uberlube, & Magic Wand Get discounts on all of DB's favorite things here! GET IN TOUCH Email: sexedwithdb@gmail.comSubscribe to our BRAND NEW newsletter for hot goss, expert advice, and *the* most salacious stories. FOR SEXUAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS Check out DB's workshop: "Building A Profitable Online Sexual Health Brand" ABOUT THE SHOW Sex Ed with DB is your go-to podcast for smart, science-backed sex education—delivering trusted insights from top experts on sex, sexuality, and pleasure. Empowering, inclusive, and grounded in real science, it's the sex ed you've always wanted. ASK AN ANONYMOUS SEX ED QUESTION Fill out our anonymous form to ask your sex ed question. SEASON 12 TEAM Creator, Host & Executive Producer: Danielle Bezalel (DB) (she/her) Communications Lead: Cathren Cohen (she/her) Growth Marketing Manager and Producer: Wil Williams (they/them) MUSIC Intro theme music: Hook Sounds Background music: Bright State by Ketsa Ad music: Soul Sync by Ketsa, Always Faithful by Ketsa, and Soul Epic by Ketsa. Thank you Ketsa!

The one and only Dr. Viviana Coles joins the show this week to discuss her amazing work as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Certified Sex Therapist as well as her groundbreaking new book, The 4 Intimacy Styles: The Key to Lasting Physical Intimacy. Dr. Viviana's website https://doctorviviana.com/Dr. Viviana's IG: @doctorvivianaDr. Viviana's private practice https://houstonrelationshiptherapy.com/Follow us on IG: @threewisewomen.podcast Check us out on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ThreeWiseWomen.Podcast

268. Savvy Business and Health & Wellness Tips and Journey to Overcoming Infertility with Laura Jean Bell   1 Corinthians 10:31 NIV "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God."   Today's episode includes some thematic material. I want you to be aware before you listen in the presence of little ears.    *Transcription Below*   Laura Jean Bell is a believer, storyteller, writer, wife to her high school sweetheart and mama to three miracle babies.   She is a published author of You Can Always Come Home by Laura Jean Bell, in addition to being a Business and Social Media Coach.    Laura also overcame stage 3 endometriosis by taking the road less traveled and now she spends countless hours helping other women take that road with her!    Connect with Laura on Instagram: @laura_jean_bell   Laura Jean Bell's Website   Questions and Topics We Discuss: What are a handful of practical tips you can offer others, especially as it relates to digital marketing? Will you share your research on Minerals: How do we even determine what minerals we need?  Will you leave us with a few more social media tips?   Thank You to Our Sponsor: Midwest Food Bank   Other Episodes Related to This Topic from The Savvy Sauce: 48 Pursuing Health, Not Vanity Before and After Childbearing with Blogger, Speaker, and Coach, Megan Dahlman 33 Pursuing Health in the New Year with Functional Medicine Specialist, Dr. Jill Carnahan 68 Hormones and Simple Changes to Feel SO Much Better with Functional Medicine Expert, Dr. Jill Carnahan 70 Energy to Spark Success in Your Business with Best-Selling Author, Speaker, and Podcaster, Christy Wright 76 Conflict Resolution, Infidelity, and Infertility with Licensed Psychologist and Certified Sex Therapist, Dr. Jessica McCleese 77 How 2 Questions Can Grow Your Business and Change Your Life with Author, Pastor, and Podcaster, Jeff Henderson 132 Pursuing Your God-Given Dream with Francie Hinrichsen 256 Gut Health, Allergies, Inflammation and Proactive Solutions with Emily Macleod-Wolfe 266 Female Sex Hormones, Periods, and Perimenopause with Emily Macleod-Wolfe   Connect with The Savvy Sauce on Facebook, Instagram or Our Website   Gospel Scripture: (all NIV) Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”   Romans 3:24 “and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”   Romans 3:25 (a) “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.”    Hebrews 9:22 (b) “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”    Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”    Romans 5:11 “Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”    John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”   Romans 10:9 “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”    Luke 15:10 says “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”   Romans 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”   Ephesians 1:13–14 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession- to the praise of his glory.”   Ephesians 1:15–23 “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”   Ephesians 2:8–10 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God‘s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.“   Ephesians 2:13 “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.“   Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”   *Transcription*   Music: (0:00 – 0:10)   Laura Dugger: (0:11 - 1:25) Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, where we have practical chats for intentional living. I'm your host, Laura Dugger, and I'm so glad you're here.    Today's episode includes some thematic material. I want you to be aware before you listen in the presence of little ears.    Thank you to an anonymous donor to Midwest Food Bank who paid the sponsorship fee in hopes of spreading awareness. Learn more about this amazing nonprofit organization at MidwestFoodBank.org.   Laura Jean Bell is my guest today, and she is a Jesus-loving author and also a business and social media coach. So, not only is she going to share some of her best savvy social media and business tips, but also the conversation takes a detour into health and wellness, and she has an abundance of wisdom to share there as well, even including practical tips that we can implement today for our own flourishing in health and well-being. Here's our chat.   Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, Laura.   Laura Jean Bell: (1:26 - 1:27) Hi, thank you for having me.   Laura Dugger: (1:28 - 1:34) I'd love for you just to start us off by giving us a snapshot glimpse of your current life right now.   Laura Jean Bell: (1:35 - 2:27) Oh, my goodness, my chaotic life. Actually, it's a sweet, beautiful thing, but I am a wife to my high school sweetheart. We have been married, this year will be 11 years, and we have three kiddos. Emmylou, who is six. She literally just turned six. My son Oaks, who is three, and my youngest is Lottie, and she just turned nine months. So, my life is very full. I own my business, I am a published author, and I have three very, very needy children, right? I'm in a season of life where I'm very, very, very needed, and that's a beautiful thing, but it can be a very overwhelming thing at times. So, that is a little snapshot about my day-in and day-out life.   Laura Dugger: (2:27 - 2:43) That sums it up well. Gorgeous kid names, by the way. Oh, thank you. But I'd love to hear more about your business, too. Would you mind just explaining the work that you get to do as a digital marketer and online income mentor?   Laura Jean Bell: (2:44 - 4:58) Sure. Okay, so, this has been such a fun journey for me, and just to maybe explain it in like a Reader's Digest version, because I think that there's so much on the internet right now that's like, make $5 million in four minutes. But what I do is actually help business owners.    So, like the average woman who maybe is wanting to build an income or find her place online, that was where I started. That's where I began, like really helping those women be like, “Hey, I can be a business owner, too.” I can actually have like a mark and a place in this space, which I think is often really hard for women to like grasp, because we're so inundated with influencer culture.    But as the business began to expand and grow, I really started to lean into how do I help business owners actually market their business and make it really profitable online? Because a lot of times there's business owners that have these great businesses, but they don't actually have the marketing piece to actually sell the thing that makes their business a business. And some of them have a brick and mortar, and they're brick and mortar as well, but they'd love to increase their income.    How do you do that? You get online; you make sales online. And so, what I do is I teach female business entrepreneurs how to scale their business using Instagram.    I do not focus on any other platforms. My main focus is Instagram and teaching them how to use their messaging to make sales consistently. And so, I help them figure out their messaging and then write it.    Actually, I write content for a lot of my clients. And then I teach them consistency and speed so that their life isn't just consumed by the internet, which is like what all of us feel, right? Like, once you get on, you're like, how do I do this?    And I have to create this, I have to edit this, I have to do that. Like, it becomes very overwhelming. And so, what I do is I just eliminate the overwhelm.    I simplify it and I help entrepreneurs really find their messaging.   Laura Dugger: (4:59 - 5:15) Wow, that's incredible. So, you clearly have a gift for communication and articulating different things. Is there anything you want to just give us a little peek into practical tips if somebody is running their own social media?    Any tips you'd have for business owners?   Laura Jean Bell: (5:17 - 6:59) I think that the biggest, the greatest understatement that's happening right now online is followers and views mean absolutely nothing. They are like the beginning of Instagram, the beginning of social media. It was all about like, how many friends do you have?    And then it was how many followers do you have? And you know, how many views are you getting on your stories? And you get all these interactions on your reels.    And like, while that is the mental game of social media, and that is the thing that everybody is going for, because it actually fuels this like dopamine hit in your brain. But the reality is, is that there are people with thousands upon thousands of followers that are making $0 on the internet. And what they need is the actual messaging that says, “Hey, this is how I serve this pain point, and give you the life you want.”   And so, the biggest thing is, if you have five people in one day that view your stories, and three of them actually buy from you, like, that's over 50%. So, you're looking at, while everybody is freaking out about the number, it really is about your messaging in order to convert to sales, you can have a bunch of eyes on you. But if you're not serving the people that are following you, and serving them towards a sale, it doesn't mean anything.    So, don't focus on the numbers, focus on your messaging, focus on your brand, focus on what it is that you are serving your people with. And you will make money, you just will. It's how it works.    So, I hope that answers your question. Well for you.   Laura Dugger: (6:59 - 7:26) But yeah, I love it, because it's so unexpected, I would have never known. And I've also heard you encourage people to share their stories rather than just stating facts. And you share your own story, both online and in your book, You Can Always Come Home: Following the Breadcrumbs of Your Past to Find the Hope for Your Tomorrow.    So, Laura, how can we all incorporate stories into our own work so that we can better serve others?   Laura Jean Bell: (7:28 - 8:59) That's such a good question. And I think the biggest thing is, what story do you want people to know? What story is it that like, you really think like, you've been pricked, right, by the Holy Spirit, like, this is the story that I need you to tell.    This is why you walked through this experience. This is why you're doing this thing. Because oftentimes, we can negate the things that we've walked through, and act as if like, those things didn't, weren't that big of a deal because you survived it, right?    Like, oh, well, you know, it wasn't anything, it was a big deal, right? And so, what are the things that you actually feel are important, they keep showing up, they keep becoming the things that people are asking you about? And how do you tell that story to where somebody hears the messy middle, and then the beautiful resolve, the beautiful ending to that story, because there is, right, the beginning, the middle, and the end.    And that's what makes stories so impactful. Facts tell, right? Like, anybody can tell you that, like, a carrot is orange.    But like, if somebody tells you the story of how the carrot became orange, or how this, like, what the soil does to all of this, and how it adds these nutrients, doesn't that make you like, appreciate a carrot more, want to eat a carrot more, want to go buy the carrots more, right? And so, the same goes with our story, like, what is it that actually happened to create this specific result?   Laura Dugger: (9:00 - 9:11) That's so good. Well, and speaking of stories, are you willing to walk us through a little bit of your own story with your health journey? Yeah, absolutely.    Ask me anything.   Laura Jean Bell: (9:11 - 9:16) I'm an open book. It might scare some people. I'm an open book about it.   Laura Dugger: (9:17 - 9:33) I appreciate that. Yeah, just, you're clearly a very healthy woman. But I know you've had a whole past that you've walked.    So, has health always been important to you? Or at what point of life did you start to make some changes because it wasn't working?   Laura Jean Bell: (9:35 - 14:24) Yeah, you know, it's so interesting. When I reflect on something like that. Um, you know, I grew up in a home, I always start with this, like, my mother was not a dieter.    Like she didn't diet all the time. She wasn't always like, on some workout trend or not eating carbs or not doing this. Like it was never that.    My mom is naturally like very, very, very thin. And so, like that wasn't a part of the conversation. My mom was always obsessed, though, with, like eating food that's good for you.   Like, and in the 90s, like that was really tricky, right? Because they were so many messages about like, what's good for you? What's not that is bad.    Like there's all these things. And while our household, I say was probably much healthier than the average household in the 1990s and early 2000s. I don't think that I ever like cared about my health.    I still ate the Hot Pockets and the Easy Mac and ramen noodles and every opportunity that my parents actually let us eat out like I was chowing down. So, when I reflect on like my years, like 0 to 18, all I cared about was just consumption. I was like, nobody could stop the amount of food that I could consume.    I'm five foot eleven (5' 11”). I was growing like crazy. You can ask my family like I could out eat anyone.    It was kind of unbelievable. So, that part of my life, like, that was not an unhealthy thing. College is when things began for me.    And when I went to college, I for most of my life, I was a competitive dancer. So, like, I was consuming but I was burning like it was like calories in versus calories out. I had no concept of that.    I did not know how to read a nutrition label on the back of a box until I was like, well into college, like, literally remember learning how to do it in a college health class. So, I go to college. And I noticed that I started gaining weight, right?    Like, I'm eating all the fast-food options that are in our student center. And then the cafeteria food. This isn't my mom's home cooked meals anymore.    This isn't the mostly healthy option anymore. And I start gaining weight. So, when that happened, I started hearing other girls talk about what they were doing.    Like, oh, well, you just eat less than exercise more. And like, I had no concept of like, what, what did that mean? Right?    Like, do you just not eat like I love to eat, right. And so, what I started doing, I didn't know how to like lift weights or do anything. So, I started running, because I thought, okay, I have endurance, I danced forever, like, you have to have that endurance with that.    So, like, I'll run. So, I start running. And I completely gave up meat.    I was like, well, I can just eat. I thought meat somehow made you fat. I don't know.    That was just some weird thing that I had in my head. And I stopped eating meat, and I ate less. So, like, I just kind of narrowed down what I was eating, and then ate less of it kind of thing.    And that was when my health problems began, was when I began doing that. Which is really interesting, right? I was probably eating roughly like 1000 to 1200 calories a day, but I was running four to six miles a day.    So, like, I was not fueling what I was burning. Although I was losing weight. So, like, calories in versus calories out, like the concept of like, just eat less than exercise more, it was working.    I was 19. Like, I was young, I had a like, everything was working right, you know. But all of a sudden, my body was like, you're depriving me.    And I'm not only being deprived of actual calories, I'm being deprived of nutrients. And what began to happen is it started to show up in my hormones, with my cycle, started breaking out in hormonal acne on my chin, I started having very short cycles. So, like, for any woman listening that maybe doesn't have a concept of this language, because oddly enough, so many women don't, and it's like about us.    But like, a woman has a cycle, your period isn't your cycle, it's the full month that's your cycle. And I was instead of 28 days, I was having 18 day cycles. And the pain during my period was excruciating.    It was so painful. And I'd never experienced that before. So, those were the things that began to show up.    But I just kept going with what I was doing. And just thought I just had bad periods. I had family members that had bad periods, this just must be genetic. And I just have to live with it and pop ibuprofen every 18 days, right. So, that was kind of where it where it started.   Laura Dugger: (14:25 - 16:04) Let's take a quick break to hear a message from our sponsor. Midwest Food Bank who exists to provide industry leading food relief to those in need while feeding them spiritually. They are a food charity with a desire to demonstrate God's love by providing help to those in need.    Unlike other parts of the world where there's not enough food, in America the resources actually do exist. That's why food pantries and food banks like Midwest Food Bank are so important. The goods that they deliver to their agency partners help to supplement the food supply for families and individuals across our country, aiding those whose resources are beyond stretched.   Midwest Food Bank also supports people globally through their locations in Haiti and East Africa, which are some of the areas hardest hit by hunger arising from poverty. This ministry reaches millions of people every year. And thanks to the Lord's provision, 99% of every donation goes directly toward providing food to people in need.    The remaining 1% of income is used for fundraising, cost of leadership, oversight and other administrative expenses. Donations, volunteers and prayers are always appreciated for Midwest Food Bank. To learn more, visit MidwestFoodBank.org or listen to Episode 83 of The Savvy Sauce where the founder David Kieser shares miracles of God that he's witnessed through this nonprofit organization. I hope you check them out today. Was that the point that led to what you call your year of rebellion? Or did that come later?   Laura Jean Bell: (16:05 - 23:39) No way that that was just the start of basically, roughly eight years of undiagnosed endometriosis. So, what started happening is in college, I would have these what I call episodes where I would be roughly like a day or two before my period would start. And I would have this unbelievable pain that would come over me.    And I could feel it literally my lower abdomen, so much pressure, so much discomfort. Oftentimes, it would involve vomiting, passing out, so painful. To this day, I've had an unmedicated birth.    And I'm here to tell you that the pain of pushing out an almost 10-pound baby, and that were roughly the same thing. It was unbelievable, excruciating pain. I would go to the doctor, they would not give me ultrasounds, they would not check anything, they would not even do my blood work, they did nothing.    They would just say you have really painful periods, and we'll give you birth control. That was every year from 2010 until 2017. This was what was given to me.    And so, in 2017, I was on my way to work, and I had one of those episodes. And I called the doctor, they bring me in, and I said, I want an ultrasound, like I will sit here all day, I need an ultrasound. And so, they did an ultrasound and found two cysts on one ovary, one on the other, and they were six and seven centimeters and six centimeters.    I mean, it was just crazy, these large cysts. And they were like, you more than likely have endometriosis. This is, you know, they started explaining all the things.    And fast forward, I ended up having two laparoscopies, which is the surgery to remove endometriosis in 10 months, the average woman can go 18 months between surgeries, and I had mine in 10 months. That's how reoccurring rapidly it was growing and spreading in my body. And I felt zero relief from the surgeries, which everyone promised, like, you'll feel amazing, you'll, you know, you'll get pregnant. I couldn't get pregnant. I was in so much pain, and I go through another cycle of it.    And it's like, these doctors are like, yeah, you're probably just not going to be able to have children. We recommend you getting on birth control, or getting a hysterectomy, like, these are your options. And so, what I did is I went to see a fertility specialist, like anybody would do like, I'm not going to just stick with my OB. I'm going to see if I can actually have kids. And so, I see a fertility specialist, I go through multiple, multiple, multiple rounds of fertility treatments, and I wind up getting pregnant with my first daughter, Emilu.    So, she is a product of folly stem stimulation and an IUI. And lots of trigger shots and lots of synthetic progesterone. I did all of it.    And after my daughter was born a year postpartum, I got pregnant again, and I miscarried that baby. That baby was miscarried March of 2020, which is when everybody went crazy, right? 2020, like who has their 2020 story, right?   And so, my daughter was little, I mean, she was like 14 months old, when I had this miscarriage. And I remember watching, I watched this video, it was called The Pandemic. And a lot of people like didn't actually see it because it was taken off the internet for misinformation.    And it was a woman that was explaining what was really happening with the pandemic, which is funny, because all of it's true now. But it was taken down like, she's crazy. This is a horrible pandemic, nothing was created in a lab, all of that.    And I was like, I went to watch it again, because I thought this woman must be crazy. Like there's no way that this would actually happen. And I went to watch it again.    And it was taken off the internet for misinformation. And this thought came over me, which is so bizarre now. Like, I know more about Kim and Kanye's divorce, than I know about what's happening with this pandemic.    Yet, Kim and Kanye's divorce information is there for me to see. And they're not letting me look at this. Why?    And it was this very strange thing that came over me. But everything that came out that was like, don't take this medicine to help COVID, don't do this, actually, like saturated fats are bad for you, like all of these different things that were popping up. And people were saying, it's misinformation.    I was like, I'm going to research that. I'm going to research that. I'm going to research that the fertility doctor that did my DNC after I had a miscarriage. They actually said to me, you will never again, have another pregnancy.    But if you do, you will not have a normal child. That is what they discovered and decided about me, according to the results from that DNC, what happened to that baby, why that baby wasn't developing, why I lost that baby. It literally like, and him saying that to me, I was like, why?    And it was almost like he couldn't explain to me the reasons why, but that I just never would. And this is what I needed to do next in order to stay healthy and keep endometriosis away. And so, I went on this journey for one year and I committed to one year where I was like, everything that is misinformation, I'm going to research it.    Everything that I have been told is good for me or is the best choice for me because of my condition. I'm going to actually look at what they're giving to me and like, why? Um, every time somebody told me like endometriosis is incurable.    Okay. But like, what is endometriosis? Nobody actually explained to me what it was.    They just told me I had it and that it caused what it caused, not actually what caused it. And so, when I went on this journey, I began to discover and unfold so many things that absolutely blew my mind, broke my heart, made me very angry because as I began to implement the things that I discovered, I healed and I got better. And all of a sudden I don't have endometriosis anymore.    All of a sudden I'm pregnant with a very healthy baby. All of a sudden, like everything is better. How is it that the things that the providers that were working with me, what they were doing for me was keeping me sick.    And as I branched out and did all the things that they said was absolutely crazy. I had one of them literally looking at me and he was holding topical progesterone and he was like, this stuff, like with all due respect to this functional doctor that talked to you, this stuff doesn't work. And unfortunately they sell things to people like you, young women who are desperate for answers.    They sell this stuff to you to make so much money and it's not going to do anything for you. Guess what? Topical progesterone changed my life.    So, anyways, that is kind of a little bit of like my year of rebellion and what happened. I'm happy to go into details for you, but I feel like I'm getting long winded with it.   Laura Dugger: (23:39 - 24:13) No, that's incredible. I do want to do a deep dive into it because I think it's such a blessing after you've spent over a year researching this and then living this for multiple years. I think it can be such a benefit to each of us.    And I'm recalling this story specifically about toxins where people were saying that means nothing. But in that fertility clinic, somebody told you, there was a sign that said their employees were not allowed to wear certain toxins because quote, it could inhibit the fertility process.   Laura Jean Bell: (24:14 - 24:14) Yes.   Laura Dugger: (24:15 - 24:16) Can you elaborate on that?   Laura Jean Bell: (24:17 - 26:18) Yes. You know, what's really funny is I went to the health department to get some paperwork and stuff for my kids the other day. And, um, there was a sign up that was like any and all women that are getting mammograms, if you're getting a mammogram, do not wear perfume or deodorant for a mammogram because of the radiation mixed with the toxins.    I asked the woman that was sitting there, I was like, why did they say that? And she explained it to me and I was like, oh, okay. So, why aren't you telling us to stop wearing it altogether?    Um, but when I went to the fertility clinic, I was going through fertility. I was like an avid Daisy by Mark Jacobs perfume where I don't know. I still love the way that smells.    It's the yummiest, but I would wear it all the time. And I went in and the woman that was there, she was like, you smell so good. And I was like, it's Daisy by Mark Jacobs.    She was like, I wish I could wear perfume to work. I'm not allowed to. And I was like, why not?   And she was like, oh, because like the people that are working on women who are going through fertility, getting their IU eyes. So, it's like when they're actually inseminating you, like we, it could inhibit the fertility process. She was like, have you ever noticed we don't have any candles?    Like we're not allowed to bring candles here, all of that. And I was like, why aren't you telling me to stop doing that? Is that not interesting to anyone?    Like why is no one paying attention to the fact that like, I'm walking in here with perfume on to get an IU eye that's going to fail because it inhibits the, for the fertility process, like the one that works. Uh, guess what? I wasn't wearing any perfume.    So, it's like, it's one of those things that like, when I heard that, I thought, well, what is it that messes with the fertility process? Like what, what is that? And this was honestly, when I heard this information, this was before my year of rebellion.    So, like, I remember her telling me that and I kind of stopped wearing it to the sessions because I thought, well, I don't want to get this messed up anyways.   Laura Dugger: (26:18 - 26:29) So, yeah, pretty wild. That's incredible. And okay.    So, from that year of rebellion, what other tweaks did you make small and large?   Laura Jean Bell: (26:30 - 29:38) Oh man. Um, some big things like I removed toxins from my home. So, that looked like removing Clorox wipes and, um, detergents that are just like your average detergents that you buy from the store.    Um, I stopped burning candles and started burning, not burning, but diffusing essential oils. Um, from there, what I really started focusing on was my protein intake. Um, I spent so many years vegan, vegetarian, refusing meat, refusing proteins.    And those were the years that things were really bad for me. When I started to reincorporate animal proteins and quality animal fats, my cycles went from 18 days to 29 days. I started having painless periods.    My hair started growing more. Um, my nails wouldn't break. Um, my, even my vision got better.   And so, what was really interesting is I started learning that if you are protein deficient, you will be progesterone deficient and progesterone is the pregnancy hormone. This is the hormone you have to have in order to conceive. I always tell it like this progesterone equals pro gestation.    So, if you don't have enough progesterone, your baby cannot survive the first 12 weeks. That's what the baby lives on before the placenta is formed. You have to have progesterone in order to balance out the estrogen progesterone balance.    If it's imbalanced, that's where you have pain, mood swings, acne, discomfort, the growth of endometriosis and PCOS. These things are really important. Progesterone is so important for your mental health.    If you are mentally low, like think about your progesterone levels. Think about how much you're sleeping. If you're sleeping in complete darkness, that raises your levels.    If you eat at least 80 grams of protein a day, it raises your progesterone levels. These are two really basic things. Like it's really simple.    It's not complicated. So, that was probably the biggest thing for me was learning how to eat because for years we're told, at least all of my life, like fat is bad. They would rather you eat hydrogenated oils and I can't believe it's not better than actually eat grass-fed butter.    Why? Why is it bad for you? When you really uncover the work that was done in the studies that were given for explaining that fat is bad, it was all paid for.    It was all paid for by the medical industry, by big pharma in order to push this agenda. They said that it was bad for our hearts, but get this, in the years after they told everyone that it was horrible for heart health, heart disease skyrocketed as people began to eat less animal protein and less animal fats. So, anyways, just to give like a little, some of the things that I discovered and changed, that's the main thing, which really and truly is like not that complicated.    Wow.   Laura Dugger: (29:39 - 29:45) Yes. Focusing on what you're intaking. What about cortisol? What did you learn about that?   Laura Jean Bell: (29:46 - 32:21) So, cortisol is like your get up and get crap done hormone. Okay. And when you are living in a state of fight or flight, where basically you get up in the morning, I'm going to give you an example of what a lot of women do.    And they end up having issues with cortisol and eventually stop producing it altogether. So, a woman gets up in the morning, she wakes up, she drinks a cup of coffee with no food on her stomach. And she goes and does a 30-minute cardio workout.    And then she comes in and she eats maybe like a protein bar, like a little, like some type of granola bar, another cup of coffee. She goes to work. She works all day or she's home with her kids all day.    And by the time she's got her work done, or she's taking care of her children and fed her children, doing all of these things, you're going all day long. All of a sudden it's three o'clock and you haven't eaten anything and you're in a bad mood and you're really tired. And so, maybe you go get a snack and another cup of coffee.    And then by the time you get to dinner, it's the only meal that you've really sat down and had for the day. Okay. So, what has that done to you?    Your body believes because your body and your brain don't know the difference between a bear chasing you or you running strictly on caffeine and doing too much cardio. And so, all of a sudden she is moody. She's exhausted.    She's running on all this tension. Her hair starts to fall out. She gets acne.    Her skin's doing some weird stuff. Her nails are kind of brittle. All this, you're always moody.   You're always in a bad mood. It's because your cortisol is doing this. It's like, and it's like on, it's like high.    And sometimes when you keep doing this, you actually can get a lot of energy. And then all of a sudden your adrenals, because your adrenals are what produced cortisol. Your adrenals are like, actually we're done.    Like stop running from the bear. Just die. Like literally it like can't do anything for you anymore.   And you go into what a lot of people call, or doctors call adrenal failure, which is where your body doesn't even produce cortisol anymore. And so, that is when you can't get out of bed in the morning. You're so exhausted.    Um, you can't lose weight. You, no matter what you do, you're winded. You're overwhelmed.   Um, but you don't have energy for anything. You have so much brain fog, um, so much bloat and inflammation. It's because your body's not producing cortisol.    So, you don't have the energy to get anything done. Um, does that answer your question?   Laura Dugger: (32:21 - 32:45) Yeah, this is so interesting because I feel like there's a whole health movement right now. So, there's a lot of buzz about all of this and people, I think, especially after 2020 people are waking up. So, love gathering perspectives as you're talking about inflammation then too, with cortisol, have you researched much about grounding, like actually barefoot on the earth?    Yes, girl. Are you kidding me? Absolutely.   Laura Jean Bell: (32:46 - 35:48) Um, so, something that was really interesting, I went to see a specialist, um, when I was really healing my adrenals, because a fun fact for you, like when your adrenals are just in overload, if you are experiencing high cortisol, you're constantly up here. Guess what? Your body's going to throw out the window fertility because what in the world is safe about a body that is running from a bear?    Like, no, your body is preserving you because it's not safe for you to host a life. So, I was seeing a doctor who was really helping me. Um, it's called muscle testing.    So, they test each organ according to how your muscles respond. And, um, I was in adrenal failure. And at this point I'd already had my second child and was experiencing a lot of inflammation.    I couldn't lose weight. I was like so tired. I was irritable.    And, um, I did this long session with him and I was in St. Pete, Florida doing this session. And he said, you have an assignment for the rest of the day. And I was like, okay.    And he was like, you need to go to the beach, like go somewhere and actually lay your entire body down on the sand. He was like, I know, like nobody wants to get sandy, but like lay on the sand. And I was like, tell me why.    And he was like, if you lay on the sand, it's your body touching the earth. And God gave you the earth as a battery pack. And this battery pack literally is going to shoot energy back into your body that your body has been deprived of.    And like, there's, he started going into all the studies for it, but he was like, don't you ever know the difference? Like, and how you feel when you've been cooped up at work all day. And then like, you go on a vacation to the beach and you sit on the beach and you put your feet in moving water.    He was like, it's literal living water. This living water moves and it heals and rejuvenates what happens to water that stagnant. It gets disgusting. Yeah.    It turns to mold, right? It actually goes toxic, but that moving water is healing. It's living.    It's rejuvenating. It's very biblical, right? And then you have the earth that God gave you is this battery pack.    There are people, this is going to sound crazy, but there are who have done LSD, like psychedelic drugs that talk about the vibrations of the earth. When they're on this drug, they are seeing the way. And they talk about there's a magnetic field.    They like, you can read, you can watch videos. You can see studies of people who did LSD, who literally can see the energy that the ground gives you. I mean, it's crazy, but isn't it like the Lord, right?    To give us what we need in nature, like magic.   Laura Dugger: (35:49 - 37:17) Yes. Where we're going back to the way that he designed, whether that's eating whole foods or getting outside in his beautiful nature. There's countless benefits, but I think it's just amazing that taking your shoes off and being on the earth, even for 30 seconds is beneficial.    When was the first time you listened to an episode of The Savvy Sauce?   How did you hear about our podcast? Did a friend share it with you? Will you be willing to be that friend now and text five other friends or post on your socials, anything about The Savvy Sauce that you love?    If you share your favorite episodes, that is how we continue to expand our reach and get the good news of Jesus Christ in more ears across the world. So, we need your help. Another way to help us grow is to leave a five-star review on Apple podcasts.    Each of these suggestions will cost you less than a minute, but it will be a great benefit to us. Thank you so much for being willing to be generous with your time and share. We appreciate you.    You had also talked about previously with your health journey, being deficient in minerals, I think you said as well, or just not getting the nutrients. So, are there any minerals that we all are likely lacking or any that you would recommend from your research and experience?   Laura Jean Bell: (37:18 - 39:36) Yeah, I would, I mean, every mineral. The most underrated mineral right now is potassium. The amount of women who are potassium deficient and need more potassium is unreal.    But magnesium is huge. You have to have magnesium for your body to even naturally produce vitamin D. Like vitamin D is a hormone, but you have to have magnesium for your body to produce vitamin D.    How many have gone to the doctor and they're like, you are very low in vitamin D, right? Well, get in the sunshine more, take the supplement, but like, where's your magnesium, right? And so, magnesium, potassium, potassium is huge, especially for your mental health.    This is really going to help you in like balancing out, like you're removing the brain fog, really. Sodium, which everyone's like, eat less sodium. You need less sodium chloride.    You need less table salt. You don't need less salt. Your body has salt.    Your body needs salt. Think about what your t-shirt looks like when you drenched in sweat. It dries and what does it have?    Salt. It's salty, right? When you're sweaty, it's salty.    And it's because your body actually needs sodium. It has to have it. And so, stop using white table salt, like iodized salt.    Go get some quality Celtic salt, like really simple, but put that in your water. Like first thing in the morning, drink some water with some Celtic salt, like get those electrolytes back in your system. So, potassium, magnesium, sodium, and calcium, like your body needs calcium and you can get calcium in multiple ways, um, multiple ways, but calcium is going to support your bones.    It's going to help support your muscles. Cause if you are working those muscles, your body needs the strength. And so, calcium is going to give you that balance as well.    It's fantastic. So, all of them, but like, I think the make sure you're getting magnesium, just like if you just need to start somewhere, just get a magnesium supplement. I recommend magnesium glycinate because it's kind of the overall magnesium.   Laura Dugger: (39:37 - 39:44) So, it's great. Okay. And you said you can get calcium multiple places.    Do you take that as a supplement or where do you get your calcium?   Laura Jean Bell: (39:45 - 41:04) So, I actually do adrenal cocktails. So, that is, um, coconut water, orange juice and Celtic salt. That's it.    And just do a little adrenal cocktail in the morning. And in the afternoon, make sure that you have had protein before you drink it, because if you're anything like me, it'll spike your blood sugar. Um, if you're not balanced, so, you need to be balanced.    Um, I've always been very sensitive to things like orange juice, apple juice. Like as a kid, I would feel really bad in the mornings and I just thought breakfast made my stomach hurt. And actually it was like, my blood sugar was dysregulated from the cup of orange juice and the cinnamon toast that my mom gave me.    Right. So, like, it's like butter, sugar, white flour, orange juice, like eat this for a nutrient dense breakfast. And I like would feel horrible after because my blood sugar was off.    So, um, make sure you get some protein on your stomach and drink the adrenal cocktail. Like my parents, my parents swear by it. My dad's like, this has changed my life.    I'm your mom's going to make me one of those little cocktail things that you tell, I tell her about all the time. It's hilarious. And I'm like, it's just juice and coconut water, but it's got the minerals.    That's why it makes you feel so good. It's because it's giving your body the nutrients that it needs.   Laura Dugger: (41:05 - 41:17) That's incredible. Are there any other biohacks, health hacks, even the role of light that it plays or movement or anything else that you want to recommend with your extensive research?   Laura Jean Bell: (41:18 - 43:19) Um, I'll give two things. Uh, number one: if you can get up as the sun is rising or a little bit before and actually go outside and stare at the red light. The actual, morning sunrise, and then watch the sunset. If you can get your eyeballs on just like the surroundings where that red light is hitting, that will do wonders for the production of melatonin in your gut.    It's going to help you sleep. It's going to help you sleep really good at night, which is going to help you with your progesterone levels. So, that is great.    Number two is weightlifting. If you can incorporate at least two days a week of heavy weightlifting into your routine, it's going to do wonders. And the reason I say that is that estrogen, toxic estrogen, not the estrogen that's good for you that you need to like make you female, but like the toxic estrogens you're getting from perfumes and food and plastics and all the things it stores itself in fat, in visceral fat.    And so, the best way to burn fat and build muscle is by lifting weights. And so, if you want to keep toxic estrogens out of your body, step number one, get rid of fat, like fight hard for like, I mean, I'm still postpartum. I'm still burning off like weight that I gained in pregnancy.    But the number one thing that motivates me is not like, I want to look better, which of course I want to look better. Of course I want to fit back into my clothes, like all of that. But like Laura toxic estrogens store themselves in this fat.    And so, what, when you are lifting weights, you are burning fat and building muscle to support your family and not be burdened by the imbalance of your hormones. Like right there. That is the reason why.    So, lift weights. It's so good for you. It protects you from so many other diseases, but like that alone, women do not understand the power of that.    It's going to do wonders for you.   Laura Dugger: (43:20 - 43:47) Okay. This is so helpful. And then I'm thinking it's beneficial to have a specific plan.    So, as we think about where you talked about laundry detergents or limiting toxins, will you share a few of your personal favorite products? And then also what are some recommended things we can actually eat? Like when you walk through a healthy breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack, what would you share?   Laura Jean Bell: (43:49 - 45:22) Okay. So, some favorite products. I started out using Thieves household concentrate.    Young Living sells it. And it's like $26 for a bottle of the concentrate. That concentrate can be household cleaner.    So, like it can clean any surface in your home. It can be used as dishwasher detergent. So, we use thieves instead of like pods in our, in our dishwasher.    And I'm here to tell you, I think Young Living just came out with dishwasher pods, like Thieves dishwasher pods. We don't use it. We still use the concentrate.    But we use that. You can use it in your laundry so you can wash your clothes in it. And so, we alternate with that.    Sometimes we use that. Sometimes we use Molly's Suds. Those are like little pods.    You can get them on Amazon. It's a non-toxic option. You can also wash your clothes and like baking soda and vinegar, like just be old school.    Your clothes won't smell like vinegar. Don't worry. Like the vinegar gets rid of the odor.    That's like how our grandparents did it. So, those are some really simple hacks. Just because that's inexpensive.    Like you can make 16, I think it's 16 bottles of household concentrate, like spray with the one bottle. So, like you buy the one bottle, it takes a cap full and then you fill the rest of the way up with water and it cleans anything. It's fantastic.    It smells great. You'll love it. What else did you ask me?   Laura Dugger: (45:22 - 45:28) Food? Yes, food. Like a sample menu. Okay.   Laura Jean Bell: (45:28 - 47:02) Something that I love to eat. I love to just really enjoy my food. Like if you're on the go, like I'll give it an example.    If you're on the go, I recommend like boil some eggs. Okay. Take like three boiled eggs.    Get like a chopstick to get your protein and like an RX bar. RX bars are going to have the carbs, but it's also going to have more protein. You'll get six grams of protein per egg and then about 10 grams in your chopstick.    So, it's like 18 grams of the eggs plus 10 is 28 grams plus the RX bar. You're going to get over 30 grams of protein and then you'll have some carbs. I do recommend getting a little bit more carbs, but if you're on the go and you're in a hurry and you need to feel balanced, that's a good start.    If you're home, like I love doing scrambled eggs and air frying sweet potatoes, peppers, and onions. It is delicious. Just trust me and season it with garlic powder and salt.    It's so simple. Some avocado oil and literally just allow, like think about all the carbs, all the protein, everything. The best hack though, that I learned with eggs is do two regular, like the full egg and then do two egg whites and then add cottage cheese to your eggs, blend it in a blender and then cook them and just thank me later.    So, you're getting extra protein, it's creamier, it's so good. And then eat that with sweet potatoes and peppers and it's primo.   Laura Dugger: (47:02 - 47:12) Okay. This sounds amazing. I love it.    And this is my post recording meal, the RX bar. I love it on busy days.   Laura Jean Bell: (47:13 - 48:27) Yes. For lunch, I mean lunch, I honestly, I keep like ground beef patties just ready. And my air fryer stays on. I literally use it for every meal.    Sometimes if I don't have it ready, I just pat it out, put it in the air fryer, it cooks. Do that with a bunch of veggies, get lots of fruit, mainly berries, like berries, apples, and just adding that in is your carb. You can do, if you need a snack, I highly recommend doing Greek yogurt and mixing in your favorite protein powder and mixing that up.    It's so good. The Greek yogurt gives you the carbs, the fats and protein, and then you add the extra protein in it. And so, it's excellent.    For dinner, our favorite meal, we eat a lot of grass-fed beef because we buy cow every year. So, we'll do bowls and we'll do like a bed of rice, sweet potatoes, peppers and onions, and then ground beef. And then we drizzle the Japanese barbecue sauce over it.    And we call it Japanese barbecue bowls. It's literally just like a bunch of vegetables and meat with sauce, but it's really good.    So, there's some meal ideas for you.   Laura Dugger: (48:28 - 48:49) That's incredible. Thank you for just rattling those off. We've got a plan now.    And I love how this conversation took a turn toward health. So, before we leave that section, any other healthy rhythms or best practices or ways you've simplified your life that you would recommend? Just sleep.   Laura Jean Bell: (48:49 - 49:34) I know that sounds ridiculous, but people aren't sleeping and go to bed without your phone. You're going to be okay. You really are.    If your kids can go to bed without their phones, without a phone in their face, you can do it too. It's not the best way to turn your brain off. So, go to bed.    When you lay in a dark room without any blue light, you actually are helping your nervous system reset itself. And it needs a moment to rest and digest. So, get in the bed without a blue light and close your eyes and go to sleep.    You can do it, but it's so simple. And try to get eight to 10 hours of sleep a night. Truly, it's so important.   Laura Dugger: (49:35 - 49:54) That's so good. And you're all about simplifying. You even help people simplify their digital marketing.    So, as we turn it back to business, I know you can't give away all of your secrets, but will you share just a few more business or social media tips with all of us?   Laura Jean Bell: (49:55 - 50:43) Oh, man. I think the number one thing that I would tell anyone who's wanting to do anything in the online space is don't spread yourself across every platform. It's not worth your time.    And the more you hone in on one thing, the more of that thing you will sell, like plain and simple. And you will make way more money. You will spend way less time working on it.    You will enhance the lives of the people that choose to work with you. That is what you will gain.    If you simplify your offers, number one, sell less. Just sell more of one thing and stop spreading yourself thin across all the platforms. It's just too much work.   Laura Dugger: (50:43 - 51:03) That's wise counsel. And will you also tell us, I mean, I'm amazed as I'm thinking of all this research that you've done. You're living a healthy lifestyle.    You're raising young children, consulting with others as their coach. Also, you wrote a book. Can you share a little bit about that?   Laura Jean Bell: (51:03 - 52:50) I wrote my book. I actually have it right next to me because I was like, if somebody is going to ask you what this book is about, it's a book of short stories. And it sounds really simple, but it's a book of short stories that really draws you back to who you are in the Lord and understanding your place, like your identity in Christ, your belonging, fighting against fear and really coming home to who God created you to be.    And so, this book is a compilation of short stories of my own life where these things were very disrupted. My identity, like a total identity crisis, like not just having so much fear, learning how to come back to who God made me to be, but really writing out the moments of when I was living in that season and the people that helped me kind of find my way out and the things that God really showed me in that journey. And so, have it right here.    You Can Always Come Home: Following the Breadcrumbs of Your Past to Find the Hope for Your Tomorrow. It's really what my heart was and I learned a lot when I left my hometown and I moved to small town, North Alabama. And although this is where my dad is from, this was not where I was raised.    And I walked into a total identity crisis when I moved here. And I write a lot about that and about the moments when I was living in that season. How the Lord would reveal to me, like, remember when this happened, or remember when this happened and how you handled it or what that person said to you. And I wrote those stories in here.    And so, the goal of this book is for anybody who reads it to know that God's on your side and everything's going to be okay.   Laura Dugger: (52:51 - 53:06) Thank you for sharing that, Laura. And we'll certainly add a link for that in the show notes for today's episode, but also what links can we give for your social media? And then if somebody wants to reach out and work with you, what would that process look like?   Laura Jean Bell: (53:07 - 53:47) Yeah, so, my Instagram is Laura_Jean_Bell and Jean is J-E-A-N. And if you want to work with me or reach out, you can email me at laurabellwrites@gmail.com, or you can literally go to my Instagram account and click the link in my bio where I explain what I do. And it offers an ability to hop on a call with me where we can talk together and see if we would be a good fit to work together.    So, those are the ways that you can contact me. I have a website, laurabell.co, and you can contact me through that as well.   Laura Dugger: (53:48 - 54:07) Wonderful. Thank you for adding that. We will make sure it's accessible for everyone.    And Laura, you may be familiar with why we're called The Savvy Sauce, which is because savvy is synonymous with practical knowledge. And so, my final question for you today, Laura, what is your Savvy Sauce?   Laura Jean Bell: (54:09 - 56:38) For life in general? You got it. Okay.    Well, I have two of them. And so, one of them is kind of silly and one of them is not. So, I'm going to go with the non-silly one.    Oh, share both. Yes. But I will say like this, there was this line that I heard, and I don't know who like trademarked this line, but it was very simple.    It said, “You are the CEO of your life.” And it was very simple, but it changed everything for me because for so much of my life, like if your knee jerk reaction to things not going your way is to blame someone else, you're not living as the CEO of your life. And I have spent a lot of my life, like when something doesn't go my way, I look for a person to blame instead of looking at myself and my own flaws. Being able to see that, “Hey, sometimes Laura, you're to blame and like, it's okay.”   You're the CEO of your life and you get to see what you did wrong, see how you messed up, see how you needed to shift something and then move on. And I think so many of us, whether we want to believe it or not, we can fall victim to that and live our lives so attached to this idea that somebody else is always to blame. Somebody else did this to me.    Sometimes things do happen to you that are not your fault. Sometimes you are a victim of horrible crimes and horrible things happening to you. But the question is, what are you going to do about it?    Who are you going to talk to about it? Are you going to go to the Lord and ask Him what it's actually supposed to look like for your life moving on from this place? Are you going to stay in a mindset that's small and traumatized, small and victimized?    Or are you going to say, “I'm the CEO of my life and I'm going to link arms with the Holy Spirit and keep moving forward.” And so, that was a huge thing for me to learn. And I feel like it's kind of been my savvy sauce in the last probably year, because 2024 was a year of a lot of things happening to me that weren't my fault.    And finally, one day I thought, you know, Laura, you can sulk in this, but it's not going to change your circumstance. What's going to change your circumstance is you saying, “I'm in charge of my life and I'm going to pick up the pieces of this and I'm going to ask God what to do with it.” And so, anyways, you're the CEO of your life and it's time to take charge of that.    So, yeah.   Laura Dugger: (56:38 - 56:42) I love it. And now you've got to share your silly one as well. You've left us curious.   Laura Jean Bell: (56:43 - 57:01) What is The Savvy Sauce? Let me just tell all of my, all of my geriatric millennials out there, you need to put castor oil on your face. Okay.    Just know that like castor oil, you need to look like a glazed donut when you go to bed and your skin is going to be, your skin will thank you. Just trust me.   Laura Dugger: (57:02 - 57:26) That's incredible. I was so grateful you shared. And Laura, I can see why clients are so drawn to work with you.    It is so delightful to have conversations with you. You are gifted in so many different arenas. And I think what really stands out is your generosity and just your willingness to share all of this with us.    So, thank you so much for being my delightful guest today.   Laura Jean Bell: (57:26 - 57:29) Oh, it's such a gift talking to you. Thank you for having me.   Laura Dugger: (57:30 - 1:01:12) One more thing before you go, have you heard the term gospel before? It simply means good news. And I want to share the best news with you, but it starts with the bad news.    Every single one of us were born sinners, but Christ desires to rescue us from our sin, which is something we cannot do for ourselves. This means there's absolutely no chance we can make it to heaven on our own. So, for you and for me, it means we deserve death and we can never pay back the sacrifice we owe to be saved.    We need a savior, but God loved us so much. He made a way for his only son to willingly die in our place as the perfect substitute. This gives us hope of life forever in right relationship with him.    That is good news. Jesus lived the perfect life. We could never live and died in our place for our sin.    This was God's plan to make a way to reconcile with us so that God can look at us and see Jesus. We can be covered and justified through the work Jesus finished. If we choose to receive what he has done for us, Romans 10:9 says, “that if you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”    So, you pray with me now. Heavenly father, thank you for sending Jesus to take our place. I pray someone today right now is touched and chooses to turn their life over to you.    Will you clearly guide them and help them take their next step in faith to declare you as Lord of their life? We trust you to work and change lives now for eternity. In Jesus name we pray.   Amen. If you prayed that prayer, you are declaring him for me. So, me for him, you get the opportunity to live your life for him.    And at this podcast, we're called The Savvy Sauce for a reason. We want to give you practical tools to implement the knowledge you have learned. So, you're ready to get started.    First, tell someone, say it out loud, get a Bible. The first day I made this decision, my parents took me to Barnes and Noble and let me choose my own Bible. I selected the Quest NIV Bible and I love it.    You can start by reading the book of John. Also get connected locally, which just means tell someone who's a part of a church in your community that you made a decision to follow Christ. I'm assuming they will be thrilled to talk with you about further steps such as going to church and getting connected to other believers to encourage you.    We want to celebrate with you too. So, feel free to leave a comment for us here. If you did make a decision to follow Christ, we also have show notes included where you can read scripture that describes this process.    And finally, be encouraged. Luke 15:10 says, “in the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” The heavens are praising with you for your decision today.    And if you've already received this good news, I pray you have someone to share it with. You are loved and I look forward to meeting you here next time.

Show Notes:In this month's second episode, the conversation continues between licensed sex therapist Claire Perelman and Whitni Miller. They explore the themes of pleasure, self-acceptance, and the importance of aftercare in sexual relationships. The speakers discuss how embracing pleasure can serve as a form of resistance against societal norms, the significance of aftercare in ensuring emotional safety, and the role of self-acceptance in enhancing sexual enjoyment. They emphasize the need for open communication and negotiation in intimate relationships, the power of playfulness in rekindling desire, and the importance of building a shared language around sexual preferences. Ultimately, the episode encourages listeners to own their desires and engage in practices that foster deeper intimacy and connection. Claire Perelman (she/her) is a Queer, Jewish, Certified Sex Therapist and Educator living and working in the Bay Area. She is passionate about creating accessible sex education and normalizing play, pleasure, and sexuality through her work with clients, workshops, and across social media. Like many therapists, she channeled her greatest source of pleasure and heartbreak into her area of focus, leading her to specialize in relationships, sex, and intimacy for couples, individuals, and polycules. Learn More From Claire Perelman:https://www.sexclarified.com Follow Claire Perelman:ALL Platforms - @sexclarifiedSubstack -https://sexclarified.substack.com/ Learn More From Whitni:https://www.bde-moves.com Follow Whitni at:IG - @bde.movesFB - groups/bdemovesYouTube - Podcast Channel = @BDE-Moves Old Channel = @BdeTalksTikTok - @bdemoves

Show Notes:In this month's first episode, licensed sex therapist Claire Perelman and Whitni Miller discuss the principles of kink and how they can enhance any sexual relationship. The discussion covers the importance of negotiation, checking in during intimacy, and the playful aspects of sex. They emphasize that kink is not just about BDSM but can be a tool for self-acceptance and deeper connection in all types of relationships. They also highlight the need for intentionality in creating a sexual context that fosters desire and pleasure. Claire Perelman (she/her) is a Queer, Jewish, Certified Sex Therapist and Educator living and working in the Bay Area. She is passionate about creating accessible sex education and normalizing play, pleasure, and sexuality through her work with clients, workshops, and across social media. Like many therapists, she channeled her greatest source of pleasure and heartbreak into her area of focus, leading her to specialize in relationships, sex, and intimacy for couples, individuals, and polycules. Learn More From Claire Perelman:https://www.sexclarified.com Follow Claire Perelman:ALL Platforms - @sexclarifiedSubstack - https://sexclarified.substack.com/ Learn More From Whitni:https://www.bde-moves.com Follow Whitni at:IG - @bde.movesFB - groups/bdemovesYouTube - Podcast Channel = @BDE-Moves Old Channel = @BdeTalksTikTok - @bdemoves

Top Ten from 2024: #4 Surprising Discoveries of Sex in Marriage: An Interview with Shaunti Feldhahn   *DISCLAIMER* This episode is intended for adults.   **Transcription of original episode**  224. Surprising Discoveries of Sex in Marriage: An Interview with Shaunti Feldhahn   Deuteronomy 29:29a (NKJV) "The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us"   Questions and Topics We Cover: Are there any specific questions you recommend we ask our spouse periodically? Will you elaborate on your finding that "men and women tend to have different insecurities that the process of sex can help heal or hurt"? You write "Having a comfortable way to signal (and receive) openness or interest will create connection and prevent much pain." So, how can couples begin to develop their own private language or signals to communicate effectively in a healthy manner?   Thank You to Our Sponsor: The Sue Neihouser Team   Shaunti Feldhahn received her graduate degree from Harvard University and was an analyst on Wall Street before unexpectedly becoming a social researcher, best-selling author, and popular speaker.   Today, Shaunti applies her analytical skills to investigate eye-opening, life-changing truths about relationships, both at home and in the workplace. Her groundbreaking research-based books, such as For Women Only, The Kindness Challenge, and Thriving in Love & Money, have sold more than 3 million copies in 25 languages. Her books and studies are popular in homes, counseling centers, and corporations worldwide.   Shaunti (often with her husband, Jeff) has spoken around the world, sharing her findings with audiences ranging from churches to women's and marriage conferences to arena events to youth camps and cruises (yes, those are particularly painful…). Her research and commentary are regularly featured in media as diverse as The Today Show, Focus on the Family, The New York Times and MomLife Today. Shaunti, Jeff, and their two children live in Atlanta and enjoy every minute of living life at warp speed.   Secrets of Sex and Marriage Website   Previous Episodes on Sexual Intimacy on The Savvy Sauce: Fostering a Fun, Healthy Sex Life with your Spouse with Dr. Jennifer Konzen Ways to Deepen Your Intimacy in Marriage with Dr. Douglas Rosenau Ten Common Questions About Sex, Shared Through a Biblical Worldview with Dr. Michael Sytsma Easy Changes to Enhance Your Sexual Intimacy in Marriage with Dr. Clifford and Joyce Penner Hope For Treating Pelvic Pain with Tracey LeGrand Treatment for Sexual Issues with Certified Sex Therapist, Emma Schmidt Talking With Your Kids About Sex with Brian and Alison Sutter Natural Aphrodisiacs with Christian Certified Sex Therapist, Dr. Douglas Rosenau Healthy Sexuality, Emotional Intelligence, and Parenting Children with Autism with Counselor, Lauren Dack Pain and Joy in Sexual Intimacy with Psychologist and Certified Sex Therapist, Dr. Jessica McCleese Identifying and Fighting Human Trafficking with Dr. Jeff Waibel Bridging the Gap Between Military and Civilian Families with Licensed Professional Counselor, Cuthor, Podcaster, and 2015 Military Spouse of the Year, Corie Weathers Enjoying a God-Honoring, Healthy Sex Life with Your Spouse with Certified Sex Therapist and Ordained Minister, Dr. Michael Sytsma Enjoying Parenting and Managing Conversations About Sex with Certified Sex Therapist and Author, Dr. Jennifer Konzen 63 Maximizing Sexual Intimacy During the Three Most Challenging Phases of Marriage with Christian Sex Therapist Pioneers, Dr. Clifford and Joyce Penner Conflict Resolution, Infidelity, and Infertility with Licensed Psychologist and Certified Sex Therapist, Dr. Jessica McCleese Hormones and Body Image with Certified Sex Therapist, Vickie George Passion Pursuit with Dr. Juli Slattery Female Orgasm with Sue Goldstein Erectile Dysfunction, Premature Ejaculation, and Treatments Available with Dr. Irwin Goldstein Turn Ons, Turn Offs, and Savoring Sex in Marriage with Dr. Jennifer Konzen Desire Discrepancy in Marriage with Dr. Michael Sytsma Answering Listener's Questions About Sex with Kelli Willard Anatomy of an Affair with Dave Carder Supernatural Restoration Story with Bob and Audrey Meisner Healthy Minds, Marriages, and Sex Lives with Drs. Scott and Melissa Symington Female Pornography Addiction and Meaningful Recovery with Crystal Renaud Day Building Lasting Relationships with Clarence and Brenda Shuler Healthy Ways for Females to Increase Sexual Enjoyment with Tracey LeGrand Pornography Healing for Spouses with Geremy Keeton Sexual Sin Recovery for You and Your Spouse (Part Two) Personal Development and Sexual Wholeness with Dr. Sibylle Georgianna Our Brain's Role in Sexual Intimacy with Angie Landry Discovering God's Design for Romance with Sharon Jaynes Sex in Marriage and Its Positive Effects with Francie Winslow, Part 1 Science and Art of Sexual Intimacy in Marriage, Part 2 Making Love in Marriage with Debra Fileta Mutually Pleasing Sex in Marriage with Gary Thomas Sex Series: God's Design and Warnings for Sex: An Interview with Mike Novotny Sex Series: Enhancing Female Pleasure and Enjoyment of Sex: An Interview with Dr. Jennifer Degler Sex Series Orgasmic Potential, Pleasure, and Friendship: An Interview with Bonny Burns  Sex Series: Sex Series: Healthy Self, Healthy Sex: An Interview with Gaye Christmus Sex Series: Higher Sexual Desire Wife: An Interview with J Parker Sex Series: Six Pillars of Intimacy with Tony and Alisa DiLorenzo 215 Enriching Women's Sexual Function, Part One with Dr. Kris Christiansen 216 Enriching Women's Sexual Function, Part Two with Dr. Kris Christiansen 217 Tween/Teen Females: How to Navigate Changes during Puberty with Dr. Jennifer Degler 218 Secrets of Sex and Marriage: Interview with Dr. Michael Sytsma   Connect with The Savvy Sauce on Facebook or Instagram or Our Website   Please help us out by sharing this episode with a friend, leaving a 5-star rating and review, and subscribing to this podcast!   Gospel Scripture: (all NIV)   Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”   Romans 3:24 “and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”   Romans 3:25 (a) “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.”    Hebrews 9:22 (b) “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”    Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”    Romans 5:11 “Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”    John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”   Romans 10:9 “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”    Luke 15:10 says “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”   Romans 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”   Ephesians 1:13–14 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession- to the praise of his glory.”   Ephesians 1:15–23 “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”   Ephesians 2:8–10 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God‘s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.“   Ephesians 2:13 “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.“   Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

Love the episode? Send us a text!A cancer diagnosis is life-changing. For individuals navigating breast cancer, the focus often centers on survival—completing treatment, managing side effects, and getting back to “normal.” But for many survivors, what follows is far from familiar. The emotional, physical, and relational impacts of cancer can linger long after treatment ends, especially when it comes to sexual health and intimacy.I had the pleasure of speaking with Tiffini Sharifi, a licensed professional counselor and certified sex therapist. This episode is a must-listen for anyone looking to better understand and navigate the intersection of breast cancer survivorship and sexual health.SURVIVINGBREASTCANCER.ORGAttend a free virtual SurvivingBreastCancer.org program (support groups, yoga, medication, expressive writing, art expression, and more!):https://www.survivingbreastcancer.org/eventsSubscribe to our weekly newsletterhttps://www.survivingbreastcancer.org/subscribeFollow us on InstagramSurvivingBreastCancer.org: https://www.survivingbreastcancer.org/Breast Cancer Conversations: https://www.instagram.com/breastcancerconversations/About SurvivingBreastCancer.org: SurvivingBreastCancer.org, Inc. (SBC) is a federally recognized 501(c)(3) non-profit virtual platform headquartered in Boston with a national and global reach. Through education, community, and resources, SurvivingBreastCancer.org supports women and men going through breast cancer. We provide a sanctuary of strength, compassion, and empowerment, where those diagnosed with cancer unite to share their stories, learn invaluable coping strategies to manage wellness and mental health, and find solace in the unbreakable bond that fuels hope, resilience, and the courage to conquer adversity.Free Guides: 3 Ways to Rekindle Intimacy After Cancer (even when you're exhausted or anxious) 3 Tools to Manage Scan AnxietyFind a Certified Sex Therapist in Your State: AASECT DirectoryTiffini Sharifi, MA, LPC, CST. Certified Sex and Relationship TherapistWebsite: https://alivetogrow.comEmail: tiffini@therapywithtiffini.comInstagram: www.instagram.com/therapywithtiffiniLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiffinisharifi/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TiffiniSharifiSupport the show

DOWNLOAD "THE POWER OF TOO MUCH," our FREE modern-day grimoire that helps you reclaim your intensity, your magic, and your voice: https://babephilosophy.comJOIN OUR BABE CHAT, a FREE call with our awesome community: https://stan.store/babephilosophy/p/join-our-free-community-call 

Happy Pride month to all! Sending love to those who haven't had the safe space, resources, or support to show up authentically. I see you and am so glad you exist. This episode contains clips from past episodes, discussing LGBTQ+ mental health, queer self-expression, transgender health, body libation, non-binary representation, intersecting identifies, and more. I've included the original episodes below, along with links to the guests' social media accounts.81: A Conversation on Black LGBTQ+ Mental Health - with Josh Odam, Founder of Healing While Black - (@josh.odam)127: Gender Identity & Non-Binary Representation - with Chris Sheridan, Psychotherapist & Founder of The Queer Therapist - (@theqtherapist)128: Trans Health & Body Liberation - with Dr. Sand Chang, Licensed Psychologist & Gender Specialist (@heydrsand)220: LGBTQ+ Mental Health & Self-Expression - with Luis Cornejo, Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist and Certified Sex Therapist (@luis_thee_lmft)STAY CONNECTED:INSTA: @trustandthriveTIKOK: @trustandthriveEMAIL: trustandthrive@gmail.com 

Video: https://youtu.be/siXHIeregY8 #sexualhealth #sexualwellness Currently, there's too much glorification on what sex should look like, placing a lot of value (sometimes too much value) on how long it should last. But what's normal?! In this video, we take a look at real data regarding how long sex really lasts from 500 couples all around the world! Watch this video of me reacting to Sex and The City to learn about PREMATURE EJACULATION! https://youtu.be/1WPczkHNdwU Sources: A Five‐nation Survey to Assess the Distribution of the Intravaginal Ejaculatory Latency Time among the General Male Population: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1743-6109.2009.01392.x?casa_token=4vwrMDhP-KwAAAAA%3Al4Gv4-DvSkCGDfVRW1N8Cd6jswYtKFd_DMZK26Eon6tHqZMG4BPmB0_JMXvh1rIY7ZJWh_1rm7kAq8d8TQ How long does sex last?: https://saucydates.com/how-long-does-sex-last/ Find a Certified Sex Therapist: https://www.aasect.org/referral-directory Resources used: Turkey Map: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2021/01/turkey-hits-twitter-pinterest-with-advertising-bans-over-failure-to-appoint-local-representative/ Britain Map: http://www.maps-of-britain.co.uk/large-political-britain-map.html Couple looking at the sun Video: https://www.pexels.com/video/a-couple-sitting-on-the-bed-looking-at-the-city-view-by-the-window-4775026/ DISCLAIMER: This video is purely educational and does not constitute medical advice. The content of this video is my personal opinion and not that of my employer(s). Use of this information is at your own risk. Rena Malik, M.D. will not assume any liability for any direct or indirect losses or damages that may result from the use of the information contained in this video including but not limited to economic loss, injury, illness, or death. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode SummaryWelcome to We Go Boldly the Podcast, where we're diving deep into taking control and becoming the authors of our own stories! In this powerful episode, we speak with Dr. Melissa Donahue, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Certified Sex Therapist, about breaking free from limiting beliefs and intentionally crafting a life filled with purpose and authenticity. Dr. Donahue shares her expertise on sexual health, wellness, and how addressing these important aspects of our lives can help us rewrite our personal narratives.Topics DiscussedBreaking free from limiting beliefs around sexuality and relationshipsThe importance of accurate sexual education for personal empowermentHow sexual wellness connects to overall life satisfaction and authenticityNavigating cultural, religious, and personal barriers to sexual healthResources for those dealing with specific conditions like vaginismusCreating intentional relationships that honor your authentic selfAbout Our GuestDr. Melissa Donahue, DSW, LCSW, CST, CSTS is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and AASECT Certified Sex Therapist and Supervisor. As the owner of MD Counseling, LLC, she is committed to supporting individuals of all backgrounds with sexual health concerns. Dr. Donahue is a national presenter and advocate for comprehensive sexual education, and co-authored a chapter in "The Art of Sex Therapy Supervision." She completed her Doctorate of Social Work at Rutgers University, where she specialized in vaginismus research, creating the informational resource vaginismushealth.com. Dr. Donahue also serves as an adjunct professor at Montclair State University in the Department of Social Work and Child Advocacy. Listen, subscribe, and share your story with us on Instagram @GoBoldlyTogether and use #AuthorMyStoryThank you for tuning in to this episode of We Go Boldly Podcast. We hope you found our discussion insightful and that the strategies we covered inspire you to take actionable steps towards your personal development goals. Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review our podcast on Spotify, Apple or wherever you get your podcasts, subscribe to our channel on YouTube, and follow us on IG @goboldlytogether, FB @goboldlytogether, or LI @goboldlyinitiative for more updates and exclusive content.Did you enjoy this episode? We would love to hear your thoughts. Head to Apple Podcasts and then rate, review, and subscribe. This way you will get notified once a new episode goes live.CONNECT WITH RIELLY AND TOVAHInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/goboldlytogether/Website: goboldlythepodcast.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/Go-Boldly-Together-105942584706928LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/go-boldly-initiativeYouTube: http://bit.ly/boldlyyoutubePinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/GoBoldlyTogether/_saved/Twitter: https://twitter.com/goboldlypodcastPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/wegoboldly   Did you enjoy this episode? We would love to hear your thoughts and more about your personal development journey. Head to Apple Podcasts and then rate, review, and subscribe. This way you will get notified once a new episode goes live. Don't forget to find us and subscribe on YouTube too. CONNECT WITH RIELLY AND TOVAHInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/goboldlytogether/Website: goboldlyinitiative.com or https://we-go-boldly-podcast.simplecast.com/YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsPh8gu_ugJqvvnYiuRSyPQLinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/go-boldly-initiativePatreon: https://www.patreon.com/wegoboldlyFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/GoBoldlyTogetherPinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/GoBoldlyTogether/

It could be argued that agents of capitalism have built the patriarchal system as a means to keep both men and women controlled and in line. But what if we broke free? What would happen to sex, love and freedom then? Dr. Kate Balesteri joins us to discuss what patriarchy actually is, how it hurts all genders, and how we (men, women and every gender) can take back our agency while heightening our authenticity and consciousness. You can find Dr. Kate Balestrieri at: https://www.modernintimacy.com/dr-kate-balestrieri-sex-therapist/ Facebook http://facebook.com/dr.katebalestrieri http://instagram.com/drkatebalestrieri Tiktok https://www.tiktok.com/@drkatebalestrieri Dr. Kate Balestrieri"s Bio: Dr. Kate Balestrieri, Psy.D., CSAT-S, is a Licensed Psychologist (Clinical and Forensic) in CA, FL, NY and IL. She is a Certified Sex Therapist, Certified Sex Addiction Therapist – Supervisor, and PACT III trained couples' therapist. Dr. Balestrieri earned her Doctorate of Clinical Psychology from the Illinois School of Professional Psychology, Chicago, and completed her Post-Doctoral Fellowship though the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, with a concentration in Forensic Psychology. In over 16 years of clinical experience, she has conducted clinical and forensic evaluations, provided expert witness testimony in court, and been a treatment provider in clinical, forensic, and correctional settings. The Founder of Modern Intimacy, Dr. Balestrieri is a passionate advocate for mental, relational and sexual health. Throughout her work, Dr. Balestrieri focuses on helping people build resilience and recovery from what ails them to move from a position of pain or discomfort to one of thriving, holistically in their lives. A sex positive provider and human, Dr. Balestrieri is dedicated to helping people have a more expansive and integrated relationship with sexuality. Dr. Balestrieri is a regular contributor for PopSugar, Poosh, YourTango, Psychology Today, House of Wise and has been featured in many other publications. She is also the host of the Get Naked with Dr. Kate podcast, on which she discusses mental health, sex and relationships. You can listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio or anywhere you get your podcasts! How to find Sunny Megatron: Website: http://sunnymegatron.com Facebook http://facebook.com/sunnymegatron Twitter http://twitter.com/sunnymegatron Instagram http://instagram.com/sunnymegatron Tiktok https://www.tiktok.com/@sunnymegatron YouTube https://www.youtube.com/sunnymegatron American Sex Podcast https://open.spotify.com/show/2HroMhWJnyZbMSsOBKwBnk How to find Kate Loree: Website http://kateloree.com Instagram: http://instagram.com/opendeeplywithkateloree Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@opendeeplywithkateloree Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kateloreelmft Twitter http://twitter.com/kateloreelmft YouTube https://youtube.com/channel/UCSTFAqGYKW3sIUa0tKivbqQ Book referenced: How to find Sunny Megatron: Website: http://sunnymegatron.com Facebook http://facebook.com/sunnymegatron Twitter http://twitter.com/sunnymegatron Instagram http://instagram.com/sunnymegatron Tiktok https://www.tiktok.com/@sunnymegatron YouTube https://www.youtube.com/sunnymegatron American Sex Podcast https://open.spotify.com/show/2HroMhWJnyZbMSsOBKwBnk How to find Kate Loree: Website http://kateloree.com Instagram: http://instagram.com/opendeeplywithkateloree Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@opendeeplywithkateloree Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kateloreelmft Twitter http://twitter.com/kateloreelmft YouTube https://youtube.com/channel/UCSTFAqGYKW3sIUa0tKivbqQ Book referenced: What Happened to My Sex Life?: A Sex Therapist's Guide to Reclaiming Lost Desire, Connection, and Pleasure by Dr. Kate Balestrieri Open Deeply podcast is not therapy or a replacement for therapy. Open Deeply podcast is not therapy or a replacement for therapy.

Does sex feel uncomfortable or overstimulating? In this episode, I talk with Caitlin Weber, LMFT, CST about the barriers to enjoyable sex as a highly sensitive person and:  • How to carve out the time and mental space for sex as an HSP • Managing the physical discomfort, boredom, and emotional overwhelm that may happen during sex  • What to do when you have a low sex drive  • How to break free from linear models of sexCaitlin Weber is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist and Certified Sex Therapist by the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists. As a cis white queer therapist, Caitlin has a private practice in Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin and online, and she helps individuals and couples meet their mental health, relational and sexual goals. Passion areas for Caitlin include helping clients navigate sexual pain and trauma, sexual orientation and gender identity discovery, perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, infertility trauma, kink, polyamory, and grief. She helps people externalize all of the damaging systems we inherit such as racism, ableism, fat phobia, patriarchy, religious trauma, capitalism, and colonialism so that they can truly thrive and live authentically while accessing pleasure. Keep in touch with Caitlin: • Website: http://webertherapy.com  • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caitlinwebertherapy  Resources Mentioned: • Come as You Are by Emily Nagoski, PhD: https://bookshop.org/a/63892/9781982165314  • Find a Sex Therapist: https://www.aasect.org/referral-directory  • Wicked Sensual Care: https://wickedsensualcare.com • Good Clean Love Lubricants: https://goodcleanlove.com/collections/personal-lubricants-collectionThanks for listening! You can read the full show notes and sign up for my email list to get new episode announcements and other resources at: https://www.sensitivestories.comYou can also follow "SensitiveStrengths" for behind-the-scenes content plus more educational and inspirational HSP resources: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sensitivestrengths TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sensitivestrengths Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@sensitivestrengths And for more support, attend a Sensitive Sessions monthly workshop: https://www.sensitivesessions.com. Use code PODCAST for 25% off. If you have a moment, please rate and review the podcast, it helps Sensitive Stories reach more HSPs! This episode is for educational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for treatment with a mental health or medical professional. Some links are affiliate links. You are under no obligation to purchase any book, product or service. I am not responsible for the quality or satisfaction of any purchase.

If the sex you're having is overly focused on penetration, you're missing out on a WORLD of pleasure. Treating P in V as the main event is keeping us from exploring the endless buffet of sexual options, which is why we're learning to broaden our menu with Claire Perelmen, a Certified Sex Therapist. In this episode we dive into: WHY you need to start decentering P in V sex The BENEFITS of focusing on sexual acts outside of penetration How to tell your partner you want to stop prioritizing penetrative sex What to try instead of penetration Connect with Claire: On her website On Instagram Subscribe to our Patreon HERE to watch this episode and access exclusive content! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ending a relationship is never easy, but doing it with dignity and respect can make all the difference for you and the person you're breaking things off with. In this anti-ghosting episode, Gretta interviews relationship experts Dr. April Brown and Kanya "Coach Kay" Ford, who share their profound wisdom on how to break up nicely and not resort to ghosting. Discover:How to know if you should break up with someonePractical strategies to prepare for a breakupHow to structure a breakup conversation with respect and clarityWhat to do about no contactHow to heal after a breakup Dr. April Brown is a Licensed Mental Health Christian Counselor, National Certified Counselor, Certified Sex Therapist, ApprovedEMDR Therapist, Gottman Level 3 Therapist, and a Qualified Clinical Supervisor. Coach Kay owns Love & Intimacy 101, LLC, a life, love, and intimacy coaching practice. Together, they co-host Bringing Intimacy Back Podcast. Connect With GrettaCoping With Ghosting 101 | Coaching Sessions | Free and Private Facebook Support Group | Instagram | YouTube | copingwithghosting.comConnect With Dr. Aprildraprilbrown.com/ | Facebook | Linkedin | Instagram | Twitter Connect With Coach KayInstagram | YouTube Music: "Ghosted" by Gustavo RamosDisclaimer: This information is designed to mentor and guide you to cope with Ghosting by cultivating a positive mindset and implementing self-care practices. It is for educational purposes only; it solely provides self-help tools. Coping With Ghosting does not provide health care or psychological therapy services and does not diagnose or treat any physical or mental ailment of the mind or body. The content is not a substitute for therapy or any advice given by a licensed psychologist or other licensed or registered professionals.Ready to heal, improve your confidence, and regain your power after being ghosted or betrayed? You don't have to heal alone. Book a coaching session with Gretta here. Want to feel better after being ghosted? Coping With Ghosting 101 downloadable workshop will help you take your power back today. Support the showNote to All Listeners: Ghosting is defined as: The practice of ending a personal relationship with someone by suddenly and without explanation withdrawing from all communication (Oxford Languages). When you leave an abusive situation without saying "goodbye," it's not ghosting, it's "self-protection." When you quietly exit a relationship after a boundary has been violated, it's not ghosting, it's "self-respect."

It might feel like terrible news that building our pack leadership involves going back into our own childhoods. It can feel scary to go back to the “belly of the beast”… after all, you survived your childhood. Who on this God's green earth would actually choose to look back when you're so focused on changing cycles and moving forward? When the patterns we're trying to break involve the often invisible trauma of emotional neglect, they can be extra tough to identify. Grownups raised by neglectful parents can feel like their experiences weren't “bad” enough to count, or that they should just feel lucky because other kids had it way worse. My guest this week is Ruth Cohn, an amazing therapist and author who writes about what she calls “the invisible trauma” of neglect. Why it can be hard to realize that neglect IS traumatic, how it affects the way we live, and how much we tend to blame ourselves for things that aren't in our control. If you're a parent who's trying to do better than the way you were raised, you have to hear her wisdom!As always, thanks for listening. Head over to Facebook, where you can join my free group Mastermind Parenting Community. We post tips and tools and do pop-up Live conversations where I do extra teaching and coaching to support you in helping your strong-willed children so that they can FEEL better and DO better. If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it!Get all the links, resources, and transcripts here: https://mastermindparenting.com/podcast-316About Randi RubensteinRandi Rubenstein coaches parents raising strong-willed kids. Randi searched endlessly to find the magical resource that would help her own highly sensitive, strong-willed child. (He's now 26, healthy and happy-ish:). She's been passionate about helping other “cycle-breaker” parents like herself for almost two decades.Randi's Web and Social LinksWebsite: https://mastermindparenting.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mastermindparentingInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mastermind_parenting/About Ruth Cohn:Ruth Cohn, MFT, is a psychotherapist living and practicing in the San Francisco Bay area. She has been specializing in work with survivors of trauma and neglect, their intimate partners, and families since 1988. She is a Certified Sex Therapist, certified in Neurofeedback, EMDR, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, and Imago Relationship Therapy. Ruth is also the author of numerous articles on sexuality, trauma, and neglect, and three books: Working With the Developmental Trauma of Childhood Neglect: Using Psychotherapy and Attachment Theory Techniques in Clinical Practice, Coming Home to Passion: Restoring Loving Sexuality in Couples With Histories of Childhood Trauma and Neglect, and Out of My Mind: Late Night Contemplations About Trauma and Neglect.Ruth Cohn's Web and Social LinksWebsite: https://ruthcohnmft.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RuthCohnMFT/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ruthcohnmft/?hl=en LinkedIn:

Luis Cornejo - Born this way!DIVORCED: Chrisitan FundamentalismMy guest today is Luis Cornejo: A Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist, Certified Sex Therapist, and the founder of Queer Magic Entertainment LLC. He also hosts the Queer Magic Podcast.A proud first-generation Guatemalan and Mexican American, Luis is passionate about empowering the LGBTQ+ and BIPOC communities through his work in mental health, fashion, and self-expression. As a speaker, model, and advocate, he uses his platforms to challenge oppressive systems, celebrate diverse identities, and inspire others to embrace their authentic selves. Today, Luis shares some of the challenges of growing up queer in a fundamentalist family.FIND LUISInstagram: @luis_thee_lmftWebsites: www.luis-cornejo.comwww.psychosocialtherapy.com and https://psychosocial.media/  Queer Magic Podcast: https://www.luis-cornejo.com/queermagicpodcastJanice's Amazon Best-Seller Divorcing Religion: A Memoir and Survival Handbook is now available inUSA https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DP78TZZF and CANADA https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0DP78TZZFEarly Bird tickets are now available for the Shameless Sexuality: Life After Purity Culture conference, happening LIVE in Seattle May 23-25, 2025! Get yours now: https://www.shamelesssexuality.org/Purity Culture Survivor Support Group is happening on Thursdays at 5pm Pacific. Don't miss this opportunity to connect with others for healing and support: https://www.divorcing-religion.com/servicesNeed help on your journey of healing from Religious Trauma? Book a free 20-minute consultation with Janice here: https://www.divorcing-religion.com/servicesSupport this channel by becoming a Member of the Divorcing Religion YouTube channel! When you support this channel by joining our YouTube membership (starting as low as $3/month) you'll get early access to all of our new content, access to badges and special chat emojis, and more. Every dollar helps, so sign up to be a member today by clicking "Join" under the video.Subscribe to the audio-only version here: https://www.divorcing-religion.com/religious-trauma-podcastFollow Janice and Divorcing Religion on Social Media: Mastodon: JaniceSelbie@mas.toThreads: Wisecounsellor@threads.netTwitter: https://twitter.com/divorcereligionTwitter: https://twitter.com/Wise_counsellorTwitter: https://twitter.com/ComeToCORTFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/DivorcingReligionTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@janiceselbieInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/wisecounsellor/The Divorcing Religion Podcast is for entertainment purposes only. If you need help with your mental health, please consult a qualified, secular, mental health clinician.Podcast by Porthos MediaCopyright 2025www.porthosmedia.netSupport the show

In this inspiring and empowering episode, Ashleigh Jackson shares her journey of resilience, healing, and personal growth. As a licensed mental health counselor and certified sex therapist, Ashleigh has dedicated her career to helping individuals navigate trauma, anxiety, and life transitions. Through her own experiences and professional expertise, she reminds us of the power of perseverance and the importance of moving forward—no matter what life throws our way.

Thanks to our Partner, NAPA Autotech Matt Fanslow and Margaret Light, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Certified Sex Therapist in the state of Minnesota, discuss a recent murder-suicide within the automotive community. They discuss the alarming statistics surrounding such events, emphasizing the significant role of domestic violence as a predictor. The conversation explores risk factors, including untreated mental illness, access to firearms, and the dynamics of control within relationships. Finally, they offer practical advice and resources for identifying warning signs and seeking help for individuals at risk.Thanks to our Partner, NAPA Autotech NAPA Autotech's team of ASE Master Certified Instructors are conducting over 1,200 classes covering 28 automotive topics. To see a selection, go to napaautotech.com for more details.Contact InformationEmail Matt: mattfanslowpodcast@gmail.comDiagnosing the Aftermarket A - Z YouTube Channel The Aftermarket Radio Network: https://aftermarketradionetwork.com/Remarkable Results Radio Podcast with Carm Capriotto: Advancing the Aftermarket by Facilitating Wisdom Through Story Telling and Open Discussion. https://remarkableresults.biz/Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z with Matt Fanslow: From Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health, Matt Fanslow is Lifting the Hood on Life. https://mattfanslow.captivate.fm/Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest. https://huntdemarest.captivate.fm/The Auto Repair Marketing Podcast with Kim and Brian Walker: Marketing Experts Brian & Kim Walker Work with Shop Owners to Take it to the Next Level. https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching. https://chriscotton.captivate.fm/Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill: Develop Interpersonal and Professional Communication Skills when Speaking to Audiences of Any Size. https://craigoneill.captivate.fm/

Thanks to our Partner, NAPA Autotech Matt Fanslow and Margaret Light, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Certified Sex Therapist in the state of Minnesota, discuss a recent murder-suicide within the automotive community. They discuss the alarming statistics surrounding such events, emphasizing the significant role of domestic violence as a predictor. The conversation explores risk factors, including untreated mental illness, access to firearms, and the dynamics of control within relationships. Finally, they offer practical advice and resources for identifying warning signs and seeking help for individuals at risk.Thanks to our Partner, NAPA Autotech NAPA Autotech's team of ASE Master Certified Instructors are conducting over 1,200 classes covering 28 automotive topics. To see a selection, go to napaautotech.com for more details.Contact InformationEmail Matt: mattfanslowpodcast@gmail.comDiagnosing the Aftermarket A - Z YouTube Channel The Aftermarket Radio Network: https://aftermarketradionetwork.com/Remarkable Results Radio Podcast with Carm Capriotto: Advancing the Aftermarket by Facilitating Wisdom Through Story Telling and Open Discussion. https://remarkableresults.biz/Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z with Matt Fanslow: From Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health, Matt Fanslow is Lifting the Hood on Life. https://mattfanslow.captivate.fm/Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest. https://huntdemarest.captivate.fm/The Auto Repair Marketing Podcast with Kim and Brian Walker: Marketing Experts Brian & Kim Walker Work with Shop Owners to Take it to the Next Level. https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching. https://chriscotton.captivate.fm/Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill: Develop Interpersonal and Professional Communication Skills when Speaking to Audiences of Any Size. https://craigoneill.captivate.fm/

*DISCLAIMER* This episode is intended for adults   252. Maximizing Sexual Connection as Newlyweds to Long Term Marriages and Recovering from a Sexless Marriage with Dr. Clifford & Joyce Penner   Ephesians 5:21 (NIV) Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.   Questions and Topics We Cover: What are a couple of your most important tips for newlyweds? What are your favorite recommendations to share with couples who want to be proactive and enhance their sexual intimacy, even if things are currently going pretty well? Will you define what constitutes a sexless marriage and share  any trends you've seen over the years?   Thank You to Our Sponsor:  Sam Leman Eureka   Dr. Clifford and Joyce Penner are best known for their pioneer work in encouraging people of all faiths to connect their sexuality with their belief system ─ helping them embrace sex as good and of God. Dr. Clifford is a licensed clinical psychologist and Joyce is a registered nurse and clinical nurse specialist. They are highly respected authors and speakers, in addition to being parents and grandparents.    Dr. Clifford and Joyce Penner's Website   At The Savvy Sauce, we will only recommend resources we believe in! We want you to be aware: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.    Books By Dr. Clifford and Joyce Penner: Enjoy! The Gift of Sexual Pleasure for Women The Married Guy's Guide to Great Sex Restoring the Pleasure The Gift of Sex: A Guide to Sexual Fulfillment Sex FAQ We Didn't Have Time to Cover Today  Information on Pelvic Pain    Previous Savvy Sauce Episodes with Dr. Clifford & Joyce Penner: Easy Changes to Enhance Your Sexual Intimacy in Marriage with Dr. Clifford and Joyce Penner    Maximizing Sexual Intimacy During the Three Most Challenging Phases of Marriage with Christian Sex Therapist Pioneers, Dr. Clifford and Joyce Penner   Additional Previous Episodes on Sexual Intimacy on The Savvy Sauce: Fostering a Fun, Healthy Sex Life with your Spouse with Dr. Jennifer Konzen  Ways to Deepen Your Intimacy in Marriage with Dr. Douglas Rosenau  Ten Common Questions About Sex, Shared Through a Biblical Worldview with Dr. Michael Sytsma Hope For Treating Pelvic Pain with Tracey LeGrand Treatment for Sexual Issues with Certified Sex Therapist, Emma Schmidt Talking With Your Kids About Sex with Brian and Alison Sutter Natural Aphrodisiacs with Christian Certified Sex Therapist, Dr. Douglas Rosenau Healthy Sexuality, Emotional Intelligence, and Parenting Children with Autism with Counselor, Lauren Dack Pain and Joy in Sexual Intimacy with Psychologist and Certified Sex Therapist, Dr. Jessica McCleese Identifying and Fighting Human Trafficking with Dr. Jeff Waibel Bridging the Gap Between Military and Civilian Families with Licensed Professional Counselor, Cuthor, Podcaster, and 2015 Military Spouse of the Year, Corie Weathers Enjoying a God-Honoring, Healthy Sex Life with Your Spouse with Certified Sex Therapist and Ordained Minister, Dr. Michael Sytsma Enjoying Parenting and Managing Conversations About Sex with Certified Sex Therapist and Author, Dr. Jennifer Konzen Conflict Resolution, Infidelity, and Infertility with Licensed Psychologist and Certified Sex Therapist, Dr. Jessica McCleese Hormones and Body Image with Certified Sex Therapist, Vickie George Passion Pursuit with Dr. Juli Slattery Female Orgasm with Sue Goldstein Erectile Dysfunction, Premature Ejaculation, and Treatments Available with Dr. Irwin Goldstein Turn Ons, Turn Offs, and Savoring Sex in Marriage with Dr. Jennifer Konzen Desire Discrepancy in Marriage with Dr. Michael Sytsma Answering Listener's Questions About Sex with Kelli Willard Anatomy of an Affair with Dave Carder Supernatural Restoration Story with Bob and Audrey Meisner Healthy Minds, Marriages, and Sex Lives with Drs. Scott and Melissa Symington Female Pornography Addiction and Meaningful Recovery with Crystal Renaud Day Building Lasting Relationships with Clarence and Brenda Shuler Healthy Ways for Females to Increase Sexual Enjoyment with Tracey LeGrand Pornography Healing for Spouses with Geremy Keeton Sexual Sin Recovery for You and Your Spouse (Part Two) Personal Development and Sexual Wholeness with Dr. Sibylle Georgianna  Our Brain's Role in Sexual Intimacy with Angie Landry Discovering God's Design for Romance with Sharon Jaynes Sex in Marriage and Its Positive Effects with Francie Winslow, Part 1 Science and Art of Sexual Intimacy in Marriage, Part 2 Making Love in Marriage with Debra Fileta Mutually Pleasing Sex in Marriage with Gary Thomas Sex Series: God's Design and Warnings for Sex: An Interview with Mike Novotny Sex Series: Enhancing Female Pleasure and Enjoyment of Sex: An Interview with Dr. Jennifer Degler Sex Series Orgasmic Potential, Pleasure, and Friendship: An Interview with Bonny Burns  Sex Series: Sex Series: Healthy Self, Healthy Sex: An Interview with Gaye Christmus Sex Series: Higher Sexual Desire Wife: An Interview with J Parker Sex Series: Six Pillars of Intimacy with Tony and Alisa DiLorenzo 215 Enriching Women's Sexual Function, Part One with Dr. Kris Christiansen 216 Enriching Women's Sexual Function, Part Two with Dr. Kris Christiansen 217 Tween/Teen Females: How to Navigate Changes during Puberty with Dr. Jennifer Degler 218 Secrets of Sex and Marriage: Interview with Dr. Michael Sytsma 222 Pornography: Protecting Children and Personal Healing, Victory, and Recovery in Christ with Sam Black Special Patreon Release: Holy Sex: An Interview with Dr. Juli Slattery Special Patreon Release: His Desires and Her Desires in the Bedroom with Dr. Jennifer Konzen 224 Surprising Discoveries of Sex in Marriage: An Interview with Shaunti Feldhahn 227 Resolving Conflict in Marriage with Tony and Alisa DiLorenzo  Patreon 28 Re-Release: Protecting Your Marriage Against Unfaithfulness with Dave Carder Patreon 23 Her Desires and His Desires in the Bedroom with Dr. Jennifer Konzen Patreon 26 Holy Sex with Dr. Juli Slattery Patreon 28 Protecting Your Marriage Against Unfaithfulness with Dave Carder Patreon 29 Remaining Sexually Engaged Through The Years with Dr. Michael Sytsma Patreon 49: Story of Healing from Sexual Betrayal in Marriage: An Interview with Bonny Burns Patreon 52 God, Sex, and Your Marriage with Dr. Juli Slattery   Connect with The Savvy Sauce Our Website, Instagram or Facebook    Please help us out by sharing this episode with a friend, leaving a 5-star rating and review, and subscribing to this podcast!   Gospel Scripture: (all NIV)   Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”   Romans 3:24 “and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”   Romans 3:25 (a) “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.”    Hebrews 9:22 (b) “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”    Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”    Romans 5:11 “Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”    John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”   Romans 10:9 “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”    Luke 15:10 says “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”   Romans 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”   Ephesians 1:13–14 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession- to the praise of his glory.”   Ephesians 1:15–23 “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”   Ephesians 2:8–10 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God‘s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.“   Ephesians 2:13 “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.“   Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

We are taking the month of December to highlight the top podcasts since the beginning of our podcast journey. Today our CFL team sits down with ordained minister, licensed professional counselor rectified sex therapist, professor, and national speaker Dr. Michael Sytsma. Dr. Sytsma has over 30 years of clinical experience in sex therapy and he founded Building Intimate Marriages, Inc. He is also co-founder of Sexual Wholeness, Inc. and co-author of the book we are discussing today, “Secrets of Sex & Marriage: 8 Surprises that make all the difference. Part 2

Edy Nathan is a Certified Sex Therapist and thought leader specializing in grief, trauma, and sexuality. She works with businesses, universities, and long-term care homes to help people understand how these areas filter through their lives and affect everything from creativity to productivity. Working together, she offers creative ways to deal with grief, trauma, and sexuality.In her NEW book, It's Grief: The Dance of Self-Discovery Through Trauma and Loss, Edy examines the emotional and devastating impact of loss and trauma. It identifies the intricacies of the dark and unfamiliar effects on the self. The book illuminates how the brain holds the complex circuitry of grief.In This EpisodeEdy's websiteEdy's book: It's Grief: The Dance of Self-Discovery Through Trauma and LossIG: @edynathan---If you'd like to support The Trauma Therapist Podcast and the work I do you can do that here with a monthly donation of $5, $7, or $10: Donate to The Trauma Therapist Podcast.Click here to join my email list and receive podcast updates and other news.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-trauma-therapist--5739761/support.

We are taking the month of December to highlight the top podcasts since the beginning of our podcast journey. Today our CFL team sits down with ordained minister, licensed professional counselor rectified sex therapist, professor, and national speaker Dr. Michael Sytsma. Dr. Sytsma has over 30 years of clinical experience in sex therapy and he founded Building Intimate Marriages, Inc. He is also co-founder of Sexual Wholeness, Inc. and co-author of the book we are discussing today, “Secrets of Sex & Marriage: 8 Surprises that make all the difference.

Anne Mauro (she/her) is a Licensed Couples and Family therapist, American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapist (AASECT) certified sex therapist, sexuality educator, sex therapy supervisor, and American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) clinical supervisor. Her private practice is nestled in the interwebs on the unceded territory of the Coast Salish peoples in Washington State. She has two publications: More Than Ebony and Ivory: Complexities of sex therapy with interracial couples, can be found in An Intersectional Approach to Sex Therapy: Centering the lives of indigenous, racialized, and people of color and The Colonization of Black Sexualities: A clinical guide to relearning and healing. Anne is in continued service to the sexuality community by serving as the AASECT Western Representative to the nominating committee.   Links: www.annemauro.com https://www.routledge.com/The-Colonization-of-Black-Sexualities-A-Clinical-Guide-to-Relearning-and/Mauro/p/book/9781032233680 https://www.instagram.com/iamannemauro/ Support the showInstagram: GenderStoriesHosted by Alex IantaffiMusic by Maxwell von RavenGender Stories logo by Lior Effinger-Weintraub

Is it possible to honor our Latino heritage while challenging cultural expectations?First-generation Americans develop a massive sense of appreciation for their parents' grit and sacrifice to forge a promising future for their families. But what happens when that appreciation and gratitude becomes a cage that curtails who they are or want to become?In this episode, I'm joined by Luis Cornejo, a dynamic Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Certified Sex Therapist specializing in supporting LGBTQ+ and BIPOC communities in his private practice, PsychoSocial Media. Luis, aka the Queer Magic Maker, is also the Host of the Queer Magic podcast, an Indigiqueer Model and fashion enthusiast, and the Founder of Queer Magic Entertainment.Tune in to Episode 206 of Amiga, Handle Your Shit, and learn more about Luis' inspiring story and how acceptance and embracing his true identity boosted his self-confidence and connected him with a new paradigm in his professional career. You'll also hear Luis' thoughts on navigating cultural expectations, finding joy beyond comparison, adopting an abundance mindset, practicing self-care consistently, and much more.In This Episode, You Will Learn:A bit about Luis' background and upbringing (5:00)The challenges of self-acceptance and a transition into a new career path (7:20)The joy of embracing self-expression and fashion (26:00)About Luis' practice's growth and expansion (33:40)Luis shares two valuable tips for amigas to handle their s#it (35:00)Connect with Luis Cornejo:WebsiteInstagramListen to the Queer Magic PodcastLet's Connect!WebsiteFacebookInstagramLinkedInJackie Tapia Arbonne website Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr. Holly Richmond is a Somatic Psychotherapist, Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist, Certified Sex Therapist and AASECT Certified Sex Therapy supervisor with an expertise in the recovery of sexual health after sexual trauma.In addition to sex therapy, sexual wellness coaching and co-facilitating international sexual health retreats utilizing psychedelics, Dr. Holly sits on the Clinical Board of Directors for Dame Products, and is the Associate Director of Modern Sex Therapy Institutes.Her book and online course, Reclaiming Pleasure, are innovative platforms that look at both somatic and psychological factors in survivors' erotic recovery.Here's where to find more:drhollyrichmond.com reclaimingyourpleasure.com @drhollyrichmond___________________________________________________________Welcome to The Unforget Yourself Show where we use the power of woo and the proof of science to help you identify your blind spots, and get over your own bullshit so that you can do the fucking thing you ACTUALLY want to do!We're Mark and Katie, the founders of Unforget Yourself and the creators of the Unforget Yourself System and on this podcast, we're here to share REAL conversations about what goes on inside the heart and minds of those brave and crazy enough to start their own business. From the accidental entrepreneur to the laser-focused CEO, we find out how they got to where they are today, not by hearing the go-to story of their success, but talking about how we all have our own BS to deal with and it's through facing ourselves that we find a way to do the fucking thing.Along the way, we hope to show you that YOU are the most important asset in your business (and your life - duh!). Being a business owner is tough! With vulnerability and humor, we get to the real story behind their success and show you that you're not alone._____________________Find all our links to all the things like the socials, how to work with us and how to apply to be on the podcast here: https://linktr.ee/unforgetyourself

Welcome to Part 2 of my conversation with Heather DeKeyser. Heather is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Certified Sex Therapist in Colorado and is the Clinical Director of a group therapy practice called Dalliance Sexual Wellness Collective.Today's episode is a deep dive into sexual wellness. Whether you are going through or have completed treatment for cancer, especially reproductive cancers (breast, ovarian, uterine, cervical, testicular), are in menopause, naturally or medically, and/or are struggling with the next phase of your life, this episode is for you!We talk about defining sex and intimacy and what that looks like for you first, and also your partner and your relationship, navigating the dating world after cancer treatment, bringing sexy back, in your body and in the bedroom, the importance of communication, and so much more!!You can find Heather at https://www.dalliancesexualwellness.com/You can subscribe to her free monthly newsletter at https://www.dalliancesexualwellness.com/pleasure-perspectives-newsletter-archiveHer email is heather@dalliancesexualwellness.comShe offers complimentary 20 minute consultations!She talked about several other resources for more information:Books:Getting the Sex You Want by Tammy NelsonCome Together by Emily NagowskiCome as You Are by Emily NagowskiHot Monogamy by Patricia LoveSex, Love and Goop - series on NetflixPlease let me know your best takeaway from this episode! I want to hear from you. You can find me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/melissagrosboll/, email me at drmelissagrosboll@gmail.com, or text me at 720-201-4292

Today's guest is Heather DeKeyser, LMFT, CST, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Certified Sex Therapist in Colorado with a passion for helping individuals and couples navigate the complexities of relationships and sexual health. She co-founded and is the Clinical Director of a group therapy practice called Dalliance Sexual Wellness Collective. She's also a survivor of triple negative breast cancer.In this episode we talk about navigating treatment, the emotional aftermath that happens after active treatment, how important therapy and mental health are during and after cancer, finding a new definition of sex and intimacy after breast cancer, and so much more!This is Part 1 of our series on sexual wellness. Today is Heather's personal story. We will have Part 2 next week with more of a deep dive into redefining sexual health and wellness. So stay tuned!Heather's website https://www.dalliancesexualwellness.com/. She offers a free 20 minute consultation. Her email is heather@dalliancesexualwellness.comYou can subscribe to Heather's free monthly newsletter at https://www.dalliancesexualwellness.com/pleasure-perspectives-newsletter-archiveShe's on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/DallianceSWCIG https://www.instagram.com/dalliance_swc/Let me know your biggest takeaways! I want to hear from you! You can message me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/melissagrosboll/, email me at drmelissagrosboll@gmail.com, or text me at 720-201-4292

Themes: Sex, Partnership, Relationships, ADHD, Neurodiversity, Self Empowerment, Intimacy, Love Charmaine Ensinger LMFT (she/her) - Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist, ADHD-Certified Clinical Services Provider, Certified Sex Therapist with AASECT and IBOSP, AAMFT Approved SupervisorAs a certified sex therapist and a marriage and family therapist, Charmaine Ensinger is uniquely suited to understand complex relationships in all areas of life. Charmaine enjoys working with people of every ethnic, gender, and sexual background and finds a special connection with people who feel misunderstood, marginalized, or like an “outsider.” As an ADHD-certified clinical services provider, she is poised to address the complexities of ADHD symptoms and management. Charmaine is currently enrolled in the Clinical Sexology Ph.D. program at Modern Sex Therapy Institutes, where her doctoral project is focused on sex therapy and ADHD.  Additionally, she teaches Human Sexuality as an adjunct professor at Rowan University.For those looking to empower their sex and their relationships!  In this informative and fascinating podcast, host Daniel Cordua speaks with Charmaine Ensinger on these topics:- What is sex therapy?  And how could it be helpful to our lives & our relationships?- Demystifying The scripts about sexuality we learn at a young age- How couples can get stuck into a pattern of a sexless relationship- & How couples can bring sexual connection back into a relationship when it is lost- Sex and ADHD- Creating more mutual pleasure and awareness in our sexuality- Exploring our sexuality with more fullness & play- How our sexuality shifts in a partnership over time - Key sexual empowerment practices ... and so much more!Connect with Charmaine here*Connect with Daniel for your Free Discovery Session -  for individuals + couples who are ready to explore, illuminate + empower their lives & their relationshipsPartnership Full of Possibility for 2024 - for couples ready to up-level their partnership and create more intimacy + deeper connection.Empowered Connection MEN'S CIRCLE starts in-person, in Philadelphia, PA on Saturday September 14th at 2pm.  Email me to register - empoweredconnection.me@gmail.com.  Online Men's Circle starting soon!!Find Daily Relationship Tools + Tips & Self Growth + Empowerment Practices with Damodar on Instagram - @empoweredconnection.me*Sponsored by our adored, organic and hand-crafted with intention healing product line Bhava Wellness - RECEIVE 15% OFF  by using the code EMPOWEREDCONNECTION (one word, all caps) at checkout!EMPOWERED CONNECTION

When one partner wants more sex than the other, things can get difficult for couples. Certified Sex Therapist and author Jessa Zimmerman joins us to talk about how to navigate desire discrepancy, and bring pleasure back to the relationship. Even if it's been ages since your last sexual encounter, there is hope!

Welcome to episode 4 of 5 in our Summer Series called, Cultivating an Emotionally Healthy Marriage. Joining us for a conversation about sex is our dear friend, a licensed marriage and family therapist whose specialization in graduate school was sex therapy, Laura Dugger.In this episode, Laura talks about how sex makes everything better. Wait until you hear the research! With honesty, vulnerability, and a solid dose of fun, Josh and Christi's interview with Laura includes:The hidden benefits of sexHow to talk to your spouse about sexReasons for, and how to, schedule sexIndividual differences when it comes to sexThe God-given purpose of sex in marriage We hope you download the pdf files that go along with these episodes (found in show notes below) and use them in your small groups, with your spouse, or as a companion guide to the content.Show Notes: How Marriage is Saving Me: Sign up for weekly devotionalhttps://shorturl.at/NtnCq Download the free discussion guide pdf for the Summer Series. https://www.famousathome.com/summerseriessignup Ladies, register now for Tender & Fierce!https://www.famousathome.com/tenderandfierce Men, join the interest list for our exciting, upcoming men's discipleship journey! https://www.famousathome.com/mensinterestformListen to this episode on Youtube by clicking here.https://youtu.be/NzgcDR013P0RESOURCES MENTIONED BY LAURA DUGGER: Listen to the Savvy Sauce Podcast! hosted by Laura Duggerhttps://thesavvysauce.com/Dr. Jennifer Konzen podcast episode: Fostering a Fun, Healthy Sex Life with your Spouse with Dr. Jennifer Konzenhttps://shorturl.at/mPQvW Visit The Art of Intimate Marriage Website: Access to Dr. Konzen's book, podcast, sex therapist training, and a marriage video series.https://www.theartofintimatemarriage.com/Listen to Dr. Douglas Rosenau podcast episode: Ways to Deepen Your Intimacy in Marriage with Dr. Douglas Rosenauhttps://shorturl.at/EfLZ8Read A Celebration of Sex by Dr. Douglas Rosenau: A guide to enjoying God's gift of sexual intimacyhttps://amzn.to/4cMWVfk Listen to Dr. Michael Sytsma podcast episode: Enjoying a God-Honoring, Healthy Sex Life with Your Spouse with Certified Sex Therapist and Ordained Minister, Dr. Michael Sytsmahttps://shorturl.at/A2pHOListen to Francie Winslow podcast episodes: Sex in Marriage and Its Positive Effects with Francie Winslow, Part 1https://shorturl.at/Mx9Iw Science and Art of Sexual Intimacy in Marriage, Part 2https://tinyurl.com/bddr6b58 Listen to Drs. Clifford and Joyce Penner podcast episode: Easy Changes to Enhance Your Sexual Intimacy in Marriage with Dr. Clifford and Joyce Pennerhttps://tinyurl.com/5n897dpn Time stamps:(0:38) Introduction(3:31) An introduction to Laura Dugger(6:00) Laura's journey into becoming a sex therapist(8:15) Disclaimer about the sex conversation(9:33) Specific ways sex makes everything in your life better(11:28) Biblical foundation for sex(15:45) Addressing body image(21:11) Healthy ways to have conversation about sex(27:30) Common differences in couples(31:08) Purity culture, pornography, and rewiring our brains for healthy connection(33:35) Talking about desire discrepancy and scheduling sex(38:27) Testosterone in women and best time of day for sex(40:40) One piece of advice for husbands(42:44) One piece of advice for wives(44:54) How to know when to reach out for outside support(49:00) The last word

Are you struggling to keep the spark alive in your relationship? In this episode, Dr. Diane Mueller sits down with Heather Shannon, a certified sex therapist, to explore the deep connection between our emotions and sexual energy. Discover how compartmentalizing emotions can dim your libido and learn practical strategies to reignite your passion. Heather shares insights on internal family systems therapy and how understanding our internal parts can lead to better sexual health. From creating a safe space for open communication to recognizing and addressing negative self-talk, this conversation is packed with actionable advice to enhance your intimacy. Tune in to learn: The surprising ways emotional avoidance affects your libido How to communicate your sexual needs without fear or judgment Practical tips for managing stress and boosting your sexual energy ✨Don't miss Heather's Intimacy Audit, a powerful tool to help you identify and overcome the blocks in your sex life. Visit https://heather-shannon.mykajabi.com/intimacyaudit to get started!✨ About the Guest: Heather Shannon is a Certified Sex Therapist and host of the chart-topping “Ask A Sex Therapist” podcast. With over 13 years in private practice, Heather helps people in committed relationships who have lost their sexy spark to feel close and passionate again. Heather has been featured in publications such as Cosmopolitan, Women's Health, Glamour, and Self Magazine, as well as on podcasts including Shameless Sex and The Horny Housewife. She is a sex and relationship expert for the Peanut app, which serves 2.5M women throughout all stages of life. Learn more about Heather Shannon: Heather Shannon's Website: HeatherShannon.co Ask A Sex Therapist Podcast: podfollow.com/AskASexTherapist Heather Shannon on Instagram: instagram.com/AskASexTherapist – Our advocacy is centered around providing a supportive space for women to reclaim sexual vitality and joy for good. Help us achieve this by subscribing to our podcast and sharing us with your friends and family.

Welcome to the Summer Lovin' Series, where we are taking some of the most beloved episodes and bringing you equipping with a mix of mindset, mentoring and practicals to help you see the goodness of God in your bedroom and your body. In today's episode, we have rich conversations with a licensed counselor and sex therapist Nancy Houston. Nancy offers wonderful insight and compassion into the profound connections between love, sex, and healing. We discuss: The spiritual mystery and depth to our sexuality Emotional and soul connection in marriage How to keep sex on the “front burner”  Power and beauty of the feminine body Identifying what's informed your view of sex and understanding how you may be modeling your sex life accordingly Working through sexual trauma through sharing your story (or receiving the story of another) Normalizing, rather than demonizing, our sexuality Styles of attachment (healthy and unhealthy) About Nancy Houston: Nancy Houston is an author, speaker, Executive Leadership Coach, Licensed Professional Counselor and Certified Sex Therapist. She loves to help people grow into their full potential, empowering them to be truly alive. Nancy has been married to the love of her life for almost 50 years. Together they have four wonderful married sons and six adorable grandchildren. Nancy is the author of Love and Sex and Then God Made A Woman: Unwrapping Female Sexuality.    Resources Mentioned: A Celebration of Sex: A Guide to Enjoying God's Gift of Sexual Intimacy by Dr. Douglas E. Rosenau, Jeff Durham, et al.  Then God Made A Woman: Unwrapping Female Sexuality by Nancy Houston  Enjoy!: The Gift of Sexual Pleasure for Women by Joyce and Clifford Penner  You're Invited: Keep learning with Francie! Join the Circle group mentorship. This is a SWEET community of women, connected with the purpose of seeking God's heart for their reclaiming a redeemed view of sex and sexuality. Inside the circle, we will explore and discover the good news about God's heart for sex. Learn more here:  The Circle     101 Course: Strong Foundations to Starting Well CLAIMING A HEALTHY VISION FOR MARRIED SEX   To build a love that lasts, you must begin with a strong foundation. Whether you're newly engaged or in need of a new lens, this course is essential. You'll be equipped to set a Biblically integrated and practically grounded vision for sex, marriage and the calling to steward the gift of pleasure and intimacy. This course is pivotal as you begin to unlearn unhelpful perspectives and sift through shame, lies and painful messages you've received over the years. Learn more here. Donate to the Heaven in Your Home Ministry: Your one time donation will allow us to continue to produce and distribute teaching and resources. Thank you for partnering with us! Donate here.   Connect with Francie: Receive Francie's weekly newsletter  

*DISCLAIMER* This episode is intended for adults   Top Ten from 2023 #6 Secrets of Sex and Marriage: An Interview with Dr. Michael Sytsma   Micah 6:8 (NIV) "He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."   Questions and Topics We Cover: Will you share a few practical sexual education tips with us? What are the best ways spouses can practice communicating well about sex and what are the potential benefits? How does "desire tend to work differently for men and women"?   Dr. Michael Sytsma is a certified sex therapist, ordained minister, and co-founder of sexual wholeness.  Dr. Mike has been working with couples in a variety of capacities since 1987. He currently works with Building Intimate Marriages in Atlanta, GA as he meets with clients, teaches, and speaks at various conferences. He and Karen have been married since 1985 and have two sons, Josiah and Caleb, and one daughter-in-law.   Secrets of Sex and Marriage Website   Building Intimate Marriages Website   Previous Episodes with Dr. Mike on The Savvy Sauce podcast: Ten Common Questions About Sex, Shared Through a Biblical Worldview with Dr. Michael Sytsma   Enjoying a God-Honoring, Healthy Sex Life with Your Spouse with Certified Sex Therapist and Ordained Minister, Dr. Michael Sytsma   Desire Discrepancy in Marriage with Dr. Michael Sytsma   Patreon 29 Remaining Sexually Engaged Through The Years with Dr. Michael Sytsma   Thank You to Our Sponsor: The Sue Neihouser Team   Connect with The Savvy Sauce on Facebook or Instagram or Our Website   Donate to Savvy Sauce Charities here!   Please help us out by sharing this episode with a friend, leaving a 5-star rating and review, and subscribing to this podcast!   Gospel Scripture: (all NIV)   Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”   Romans 3:24 “and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”   Romans 3:25 (a) “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.”    Hebrews 9:22 (b) “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”    Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”    Romans 5:11 “Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”    John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”   Romans 10:9 “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”    Luke 15:10 says “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”   Romans 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”   Ephesians 1:13–14 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession- to the praise of his glory.”   Ephesians 1:15–23 “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”   Ephesians 2:8–10 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God‘s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.“   Ephesians 2:13 “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.“   Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”  

In this episode of Luvbites by Dr. Tara Podcast, Dr. Kate Balestrieri (Licensed Psychologist & Certified Sex Therapist) and Dr. Tara address how childhood trauma relates to BDSM interests, the difference between sex therapy and regular therapy, and how narcissism affects your sex life and relationship. #drtara #sexeducation #relationshipadvice Connect with Dr. Tara on www.luvbites.co POPSTAR | Bigger Loads. Better Taste. Use code DRTARA for 20% off your first order popstarlabs.com/drtara Dr. Tara's Sex Academy | Grow Your Sexual Confidence https://www.luvbites.co/courses Connect with our guest at: @drkatebalestrieri www.modernintimacy.com Follow Dr. Tara on Instagram and TikTok @luvbites.co

Theresa Callard-Moore, Ph.D., a Sexual Health Specialist, shares how sex therapy can help improve your sexual health and how you can make sexual activity more comfortable and pleasurable.Keep Me Home Longer An optimistic podcast about home care. Growing options for managing conditions in...Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the Show.

Episode 116. Today's episode was a super interesting conversation with Sharon Depcinski, LMSW. Sharon is a Certified Sex Therapist and wonderful human being (that I actually got to meet in person a few hours after our conversation at a local therapist meetup!). Sharon reached out to me to share a newer therapy modality she was learning called TRIP, Trauma Regulation and Integration Processing which is a modality developed by Monique Hoving-Smeets. From there, we chatted about the fact that she's a certified sex therapist and the important of this topic (which we have never discussed on the podcast yet!), and her personal and professional interest in exploring neurodivergence and how crucial this can be for people to experience true healing. To be honest, I'm still processing all the information in this conversation and I believe it's incredibly important in many, many ways. What to Expect in this Episode Sharon shares her journey to doing the work she does today, which includes taking a human sexuality class at Central Michigan University but soon realizing that West Michigan wasn't quite ready for her to do sex therapy in those early years... What is sex therapy? Why should we care about it? (and everyone should!) What is desire differential in couples and is it normal? Her winding path as an LMSW for 25 years, and how only in recent 1-2 years has she discovered that both she and her partner are neurodivergent Sharon's diagnosis with ADHD at age 49 and how that's impacted her as a therapist and otherwise Sharon's partner's diagnosis of autism, and how she felt shame that she "should have known" and why she chooses to share their story The role of neurodivergence and Sharon's hunch about how common it is The role of understanding perimenopause and menopause in understanding our physical and psychological symptoms Why swearing makes Sharon a better therapist and the sign she has about swearing in her office (that I totally want now!) Why Sharon pursued Trauma Regulation and Integration Process (TRIP) training and her experience with beginning to learn this modality And so much more! Seriously, y'all. If this conversation doesn't get you thinking differently about a few things, I don't know what will. Can't wait for you to check it out! Resources Mentioned Trauma Regulation and Integration Process (TRIP) training: https://relationshipworx.newzenler.com/professional-home Neurodivergent Conversations podcast: https://www.divergentpod.com/ Emily Nagoski's website Join the Innovative Therapist Book Club Today! Want to learn about the Top 4 books I wish I had read many years ago that have shifted my view of healing and human relationships? Download the free guide today to find out – I bet some of them will surprise you! You can grab it at DrHondorp.com/Books Disclaimer: This blog and podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for individual professional advice or treatment, including medical or mental health advice. It does not constitute a provider-patient relationship.

Thanks to today's sponsor, OneSkin!   OneSkin is the world's first skin longevity company. By focusing on the cellular aspects of aging, OneSkin keeps your skin looking and acting younger for longer.  Get started today with 15% off using code TRUEBEAUTY at oneskin.co. That's 15% off oneskin.co with code TRUEBEAUTY.  Today's Guest, Dr. Kate Balestrieri is the host of Get Naked with Dr. Kate, a Licensed Clinical and Forensic Psychologist, a Certified Sex Therapist, PACT Therapist, CSAT and the founder of Modern Intimacy. She helps people live more fulfilled lives by shattering stigma and erasing shame. Big thanks to Dr. Kate for being here today!  Check them out on Instagram and TikTok @themodernintimacy and @drkatebalestrieri/ Send your beauty questions and beauty baddie moments of the week to truebeautypodcast@gmail.com . Follow me on Instagram @thetruebeautypodcast and @thebrownelizabethtaylor Book virtual appointments with me at www.TRUEBEAUTYBROOKLYN.com  And Click here to subscribe to my YouTube Channel Don't forget to rate us 5-stars,  subscribe, and leave a review on Apple iTunes. Tell a friend to tell a friend if you like the show! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I am so happy to have Rae McDaniel (they/them) on the show. Rae is a non-binary Speaker, Therapist, Certified Sex Therapist, Coach, and Transgender Diversity and Inclusion Educator. They are also the author of Gender Magic, which came out earlier this year. Rae's style of teaching is so accessible and inviting, and we cover their backstory, setting boundaries while staying true to yourself, moving from fear into empowerment, finding chosen family, intimacy and friendships, and so much more. I love following Rae on Instagram because I always learn something from them, and I think you will, too. Read the show notes for today's episode at terricole.com/559