Podcasts about intimacy institute

This is the conversation that happened after the conversation. Part one of our Deb Rubin episode covered the foundations: why sexuality is not an emergency, the three things that make kids stop talking to you, and the difference between sexuality and sexualization. This part two episode picks up exactly where that left off, and goes somewhere most parenting conversations don't. The first thread is clothing. Specifically: what do you actually do when your middle schooler comes downstairs in something that makes your stomach drop? Deb walks us through the questions she loves. Not the panicked parental reaction, but the slow, deliberate, genuinely curious questions that keep the conversation open rather than slamming it shut. Is it weather appropriate? Does it fit? Does it feel comfortable? Is it right for the occasion? And underneath all of those: is my reaction coming from a fear, or from a responsibility? She also names something that most parents are thinking and nobody says out loud: people make a quick snapshot decision based on how you look. Not fair. Not right. But true, and worth telling your kid directly, without judgment, so they can factor it into their own deliberate choices rather than discovering it the hard way. The second thread is social media. Deb waited until her daughters were fourteen before allowing any social media at all. She was strict about time limits and relaxed about content, believing that her job was to manage the dopamine delivery mechanism, not to surveil everything her kids were consuming. And then, in junior year, she removed the limits entirely. Not because the concern was gone, but because she had two years left under her roof to let her daughter practice managing herself and discover, on her own, whether she needed limits at all. Her daughter put them back on after a month. That story, (the limits removed, the daughter who reinstated them herself) is the emotional and clinical centerpiece of part two of our conversation with Deb Rubin. Because it illustrates everything Deb has been saying across both conversations: the goal is not control. The goal is critical thinking. The goal is a kid who, when left to their own devices, reaches for what actually serves them. Jenni closes the episode with a clinical frame that Deb immediately said she was going to steal: the dopamine toolbox. When electronics are the only source of dopamine in a child's life, the consequences are significant and well-documented. The invitation, for kids and for the adults raising them, is to build a diverse toolbox of dopamine sources. Movement. Connection. Creative work. Real-world competence. Not instead of screens, but alongside them, so that the pull of any single source never becomes the whole story.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This episode features Deb Rubin on creating a sex-positive home, the three things that make kids stop talking to you, and why there is no "talk", just a thousand small moments. Deb Rubin is a licensed clinical social worker, psychotherapist, and therapeutic parent coach based in Boulder, Colorado, with over twenty years of experience helping parents navigate the transition from childhood to adolescence. She's also Jenni's longtime colleague and friend, which means this conversation goes places most podcast conversations don't. The episode opens with a deceptively simple question: how do parents move past their own discomfort to become the trusted voice in their child's life around sexuality? And from there it becomes one of the most practically useful conversations about sex education and parenting that Sex and the Psyche has ever hosted. Deb introduces a framework that reframes the entire conversation: sexuality is not an emergency. It's not one talk. It's not a checklist. It's short, sweet, and consistent, a thousand small moments of curiosity and honesty that accumulate, over years, into a child who trusts you enough to tell you things you didn't even know you wanted to know. She breaks down the three parental responses that immediately shut kids down; judgment, over-empathizing, and catastrophic thinking, and explains why the parent who says almost nothing in the moment of a share almost always gets told more. She distinguishes clearly between sexuality (natural, internal, expressive) and sexualization (external, objectifying, worth-based), and explains why conflating the two is one of the most damaging things the culture does to young people. And she names something that Daniel articulates beautifully near the end of the episode: the difference between parenting from fear and parenting from responsibility. A fear requires you to go inward. A responsibility requires you to have a conversation. Knowing which one you're operating from changes everything about how you show up. This episode is for every parent who has ever frozen in the moment, said the wrong thing, or wondered whether they've already missed their window. The answer, Deb makes clear, is almost always no. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

No guest this week. Just Jenni and Daniel, two married co-hosts, two therapists, and two people who are very comfortable talking about things most people avoid entirely. The episode starts where it always does for this podcast: with honesty. A scheduling miscommunication left them without a guest, and instead of papering over it, they open with a real conversation about what rejection actually does to a person. The small sting of a scheduling glitch, scaled up to the much deeper sting of being turned down by the person you love. Because rejection, as Jenni explains, is the opposite of belonging. And belonging, at the neurological level, is survival. From there, they turn to listener questions. The first comes from a partner who isn't bothered by her person's small penis, but is bothered by the fact that they're working through it in therapy without including her in the conversation. Jenni and Daniel explore body confidence, creative solutions, the power of open-handed poker in a relationship, and why men with smaller penises are often significantly better lovers than men who rely on size to carry the experience. The second question arrives from a recently divorced woman re-entering the dating scene, asking whether men are biologically capable of casual sex or whether that's cultural conditioning. The answer, as both Jenni and Daniel agree, is both, and the reasoning is genuinely illuminating. Daniel brings in evolutionary psychology, reproductive biology, and a quietly stunning fact about the male body's response at the moment of death that explains just how deeply the drive to reproduce is wired. Jenni brings in the bio-psychosocial frame- the cultural narratives that reward sexual conquest, the way casual sex can paradoxically produce performance anxiety, and the attachment lens. Which leads to the final thread of the episode: a full breakdown of all four attachment styles: secure, anxious, avoidant, and ambivalent. And how each one shapes the capacity for casual sex, the experience of rejection, and the push-pull dynamics that make relationships so complicated and so human. This is one of those episodes that covers more ground in thirty-five minutes than most podcasts manage in two hours.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brooke Bralove has been doing talk therapy for over twenty years. She's good at it. And she will tell you, clearly and without hesitation, that there are things talk therapy simply cannot do. That's where Accelerated Resolution Therapy comes in. ART is a brief, neuroscience-based treatment modality that uses rapid eye movement, similar to what happens during REM sleep combined with a technique called voluntary image replacement, to rewire the way the brain stores negative memories, traumatic experiences, and the body sensations that accompany them. The process is fast. Often remarkably so. Single-incident trauma: rarely more than two sessions. Sometimes one. In this episode, Dr. Jenni Skyler and Daniel Lebowitz sit down with Brooke to explore one of the most underused and under-discussed tools in sexual health. They walk through how ART works, the eye movements, the desensitization, the director scene, and the brain's extraordinary capacity to store a new narrative without ever erasing the facts of what actually happened. They share clinical stories: a man whose erectile dysfunction resolved after clearing a decade-old stabbing trauma he'd never connected to his sexual functioning. A woman with six years of pelvic pain who immediately surfaced a childhood memory of being beaten- a memory that had nothing to do with sex and everything to do with the body's guarding response. A woman who hadn't been intimate with her husband in six years, whose desire returned after a single session of releasing the accumulated irritation that had been sitting in its place. And then Jenni shares something she's never shared publicly before. The personal session she did with Brooke at ISSWSH. The image that had been jumping into her brain during foreplay since she was twelve. What the eye movements revealed about a memory she thought was something it wasn't. And the director scene she created, spontaneously, without planning, that left her, in her own words, feeling more alive in her body and her Eros than she had in years. Daniel brings the evolutionary lens: why predators look around while prey looks forward, what perspective actually does to the nervous system, and the Japanese concept of Kintsugi (filling cracks with gold) as a metaphor for what ART does to a memory. Brooke talks about using eye movements before presentations, during chronic pain, and in moments of anticipatory anxiety. And she makes a quietly radical suggestion: that art as a daily self-administered practice might be one of the most accessible nervous system tools available to anyone willing to look at two spots on a wall for thirty seconds. The motto of ART is simple. Keep the knowledge, lose the pain. This episode is the best possible introduction to what that means. https://brookebralove.com/accelerated-resolution-therapy/ https://brookebralove.com/ https://www.instagram.com/brookebralovepsychotherapy/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Claire Rumore was lifted into a hospital gurney to undergo her first biopsy, she stepped aside to use the restroom first. And while she was there, she heard a quiet internal voice ask her a question: Do you want to go back to the life you had before? Is that what you want? Without hesitation, her answer was no. What followed was one of the most unusual cancer journeys in modern medicine. Claire was 43 years old. She had stage four pancreatic cancer — a diagnosis that typically affects older men, and that her medical team never actually disclosed to her during treatment. She went through two major abdominal surgeries, dropped to 74 pounds, lost her menstrual cycle, lost her libido, and lost the person she had been. And then, slowly, over the course of eighteen months, she found her way back. Not to who she was- but to someone clearer, more embodied, and more deeply connected to her own desire than she had ever been before. In this episode, Dr. Jenni Skyler and Daniel Lebowitz sit down with Claire for a conversation about the emotional, relational, and erotic dimensions of cancer recovery that medicine almost never addresses. Claire is the founder of Cancer and Intimacy, an education platform built on a three-part framework she developed from her own experience and her work with patients, survivors, and their partners. The first lily pad is erotic grief, the deeply under addressed process of mourning what's been lost: The body you knew, the sexuality you had, the intimacy you can no longer access in the same way. Claire has written a free ebook on erotic grief and makes a compelling case that this experience is not exclusive to cancer. It's universal to anyone navigating major change. The second is libido listening. The slow, quiet, inward practice of reacquainting yourself with your own body's signals after illness or loss. Claire describes learning to feel pleasure in the sheets against her skin, in the air in the room, in the gentlest forms of touch, what she calls subtle sexuality. A term she coined to describe the low, soft, sensory orientation to desire that becomes the entry point back to conventional sexuality. Claire Rumore WebsiteSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jeff Abraham didn't set out to build a sexual wellness company. He was a semiconductor engineer from a coal mining town in Pennsylvania who sold his business, retired, and got a call from his neighbor, Dr. Ronald Gilbert, the urologist who invented Promescent's delay spray. One conversation, one product sample, and one phone call later, Jeff was all in. What followed was fifteen years of building one of the most respected sexual wellness brands in the world with over 5 million bottles sold, more than 4,000 healthcare professionals recommending the product, and a mission that Jeff describes simply as helping people. Along the way, he lost his closest friend to an act of senseless violence. And he decided the best thing he could do with that grief was give Dr. Gilbert the legacy he deserved. In this episode, Dr. Jenni Skyler and Daniel Lebowitz sit down with Jeff for one of the most candid and practically useful conversations about male sexual functioning you'll find anywhere. They dig into the clinical reality of premature ejaculation, the difference between clinical PE and the much larger group of men who simply want better intimacy. Why 75% of women don't orgasm from intercourse alone, and what that means for couples. Why men who struggle with PE often stop initiating sex entirely, and the spiral that follows. How shame, not physiology, is usually the most dangerous factor in the room. And why Jeff's answer to "what's the best thing you can do for better intimacy?" is still, always, communication. They also talk about the rise of male masturbatory devices, why younger men are increasingly choosing not to pursue partners at all, the engineering logic behind Promescent's patented eutectic formula, and how to "put one in the bank" before intercourse if anxiety is running the show. This is a conversation for men who have quietly stepped back from intimacy because of shame and for the partners who don't understand why. Jeff is warm, irreverent, deeply informed, and completely unafraid to say the thing most people in this space are dancing around.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. Jenni Skyler and Daniel Lebowitz sit down with Zach and Sally Maxwell, relationship thought leaders, executive coaches, and co-founders of The Art of Conscious Love, for a conversation that will change how you think about romance. Together since they were 18, the Maxwells have built a modern relationship framework around a radical premise: love is not something you fall into. It's something you practice. They walk through their eight-pillar approach to conscious relationships covering personal accountability, inner narratives, transparency, desire, conflict resolution, and the art of consciously designing your own monogamy. A masterclass in what it actually takes to make love last. https://www.max-wellcoaching.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/sally-swallow-maxwell/ sally@max-wellcoaching.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, I sit down with two powerhouse sex therapists — Dr. Jenni Skyler and Daniel Lebowitz — to dig into one of the most common and least talked-about issues in long-term relationships: mismatched libidos. We're breaking down what desire discrepancy really means, why it doesn't have to spell the end of your sex life, and why the person wanting less sex is never simply "the problem." We get honest about the shame spiral that shuts men down sexually, the hidden reasons behind low male desire (from testosterone to performance anxiety to cultural conditioning), and the exact language that can open a conversation your partner has been too scared to start. This is Part 1 of 2 — and it's essential listening for anyone who has ever felt rejected in the bedroom or guilty for saying no.In this episode:00:00 - Welcome & Guest Introductions01:50 - What Is Desire Discrepancy — And Who Has It?04:25 - Why Nobody's the Problem (But It Feels That Way)06:40 - When She Wants It More Than He Does09:20 - The Hidden Reasons Behind Low Male Desire12:55 - How to Start the Conversation With a Shut-Down Partner16:10 - The Two Words That Change Everything: You Matter19:05 - Getting Into Therapy: Where Do You Even Start?21:30 - The Bilingual Couple: Unlocking Desire Through Language24:20 - Men's Shame, Sensuality & the Missing Safe Spaces26:40 - Sexual Rejection and the Fear of Not Belonging27:50 - Part 2 Teaser & Where to Find the Guests Want a deeper look? Watch the full episode on YouTube for a more visual experience of today's discussion. This episode is best enjoyed on video—don't miss out!

In this episode, Jenni and Daniel talk with infidelity expert Michelle Weiner-Davisabout how couples can rebuild sex, safety, and emotional connection after an affair. They normalize everything from “hot and heavy” post-discovery sex to long dry spells, and offer practical tools for easing back into touch, managing triggers, and shifting from obligation to genuine desire. Michelle also explains why she believes choice—not a “bad marriage”—causes infidelity, and how he two-day intensives help couples move from crisis to traction. Bullet Points: It’s common for betrayed partners to feel increased sexual desire for the unfaithful spouse right after discovery—this can be a form of reclaiming and reconnection, not something to be ashamed of. After an initial “hot and heavy” phase, sex often cools down, which can trigger panic that the couple is sliding back into old patterns. Rebuilding intimacy works best when couples start with low‑ pressure touch (like hugs that are explicitly not a prelude to sex) instead of jumping straight to intercourse. Many women experience sex as obligation—understanding responsive desire and their own pleasure can shift sex from duty to something they actively want. Michelle argues that “bad marriages don’t cause infidelity; deciding to cheat does”, and she uses two‑ day therapy intensives to give couples enough time to stabilize, process, and begin real repair. Links: Michele@divorcebusting.com2-day intensive InformationAudiobook: Healing from InfidelityWebsite: DivorceBusting.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Kim puts Dr. Jenni and her sex therapist husband on the hot seat and finds out more about this intriguing couple and how they balance their sex therapy business with the everyday challenges of life and marriage, with questions ranging from what they talk about at the dinner table to how they rate their sex life and a lot more! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen in as we discuss the ever popular topic SEX with sexologist & sex therapist Dr. Jenni Skyler. Dr. Jenni Skyler, is a certified sex therapist, board certified sexologist, and a licensed marriage and family therapist. She has been the Director of The Intimacy Institute for sex and relationship therapy for many years.  Dr. Jenni has written many columns and national publications like huffington post, shape magazine, pop sugar and buzzfeed. She holds a doctorate in Clinical Sexology and a Master of Education in Counseling Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy.  In addition, Dr. Jenni offers sexological wisdom and advice as the in-house Resident Expert at Adam & Eve–America's largest sex toy company. 

Guest bioDr. Jenni Skyler is an AASECT (American Academy of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists) certified sex therapist and a licensed marriage and family therapist. She has been the Director of The Intimacy Institute for sex and relationship therapy for over almost 12 years. She holds a doctorate in Clinical Sexology and a Master of Education in Counseling Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy. In addition, Dr. Jenni offers sexological wisdom and advice as the in-house Resident Expert at Adam & Eve–America's largest sex toy company. When not working, Jenni loves to move her body. She was a three-sport athlete in high school, a beginner marathon runner in college, competed in triathlons in grad school, and eventually made her way to Crossfit. However, she has now retired from that as well!Connect with Jenni Website: https://theintimacyinstitute.orgInstagram: @intimacy_instituteIf you enjoyed this episode, please consider buying me a cup of coffeeIn this episode we discussed:Gymnastics as a refuge from Jenni's tumultuous childhoodJenni's journey from gymnastics to other sports: water polo, swimming, running, triathlonHow a knee injury interfered with her running and ultimately lead her to weight lifting and later CrossFitWhat it looks like to work on shifting her “compulsive” relationship with fitness to one that's focused on taking pleasure in movement How her husband's support and motherhood helped spark her new relationship with exercise Why she quit CrossFit (at least for now) and why the “balls to the wall” approach stopped working for herGetting rid of the scaleUncoupling her worth from her weightThe core fears of being inadequate and lovable that drove her exercise habits—and how these same fears have also been a driver behind her professional and athletic successThe journey to knowing “I matter no matter what”How Jenni's mom, a sexual abuse survivor who struggled with bulimia and drug addiction influenced her life (and her career in particular)Are soul mates really a thing? Why it's normal for women in long-term relationships to want to want sex (nope, not a typo!)Advice on how to lean into sex with your long-term partner when your to-do list beckonsOn mothering without a mapHer relationship with fear Why (and how) she's meditatingThe e-course she's offering couples via The Intimacy InstituteFor full details click here. ********Visit my website to get your FREE guide to crushing Impostor Syndrome**Are you ready to your relationship with exercise, food, and body image for good? I can help. Click here to learn more about body-positive health coaching. Want to know my secrets for getting published in top publications? They're all in my e-book, 7 Pitches That Sold. Use the code realfit50 to get half off.Let's Connect!Website LinkedIn InstagramTwitterSupport the show

Juliet and Mykelle sit down with Dr. Jenni Skylar, Adam and Eve's very own sex therapist and founder of the Intimacy Institute. We also welcome Marissa, from Episode 3: Matilda's Project, as the new co-host on the show. Dr. Jenni talks with the BG crew about all things sex, and explains where some of the pitfalls of intimacy can lead to bigger problems in relationships. The trio also talk about creating an environment for great sex, finding confidence inside and out of the bedroom, and answer questions directly from the BrokenGirl audience. From the Intimacy Institute website: Jenni Skyler, PhD, LMFT, CST is an AASECT certified sex therapist, board certified sexologist, and a licensed marriage and family therapist. She has been the Director of The Intimacy Institute for sex and relationship therapy in Boulder, Colorado for over ten years. She holds a doctorate in Clinical Sexology and a Master of Education in Counseling Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy. In addition, Dr. Jenni offers sexological wisdom and advice as the in-house Resident Expert at Adam & Eve–America’s largest sex toy company.Dr. Jenni has been featured in 5280 Health 2014, top doctors edition- https://www.5280.com/magazine/2013/12/lets-talk-about-sex, as well as numerous national publications: HuffPost, Shape Magazine, Women’s Health, Men’s Health, PopSugar, Buzzfeed, and many more. She is has been an expert speaker and workshop presenter locally and nationwide; and has written numerous columns including Savvy Sex for Adam & Eve; Sophisticated Sex for The Boulder Weekly; Sexy Shabbos for Boulder Jewish News; Sunday Sex Talk with Dr. Jenni for BuffSecret.com; Sexpress Yourself for Kraze Magazine; and expert advice for SexualHealth.comThis episode of BrokenGirl Unchained is brought to you by Chiara's Adult Shop

Jenni Skyler, PhD, LMFT, CST is an AASECT certified sex therapist, board certified sexologist, and a licensed marriage and family therapist. She has been the Director of The Intimacy Institute for sex and relationship therapy in Boulder, Colorado for over ten years. She holds a doctorate in Clinical Sexology and a Master of Education in Counseling Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy. In addition, Dr. Jenni offers sexological wisdom and advice as the in-house Resident Expert at Adam & Eve–America's largest sex toy company. SexualHealth.com

Dr. Jenni Skylar of the Intimacy Institute is back for another episode with Dave and she has a mission to give all people permission for pleasure by promoting sexual health and healing. We offer comprehensive counseling, experiential education, and culturally competent training services to help each client deepen their connections with themselves, their partners, and their communities. She believes that socio-cultural messages that perpetuate the performance of sex and relationships…and, attachments wounds from childhood that “run the show” in adult dating. Dr. Skylar and I dig deep into modern relationships by discussing when and how to have the hard conversations about sex with our partners. Going further than that, we chat about “Cuffing Season” and managing boiling pots by dating multiple people at the same time. She is the expert that I turn to for advice and a new perspective on love, relationships, and sex. Recently, Dr. Skylar gave me a suggestion that a date I went on my be more old fashioned than me and I would benefit greatly from calling her on the phone. You know what? It worked out great and I can’t thank her enough for giving me direction and advice that proved hugely valuable! Please connect with her on Instagram @intimacy_institute Dave Glaser is the owner of Fit Life Champions and an Enneagram Coach for singles that wish to find lasting love in an authentic relationship. Your first session is absolutely free, please book your 30 minute consultation with Dave at calendly.com/believeberealbebold now! Don’t forget to join our free 3 Day Social Media Detox at www.believeberealbebold.com with people around the country just like you wishing to show up more authentically and be more present with family and friends when it matters most! To find out your Enneagram personality type, take the test at 9types.com and send your results to Dave at believeberealbebold@gmail.com for more information!

Dr. Jenni Skylar of the Intimacy Institute invited me in to discuss modern relationships, from monogamy to polyamory! We don’t hold back during the authentic conversation to go deep beyond the surface level discussion to discover the intimacy behind the lifestyle choice common today. Grab your tickets for the upcoming live event in Denver, Co by clicking here http://bit.ly/BBR-live-event now! 50% off Monday only! If you love the BBR Podcast and would like to show your support, please click here to donate today! To find out your Enneagram personality type, take the test at 9types.com and send your results to Dave at believeberealbebold@gmail.com for more information!

Dr. Jenni Skyler is a sex therapist. In this episode Jenni and Eliot talk about some common themes couples experience, why people see sex as a performance, the stress of making babies, the holocaust, touch in relationships, kids and porn on the internet, porn on the screen vs porn in a magazine, Liam Neeson, how arousal hijacks rational decisions, polygamous relationships and so much more! You can find more information about Dr. Skyler, her team and the work that they do on The Intimacy Institute website.

Today’s episode features Dr. Jenni Skyler, an AASECT certified sex therapist, board certified sexologist, and a licensed marriage and family therapist. She has been the Director of The Intimacy Institute for sex and relationship therapy in Boulder, Colorado for over nine years. She is the in-house expert at Adam & Eve -- use the promo code BETTER for your discount

Max and Lilly interview Dr. Jenni Skyler from the Intimacy Institute and Adam and Eve toys. They talk about sex therapy, performance anxiety, sex with grapefruits and how Max and Lilly have sex every single day.

Mou will be interviewing Dr. Jenni Skyler, AASECT certified Sex Therapist and spokesperson for Adam and Eve sex toys. Jenni Skyler, PhD, LMFT, CST is an AASECT certified sex therapist, board certified sexologist, and a licensed marriage and family therapist. She has been the Director of The Intimacy Institute for sex and relationship therapy in Boulder, Colorado for over nine years. She holds a doctorate in Clinical Sexology and a Master of Education in Counseling Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy. In addition, Dr. Jenni offers sexological wisdom and advice as the in-house Resident Expert at Adam & Eve–America’s largest sex toy company. Dr. Jenni has been featured in 5280 Health 2014, top doctors edition- http://www.5280.com/magazine/2013/12/lets-talk-about-sex, as well as numerous national publications: HuffPost, Shape Magazine, Women’s Health, Men’s Health, PopSugar, Buzzfeed, and many more. She is has been an expert speaker and workshop presenter locally and nationwide; and has written numerous columns. 

In this month's Taboo-ty Podcast episode, Chelsea Holland, sex therapist at the Intimacy Institute talks about the mental blocks many colorectal cancer patients and survivors face when it comes to sexuality and intimacy. She shares plenty of useful tips on how to navigate this sensitive issue.

Note: If you are not comfortable listening to a conversation about sex and sexuality in front of other people (kids, your boss, etc), then please be sure to listen to this one when you’re in a place to do so. Meet Jenni Skyler - an AASECT certified sex therapist, board certified sexologist, and a licensed marriage and family therapist. Jenni helps people get in tune with their own sexuality and fully embrace themselves as healthy sexual beings. Her mission is to help people give themselves permission for pleasure. Jenni is one of those amazing people who tackles a topic - one that is often shrouded in secrecy, shame and confusion - without judgment in a way that helps people feel comfortable.  Jenni’s background is both difficult and empowering. Her mother became addicted to drugs and left when Jenni was very young, so she was raised by her father who was a very positive, strong influence in her life. She learned about sex when she was very young as her father addressed it in a somewhat clinical way as a fact of life. There was never any shame or secrecy around the topic. As Jenny got older, she became the de facto Dr Ruth of her friends. Eventually she found her way into the profession and decided to become a licensed therapist. Today, Jenni is the founder of the Intimacy Institute in Boulder. If you’re local, come to Skirt Sports Women Run the World event on Tue, Nov 14. Jenni will be leading the strength workout and she’ll be one of our featured speakers. I’ll be honest. I was so excited to have Jenni on the show, but I felt like I kept stumbling over my questions. It was not as easy for me to ask direct questions as I thought it would be! Today we talk about: What it means to be a sex therapist Jenni's path to the trade: discovering her own sexuality and embracing it as she became an adult Jenni's parents: the dad who raised her and the mother who left Sex and kids: how and when do we talk to them about sexuality in a safe and open way Sex and marriage: is it possible to maintain the "butterflies" through a lifelong relationship Sex and sports: is there a correlation? Sex and aging: what can we expect The keys to a healthy relationship: Respect, Transparency, "Desire Deposits" In the end, as Jenni says, it’s all about optimizing your own life. Ask yourself where and how you want to shine. When you give yourself permission for pleasure you open yourself up to a life of positivity and that’s what we are all striving for in the end. Thanks for tuning in today. If you want to reach Jenni, check out the Intimacy Institute website – she has lots of content on this subject!  All right everyone, you know what time it is. It’s time to get out there and Run This World. Have a great workout and I’ll see you next week.

We discuss: -Why it's important to be able to both "take the driver seat or the passenger seat" in bed and how a couple can explore both roles. -How boundaries are essential for healthy vulnerability. -How to identify your "intimacy threshold" and grow beyond it and why it's important to have access to multiple types of intimacy. -How Daniel is modeling manhood, fatherhood, and intimacy for his two sons. -The role intention plays in creating intimacy. We finish the interview with some great practical advice from Daniel about how to improve your relationships.

We all seek connection with those around us because it’s an innate human need. There are many ways we connect. We have casual conversations with our friends and small talk with strangers and acquaintances. Typically, we seek a deeper more intimate connection with our loved ones, and yet sometimes it’s surprisingly difficult to get there. Despite years of living together, deep love, and an everlasting commitment, it can still be difficult to talk about certain needs and desires. This is all the more so true in a newer relationship. In this potent conversation, Daniel and I transcend taboos to explore the territory of intimacy and vulnerability. We learn about what Daniel does as a sex therapist and he shares insights, useful advice, and tips around how we can improve our relationships and sexual connections. “What isn’t working in your sex life? How can you develop a vision of what you to cultivate in terms of a healthy relationship to your sexuality?” Daniel shares how to overcome the awkwardness of talking about sex and the importance of vulnerability. We discuss and important new metaphor for sex (https://www.ted.com/talks/al_vernacchio_sex_needs_a_new_metaphor_here_s_one) and we explore why we avoid speaking up about what we’re most thirsty for. Some additional topics include: - Why Suffering in Silence around sexual connection is harmful for everyone and how to better communicate with your partner about sex. - We explore of the commonality of sexual dissatisfaction in men and women and what can be done about it. - We discuss the place of power and privilege in conversation around sex, sexual pleasure, and intimacy. “Rather than saying any one group should be silenced or not heard either because we don’t agree with that group or because they’ve had power, or for any reason, ends up defeating the purpose of all of working to develop ourselves in a way that creates individual change on a community level”. - We explore the obstacles to intimacy for men and how men can go beyond that. Men avoid intimacy with other men in general. - Why it’s a common mistake for men look to get ALL of their intimacy needs from their romantic relationships. and how to grow beyond that. Murky unclear set of emotional, physical, and sexual intimacy needs. Don’t know how to articulate, what’s in the basket. - We also explore how Daniel is modeling healthy manhood and fatherhood for his sons. Come on, it doesn’t get much better than that! ;-) I think this is a really important episode and believe that there’s something out there for everyone to learn here. If you listen and enjoy it, please share with a friend or a family member that will enjoy it, and most importantly, put what you learn to use. Start a vulnerable conversation and see where it goes. Think about what you want from your sexual life and talk about it with a friend. Explore vulnerability and intimacy with someone other than lover. A lot of the change our culture needs will start right here in these conversations. Feel free to comment or get in touch with questions etc. Contact me: noah@heartseedhealth.com or Daniel via www.theintimacyinstittue.org As always, thanks for listening!

Tonight we explore the many ways we can make sex and relationships better, more passionate and long-lasting.   Jenni Skyler, PhD, MSEd is a sex therapist and board certified sexologist. She is the Director of The Intimacy Institute for sex and relationship therapy in Boulder, Colorado. She holds a doctorate in Clinical Sexology and a Master of Education in Counseling Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy.   Submit your questions to SexEFAQS@PenningtonEmpowerment.com or call in LIVE!

Tonight we explore the many ways we can make sex and relationships better, more passionate and long-lasting.   Jenni Skyler, PhD, MSEd is a sex therapist and board certified sexologist. She is the Director of The Intimacy Institute for sex and relationship therapy in Boulder, Colorado. She holds a doctorate in Clinical Sexology and a Master of Education in Counseling Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy.   Submit your questions to SexEFAQS@PenningtonEmpowerment.com or call in LIVE!