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Many couples find themselves in a sexless marriage, but it often doesn't happen overnight. Here's the hard reality: if you don't have a medical reason for withholding sex from your spouse, you may be unknowingly starving your marriage. Sex is what separates a friendship from a marriage, and both of you have a responsibility to protect that intimacy and seek solutions together during difficult seasons. God gave us this special gift for a reason; let's honor it. _______________ We want your marriage to thrive! Learn more at http://xomarriage.com Dave and Ashley Willis spent thirteen years in full-time church ministry before devoting their work entirely toward the global mission of building stronger, Christ-centered marriages. Their marriage-related books, blogs, podcast, speaking events and media resources have reached millions of couples around the world making Dave and Ashley one of the most recognized and trusted couples in marriage ministry. Dave and Ashley partnered with XO Marriage in 2018. XO Marriage is the nation's largest marriage-focused ministry. The Willis family includes four sons and a rescue dog named "Chi Chi." When Dave and Ashley aren't writing and speaking, they love hanging out with their family, watching movies and going on long walks which is also where they develop many of their marriage ministry content ideas. Learn more about Dave & Ashley at daveandashley.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What happens when sex quietly disappears from a relationship? Maybe you're still best friends. Maybe you've become roommates. Or maybe years of rejection, resentment, hurt, and avoidance have created a distance you're no longer sure how to cross. In this replay episode, Dr. Sonia Wright is joined by Coach Donna Jennings for an honest and compassionate conversation about sexless marriages and relationships. And here's something important: If you and your partner aren't having sex—and you're both perfectly happy with that—there isn't a problem to fix. But if you want more intimacy, connection, touch, or pleasure, then it's worth getting curious about what's happening beneath the surface. Because a sexless relationship is rarely just about sex. In This Episode, You'll Learn:
He told himself the same thing for eleven years. Just hold on until the kids are grown, then we'll reconnect. The empty nest came. Nothing changed. In this one I read a real email from a 58-year-old man sitting in a silent house, asking if it's too late and whether he wasted his window. Then I walk through the final talk. When to have it, how to have it from a place of strength, and why "waiting it out" is the trap that costs men their best years.This isn't about blowing up your marriage. It's about refusing to spend the next 25 years as a ghost in your own home.
New series, new co-host. Cassie (https://x.com/FutureDrSassy) is an occupational therapist, a researcher, and a certified pelvic floor therapist — and starting now, she and I are going to have the conversations about sex and intimacy that nobody had with any of us growing up.This first one starts where all of it starts: childhood. What you watched your parents do — the hand-holding, the date nights, the kisses in the kitchen, or the total absence of all of it — became your blueprint. So when Mr. Anxious does his research and figures out his wife is avoidant, my first question is always the same: what were her mom and dad like? And the answer is always the same, too.So I asked Cassie the question every guy in that spot is really asking: my wife is cold, her whole family is cold, she's agreed to work on it — is it realistic to think she ever becomes my sexy wife? Or am I asking for a personality transplant?Her answer is more hopeful than you'd expect and slower than you'd like. We get into why side-by-side beats eye-to-eye with an avoidant partner, why shared activities work when date nights don't, the bell curve of how long repair actually takes (hint: about as long as the damage took), and the question you have to answer honestly before you start: what does progress actually look like to you — and are you willing to wait for it?Then it gets heavier. What happens when therapy uncovers sexual abuse in her past — and why it shows up as everything from pain with intimacy to the opposite extreme. What stress does to the pelvic floor. Why oxytocin matters more, not less, as her hormones change. Why nurses statistically have more orgasms (really — it's a knowledge thing, and it proves the point of this whole series). And the part you guys won't love: how YOUR insecurity — about toys, about her curiosities, about "am I not enough?" — is half the wall.We're calling this project the Intimacy Lab. There's a free private group to go with it — link below. Strict rules on entry, because we're going to talk about sensitive stuff and it needs to stay a safe place for men AND women. The future episodes get saucier than this one. Fair warning.
Can a marriage survive without sex? In this episode of the Kidsstoppress Parenting Podcast, Mansi Zaveri, Founder of Kidsstoppress and Conscious Parenting Coach, speaks with intimacy and sexual relationship coach Pallavi Barnwal about sexless marriages, roommate marriages, consent in marriage, intimacy after kids, postpartum intimacy, C-sections, breastfeeding, divorce, pornography and relationships in India.Pallavi shares her personal journey from management consulting to becoming an intimacy coach, and opens up about sexual abuse, divorce, a roommate marriage and learning what consent really means.Support the show
When Ralph Brewer's marriage ended in infidelity and divorce, he was left with three young kids, a shattered sense of identity, and no real support system. What started as private journaling and anonymous blog posts grew into a mission to help men navigate divorce, recover from betrayal, and understand why so many relationships quietly die. In this episode of The Upgraded Man, host Chris Anderson sits down with Ralph — self-published author of The Dead Bedroom Fix and founder of Help for Men — for an honest conversation about loss, attachment, and what it actually takes for a man to come back from rock bottom. In this episode: Why it often takes a "holy poop moment" like divorce to finally force a man to change, and how Ralph turned his into a mission The hidden reason so many men have no real friendships, and why community is critical to male mental health What a sexless marriage is actually signaling, and why the problem is rarely about sex itself Attachment theory made simple: how anxiously attached men and avoidant partners fall into a dysfunctional cycle, and how to break it The "moving the goalposts" trap that leaves men doing everything and still feeling rejected Why getting healthier sometimes ends a relationship, and why that isn't a failure Ralph's controversial 36-month rule for vetting a partner before committing How to take ownership after betrayal, model resilience for your kids, and stop trying to fix what isn't yours to fix A simple first step for any man who senses something is off in his relationship this week Ralph Brewer is the author of The Dead Bedroom Fix, which has been read by hundreds of thousands of men across multiple editions, and the founder of Help for Men, home to the private men's support community The Brotherhood. Known online as "Dad Starting Over," he reaches millions of men across YouTube, Facebook, and TikTok. Learn more: helpformen.com Follow Ralph: search "Dad Starting Over" on YouTube, Facebook, and TikTok This episode may or may not be sponsored. Some product links are affiliate links, meaning we'll receive a small commission if you buy something.===========================⚡️ PODCAST: Subscribe and listen on all major platforms⚡️ Want to be a guest on The Upgraded Man? Apply here ➡ https://upgraded-man.com/guest⚡️ For support or business inquiries, email us ➡ chris@upgraded-man.com Our mission at The Upgraded Man is simple — help men upgrade every area of their life through real conversations, honest stories, and actionable insight from men who have done the work.Want to be a guest on The Upgraded Man? Send Chris Anderson a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/upgradedmanpodcast The content on The Upgraded Man is for informational and entertainment purposes only. The views expressed by the host and guests are their own and do not constitute professional legal, financial, medical, or therapeutic advice. Always consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on information discussed on this podcast. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
His wife said it five or six times over the course of a year. "If you need it that bad, just go find it somewhere else." He sat her down one night and asked her to confirm it. She did. Twice.A few weeks later he had one phone call with an old friend from college. Ninety minutes. No flirting. Nothing physical. She was going through her own divorce and needed someone to talk to.A few days later, his wife went through his phone, found the unfamiliar number, and called it herself just to see who would pick up. A woman answered. She went nuclear. Then she looked him in the eye and said she never gave him permission. He made it up. It was a lie.If you're in a sexless marriage, you've probably heard some version of "go find it somewhere else." It feels like a permission slip. It isn't. It's a test, a bluff, a quiet insult about your value as a man, and sometimes a flat-out trap. And when you finally act on it, even in the most innocent way possible, she might erase the whole conversation from the record.In this video I break down the three reasons she actually says it, the brutal assumption underneath that makes her so comfortable saying it, the dangerous version where she's hoping you take the bait, why she explodes when you do, why she'll deny she ever said it in the first place, and what to do with the information instead of blowing up your life over it.
She shut down. Walked out of the room. And you spent the next three days replaying the one sentence that did it. That right there is a trigger talking to a trigger. And it's exactly what my guest today spends her career untangling. Tressa Yonekawa holds a graduate degree in cognitive neuroscience for communication. Twenty five years in, she's used it with corporate leaders, celebrity clients, and couples who feel more like roommates than lovers. We get into her own near drowning at four years old, the voice she heard underwater that redirected her entire life, and how her father's war trauma and a chaotic childhood taught her to read the patterns hiding underneath a fight. Here's what you'll walk away with. The exact phrase that stops a fight before it starts ("I have a story that...") Why "we're not having sex anymore" is almost never actually about sex Her four layer Trust Pyramid: presence, emotional safety, curiosity, then trust The one question most couples have never asked each other, and what happens when they finally do How she navigated her own divorce with grace instead of a courtroom fight Gorgeous, if you have ever gone quiet mid conversation because you didn't have the words, this one is for you. Watch the full conversation now and tell me in the comments which tool you're trying first. And if you're ready to take your health, relationships, and vitality to the next level, join me at my upcoming Vitality Event! Learn more and reserve your spot here: https://drannacabeca.com/pages/f-vitality-experience Key Timestamps 00:00 — Meet Tressa and her background in cognitive neuroscience 04:00 — The near drowning at four and the voice underwater 10:00 — How childhood patterns show up in adult relationships 16:00 — The "I have a story that..." tool for defusing triggers 22:00 — Why sexless marriages are rarely about sex 28:00 — The Trust Pyramid explained 36:00 — Her own divorce and the elegant exit 42:00 — First steps for a woman feeling discontent in her relationship 48:00 — Where to find Tressa and how to send in your questions Memorable Quotes "What looks like anger is almost always fear based." — Tressa Yonekawa "Talking to somebody else's trigger creates harm." — Tressa Yonekawa "There's always hope, healing, and a body you love to live in." — Dr. Anna Cabeca Connect With Guest Website: https://tressayonekawa.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tressa.yonekawa/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TressaYonekawa LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tressayonekawa Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tressayonekawa/ Connect With Dr. Anna Website: Dranna.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thegirlfrienddoctor/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thegirlfrienddoctor TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drannacabeca Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thegirlfrienddoctor
She shut down. Walked out of the room. And you spent the next three days replaying the one sentence that did it. That right there is a trigger talking to a trigger. And it's exactly what my guest today spends her career untangling. Tressa Yonekawa holds a graduate degree in cognitive neuroscience for communication. Twenty five years in, she's used it with corporate leaders, celebrity clients, and couples who feel more like roommates than lovers. We get into her own near drowning at four years old, the voice she heard underwater that redirected her entire life, and how her father's war trauma and a chaotic childhood taught her to read the patterns hiding underneath a fight. Here's what you'll walk away with. The exact phrase that stops a fight before it starts ("I have a story that...") Why "we're not having sex anymore" is almost never actually about sex Her four layer Trust Pyramid: presence, emotional safety, curiosity, then trust The one question most couples have never asked each other, and what happens when they finally do How she navigated her own divorce with grace instead of a courtroom fight Gorgeous, if you have ever gone quiet mid conversation because you didn't have the words, this one is for you. Watch the full conversation now and tell me in the comments which tool you're trying first. And if you're ready to take your health, relationships, and vitality to the next level, join me at my upcoming Vitality Event! Learn more and reserve your spot here: https://drannacabeca.com/pages/f-vitality-experience Key Timestamps 00:00 — Meet Tressa and her background in cognitive neuroscience 04:00 — The near drowning at four and the voice underwater 10:00 — How childhood patterns show up in adult relationships 16:00 — The "I have a story that..." tool for defusing triggers 22:00 — Why sexless marriages are rarely about sex 28:00 — The Trust Pyramid explained 36:00 — Her own divorce and the elegant exit 42:00 — First steps for a woman feeling discontent in her relationship 48:00 — Where to find Tressa and how to send in your questions Memorable Quotes "What looks like anger is almost always fear based." — Tressa Yonekawa "Talking to somebody else's trigger creates harm." — Tressa Yonekawa "There's always hope, healing, and a body you love to live in." — Dr. Anna Cabeca Connect With Guest Website: https://tressayonekawa.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tressa.yonekawa/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TressaYonekawa LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tressayonekawa Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tressayonekawa/ Connect With Dr. Anna Website: Dranna.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thegirlfrienddoctor/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thegirlfrienddoctor TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drannacabeca Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thegirlfrienddoctor
Harry went from a sexless marriage full of infidelity to pegging, BDSM, couple swaps and more and he called in to talk all about it. Tune in to hear all the details including when he married his first wife and what was going down in their bedroom before he realized she was cheating, how he caught her cheating and exactly where she was hooking up with the other guy, how and why his ex-wife wound up having a nervous breakdown, why he stayed and tried to save the marriage, how he eventually started cheating on multiple women over many years, the much younger woman he fell for and eventually left his wife for, how they got into pegging and how that led him to explore his attraction to men, the free pass she gave him to hook up with guys, the first bi couple they hooked up with and exactly what went down, their first full couple swap and why they both loved it, how they recently got into CBT (cock and ball torture), tease and denial, chastity play, how and why they recently joined a. new nudist swinger community plus a whole lot more. GET A COPY OF THE STRICTLY ANONYMOUS BOOK! Strictly Anonymous Confessions: Secret Sex Lives of Total Strangers. A bunch of short, super sexy, TRUE stories. GET YOUR COPY HERE: https://amzn.to/4i7hBCd or Pre-order audiobook version here To see HOT pics of my female guests + hear anonymous confessions + get all the episodes early and AD FREE, join my Patreon! It's only $7 a month and you can cancel at any time. You can sign up here: https://www.patreon.com/StrictlyAnonymousPodcast and when you join, I'll throw in a complimentary link to my private Discord! To join SDC and get a FREE Trial! click here: https://www.sdc.com/?ref=37712 or go to SDC.com and use my code 37712 Want to be on the show? Email me at strictlyanonymouspodcast@gmail.com or go to http://www.strictlyanonymouspodcast.com and click on "Be on the Show." Want to confess while remaining anonymous? Call the CONFESSIONS hotline at 347-420-3579. All voices are changed. Sponsors: https://TakeLean.com - 20% off + FREE rush shipping on Lean weighloss https://bluechew.com — Buy 2 months of Bluechew GOLD and get the third month FREE! Use code: STRICTLYANON https://VB.HEALTH- To get 10% off DRIVE BOOST by VB Health, use code: STRICTLY https://Motorbunny.com/Strictly - For $50 off your whole order https://beduc.at/pd2626-anonymous Click here to take the quiz and get your personalized SUMMER roadmap to sexual happiness Follow me! Instagram https://www.instagram.com/strictanonymous/ X https://twitter.com/strictanonymous?lang=en Website http://www.strictlyanonymouspodcast.com/ Everything else: https://linktr.ee/Strictlyanonymouspodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Top Ten from 2025: #1 Maximizing Sexual Connection as Newlyweds to Long Term Marriages and Recovering from a Sexless Marriage with Dr. Clifford & Joyce Penner (Episode 252) *DISCLAIMER* This episode is intended for adults Ephesians 5:21 (NIV) Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. *Transcription of original episode* Maximizing Sexual Connection as Newlyweds to Long Term Marriages and Recovering from a Sexless Marriage with Dr. Clifford & Joyce Penner (Episode 252) 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: The Sue Neihouser Team 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, Coauthor, 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 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.”
Alison Armstrong has been studying men since 1991, when she caught herself bringing out the worst in them and assuming that's who men really were. Thirty-five years later, she's the author of The Queen's Code, the creator of the Understanding Men and Understanding Women courses, and most of her work is teaching WOMEN to stop emasculating men. This week she sat down with a channel full of guys rebuilding after divorce.We got into: why women are the aggressor in the so-called war between the sexes, why you should be very careful with relationship advice written by women (most of it teaches you to contort yourself to please her, which kills the one thing she actually needs from you), why men wisely don't reveal their weaknesses and what most wives do when they do, why dependency always creates manipulation, and her core message for men whose marriage is falling apart: it's bad enough that women emasculate you. Don't do it to yourself.Then it got deeper. The tunnel between prince and king. The midlife shift nobody warns you about: her estrogen falls off a cliff, her brain moves from connectivity to productivity, and she starts running the "am I better off without you?" math. Why your mission cannot just be keeping a woman happy — get a bigger purpose. And the sentence that dropped into Alison's head and became the spine of her next book, The King's Code: men live with the ever-presence of death.My favorite moment: two weeks into knowing her, her partner Dan responds to a criticism about his driving without even turning around. "That sounds a lot like criticism. And I stopped taking that a long time ago." What that did to her nervous system is the whole lesson of this hour. Don't cave. When you cave, it scares her to death. Because if you can't protect her from HER, how are you going to protect her from anything else?
He stopped initiating six months ago. He told himself it was a test. He waited for her to notice. She never did.In this episode I break down what's actually going on when a husband quietly withdraws from his sexless marriage and his wife doesn't react. Spoiler: it's not what most guys think. It's not her being checked out for a week. It's data. And the data is loud.We cover:The quiet test most men eventually run Greg's email Why this wasn't really a test What her silence actually means]Why withdrawing in place never worksThis isn't about sexWhat to do insteadIf you're a married man dealing with a dead bedroom, emotional disconnection, or the slow realization that your marriage stopped being a marriage some time ago, you're in the right place.
What I Discussed With Dr Anna Elton...- Why the word desire gets confused with arousal, and how mixing them up keeps couples stuck for years.- The uncomfortable truth about the "spontaneous" desire I felt at 25, and why Anna says I actually worked for it.- What 700+ couples taught Anna about why some marriages stay passionate for decades while others go quiet.- Where my erotic energy goes when it stops flowing toward a partner (it doesn't just vanish).- The three personas every partnered person juggles, and the one that quietly starves first.- The couple who ate out "all the time" but hadn't been on a real date in ten years.- Why I hated being the default planner in my relationships, and Anna's fix for the "I don't know, what do you want to do?" dynamic.- The 20 second habit that took one couple from a sexless marriage back to wanting each other.- What actually kept Anna and her high school sweetheart flirting after 25 years and three kids.Chapters:00:00 – Introduction & Sponsor Spotlight (OhMiBod)00:26 – Understanding Midlife Desire with Dr Anna Elton01:27 – Lessons from 25 Years Together: Clinical Research Meets Personal Reality03:00 – Why Young Couples Suffer From Sexless Marriages03:36 – The Brain Chemistry of Intimacy: Desire vs. Physical Arousal04:35 – Spontaneous vs. Responsive Desire Explained05:34 – Rethinking ‘Spontaneous' Spark in Long-Term Relationships07:01 – The Myth of Youthful Passion & Hormonal Shifts Over Time09:07 – Restoring Novelty: The A-to-Z Date Night Framework10:56 – Sponsor Spotlight (GITM Playbook)11:42 – Creating Mystery & Seeing Your Partner Through a New Lens13:05 – The Power of ‘Consensual Uncertainty' in Midlife Dating13:44 – Overcoming the ‘Planner Dynamic' & Resentment in Relationships15:32 – The Three-Step Coaching Technique to Encourage Partner Effort17:00 – Desire Diversion: Where Does Erotic Energy Go When It Leaves the Bedroom?18:50 – Balancing the Three Personas: Individual, Couple, and Family20:17 – Defining a ‘Sexless Marriage' & The Impact of Parental Stress23:05 – What Long-Term Couples Do Differently to Keep the Flame Alive24:04 – Social Penetration Theory: Why Deeper Communication Drives Physical Connection25:58 – Micro-Habits for Reconnection: The 20-Second Rule27:12 – Can High School Sweethearts Last a Lifetime?28:30 – Closing Thoughts & ‘The Formula of Desire' Book Release DetailsShow NotesDesire in long-term relationships is one of the most misunderstood topics I cover on this show, so I went straight to someone with the data.In this episode, I'm joined by Dr. Anna Elton, a licensed marriage and family therapist and clinical sexologist who has spent more than 15 years researching desire with over 700 couples. Her new book, The Formula of Desire, grew out of a question she couldn't shake: why were she and her high school sweetheart still flirting after 25 years while couples half their age were arriving at her practice in sexless marriages?Anna dismantled something I'd believed my whole life. That electric, out-of-nowhere desire I remember from my younger years? She says it was never spontaneous. I put the work in without realising it, and that changes everything about how couples in later life can get desire back.We also get into where erotic energy actually goes when it leaves a relationship, because according to Anna's research, it doesn't fade. It moves. And I share something from my own marriage that made this whole conversation personal.If your relationship has gone quiet, this episode is proof it doesn't have to stay that way.Listen, learn and enjoy.Key Takeaways- Desire is psychological, and arousal is physiological. Losing one doesn't mean losing the other.- Spontaneous desire is really well orchestrated desire.- A sexless marriage means sex ten or fewer times a year, and it's happening to couples of every age.- Desire doesn't disappear from a relationship. It redirects toward kids, careers or someone else.- We each juggle three personas: individual, couple and family. The couple persona is the one that gets starved.- New experiences together let you see your partner through fresh eyes, whether that's salsa dancing or axe throwing.- Small consistent habits beat grand gestures. Daily check-ins, 20-second hugs and flirty rain checks keep desire alive.- Just knowing your partner desires you is often enough to feel satisfied in a relationship.About the GuestDr. Anna Elton, LMFT, CST, is a licensed marriage and family therapist, clinical sexologist, speaker, and author of The Formula of Desire. With more than 15 years of experience and research involving over 700 couples, she specialises in helping people understand desire, intimacy, attraction, and long-term relationships. Her expertise has been featured in TIME, Reader's Digest, Psychology Today, and on PBS, ABC, FOX, and NBC.Her new book, The Formula of Desire, is out in the US in early August and in the UK and Europe on 24 September, available on Amazon and in all good bookshops.About SuzanneSuzanne Noble is a sex and relationship expert, author, and host of the Sex Advice for Seniors podcast—one of the top-rated shows empowering people 50+ to embrace confident, joyful intimacy. Known for her candid, warm, and often humorous approach, Suzanne challenges age-related taboos, misinformation, and awkward conversations about sex after 50. She helps millions around the world navigate their sexual lives with pleasure, connection, and self-assurance. Because life is too short for bad sex... or silence about it.Connect With SuzanneInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/sexadviceforseniorsFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/sexadviceforseniorsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sexadviceforseniorsSubstack: https://www.sexadviceforseniors.comWant More?Visit the Website: https://sexadviceforseniors.com — includes FREE guides and resources for better sex at any age.Free Downloadable Guide: 10 Most Overlooked Secrets to Better Sex PDF: https://subscribepage.io/suzannenoblefreebieSign Up for My FREE Newsletter: https://sexadviceforseniors.comOvercome Erectile Dysfunction & Stay Firm: https://www.stayfirmprogram.comCheck Out My Storefront for Better Sex: https://zaap.bio/stayfirmInterested in 1:1 Coaching or Custom Sex Advice for Seniors Sessions? https://tidycal.com/suzannenoble/30-minute-mentoringRelated EpisodesWhy Long-Term Couples Drift Apart—and the Simple Habit That Brings Them Back - https://www.sexadviceforseniors.com/p/why-couples-lose-the-spark-and-howThe Surprising 69% of Women Unhappy in Sex... and How to Fix It - https://www.sexadviceforseniors.com/p/the-surprising-69-of-women-unhappySex, Chocolate & Midlife Desire: How to Reclaim Your Pleasure in Menopause with Dr. Kelly Barron - https://www.sexadviceforseniors.com/p/why-sex-changes-after-menopause-an This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.sexadviceforseniors.com/subscribe
What if she already loves you as much as she is capable of loving anybody? And it's still not enough for you.Not because she's cruel. Not because she's punishing you. Not because there's a switch you haven't found yet. The tank just isn't that big.I had an attachment expert named Cassie on my live stream, and she told me a story I haven't been able to shake. She'd been with an avoidant man who discarded her with no real explanation. Nine months later they ran into each other and he lit up like he hadn't seen her in twenty years. Then he told her he loved her for the first time. "I love you more than anybody or anything I've ever loved. But I can't be what you need."She believed him. Both halves of it. His love was real, and it was still smaller than what she needed.I sat there listening and thought, half the men watching my channel are living that exact story with the roles flipped.Because you've heard your own version of that sentence. "I love you, I'm just not a very sexual person." "It's not you, it's me." "I don't know why I'm like this."And you didn't believe her. You treated it like a puzzle. You lost the weight, you did the chores, you stopped complaining, you did the counseling, you handed her the books. You escalated to every department in the building looking for a different answer.In this video I'm talking about capacity. What it is, why it's not the same thing as willingness, and why you cannot beg, argue, therapize, or hand a thousand books into somebody's capacity getting bigger. People build that alone, if they ever build it at all.Cassie put it a way I liked. It's like a feral cat. All the chasing in the world does nothing. All you can do is stop.And I'll be straight with you about the part most guys get wrong. "Stop chasing" is not a strategy to get her back. If you're doing it to get her back, you're still chasing. You've just gotten quieter about it.
A full hour LIVE with therapist and author Laura How — one of the very few women publicly saying what she says about sexless marriages. So few, in fact, that the wives in her own village have stopped saying hello.We covered a lot of ground: whether you should stay when the in-love feelings fade, why "I fell out of love" is usually an ego defense, what attachment dysfunction actually is (hint: it's arrested development, and it's everywhere), the rise of "the ick," why your algorithm has convinced you all women are avoidant, and the myth that a wife who isn't intimate with you must be getting it somewhere else.Then I saved the hot-button for last. I told Laura about the men who feel forgotten after kids arrive — husbands demoted to co-parent and roommate for 18 years — and about the reaction that message always gets online: "You big baby. Change more diapers, then maybe I'll have energy for you." I asked for her honest take.Her answer: "I reject it entirely. I call BS." What follows — on staying lovers after kids, the "devouring mother," what your children actually feel when mom and dad are okay, and why a woman keeping her sexuality alive is something she does for HERSELF — is the strongest ten minutes on this topic I've had on this channel.
When someone is committed to fidelity and their partner absolutely does not want sex—is there any hope? Technically, sexless is considered less than 10x a year—but for some people, there is no sex. Sometimes each partner still has desire but they don't know how to talk about it. They may even masturbate on their own but feel it's too complicated to share with their partner. Sometimes the sexual pursuer just gives up and becomes a sexual withdrawer. The danger of a sexless marriage is that the couple may not feel the love of or for their partner and become subject to the temptation of others. They may long for the sexual connection they shared in the beginning; George and Laurie share some ideas about how taking their clothes off again can be safer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
He came home early from a work trip. Didn't text ahead. Walked in and found out the truth.His wife doesn't have a desire problem. The desire works fine. He's just not part of it.Derek wrote me after sitting in his car for twenty minutes trying to figure out what to do with what he just found out. In this episode I break down what's actually going on — why the vibrator isn't about preference, what the anxious-avoidant dynamic looks like inside a dead bedroom, and what Derek actually does next.
Text us your questions or topics for the show! We got you!Is Withholding Intimacy Abuse In Marriage?Your wife keeps saying no—and somewhere online you read that makes it abuse. Before you run with that, there's a line most people get completely wrong.In Ep461 of The 'NEW' Marriage, Cass and Kathryn Morrow take a controversial listener question head-on: is withholding intimacy abuse in marriage—and what actually counts as "withholding"?Core reframe: not having sex is NOT the same as withholding, and saying no is NOT withholding. Most women who aren't having sex aren't punishing anyone—they are simply disconnected. Withholding requires a conscious, malicious intent to punish.Cass and Kathryn break down the entitlement trap behind the word "withholding," examine when emotional withdrawal and the cold shoulder cross into manipulation or abuse, and share how to stop diagnosing your spouse so you can actually rebuild intimacy.
Here is a recording of impromptu live stream I recently did. No script, no agenda, just me and the chat. And as usual, the unscheduled ones end up being the best ones.This stream turned into a full clinic on the stuff I hear from men every single day: the guy who told his wife he desired her and got nothing back. The guy 10 years into a sexless marriage who swears he "shouldn't have to" bring it up. The guy engaged to a woman who already tells him "you sexualize everything." And the one that floors the average dude — 20 years, never married, sexless, and every time he tries to leave, her tears pull him right back in.We got into why nobody has the uncomfortable conversations early (when they'd actually save you), why "she trapped me with sex" is almost never what happened, what a decade of staying teaches your partner, breadcrumbing and why that little cookie every six months keeps you quiet, and the boss-who-can-never-fire-you problem that lives inside every one of these marriages.
A man divorces his wife after two years of zero affection post-menopause. He starts dating again, shares his story with a woman he's seeing, and she calls him a narcissist. His ex-wife used the same word. Now he's writing to me wondering if they're right.In this episode, I break down what actual narcissism is, why the word has become a go-to weapon in relationship conflict, and how to think clearly about whether the label actually fits you — or whether it's being used to make you feel like the problem when you're not.
She stopped hugging you. She doesn't hold your hand. She shifts away on the couch without even thinking about it. You tell yourself it's just a sex problem. But deep down, you know it's not.I respond to a letter from Mike — 42, married 11 years — who had the moment where he realized it wasn't just the bedroom that went dead. It was everything.We break down: — The difference between a dead bedroom and a dead marriage— Why "the talk" doesn't work (and makes it worse) — What her body is actually telling you — What moves the needle, and what doesn't — The harder question you need to answer honestly
*Disclaimer* This episode contains some mature themes and listener discretion is advised. Top Ten from 2025: #5 Questions for More Connection and Laughter in Marriage with Casey and Meygan Caston (Episode 269) 2 Corinthians 1:4 NIRV "He comforts us in all our troubles. Now we can comfort others when they are in trouble. We ourselves receive comfort from God." *Transcription of original episode* Questions for More Connection and Laughter in Marriage with Casey and Meygan Caston (Episode 269) Questions and Topics We Cover: Will you share three of the questions from your most recent book, specifically the ones people have told you unlocked the best conversations in their own marriage? You say you're an unlikely couple to help support marriages. Will you share a glimpse of your own backstory? What are a handful of ideas for ways couples can strengthen their connection with one another? Casey and Meygan Caston are the Co-Founders of Marriage365. Casey and Meygan were perfect examples of what not to do in marriage. Three years into marriage, they found themselves having racked up more than $250,000 in debt, fighting constantly, and were ready to call it quits. Despite the 12 failed marriages between their parents, they knew this wasn't the legacy they wanted for themselves or their children. They began reading and educating themselves on how to do marriage the right way. The result of their journey is Marriage365, where they millions of people worldwide through their books, social media, retreats, and their online streaming service, Marriage365. Marriage 365 Website Marriage 365 App Marriage 365 Books Marriage 365 Coaching Thank You to Our Sponsor: Inquisicook Sample of Previous Episodes on Sexual Intimacy on The Savvy Sauce: 4 Fostering a Fun, Healthy Sex Life With Your Spouse With Certified Sex Therapist and Author, Dr. Jennifer Konzen 5 Ways to Deepen Your Intimacy in Marriage with Dr. Douglas Rosenau 6 Ten Common Questions About Sex, Shared Through a Biblical Worldview with Dr. Michael Sytsma 89 Passion Pursuit with Dr. Juli Slattery 108 Anatomy of an Affair with Dave Carder 135 Healthy Ways for Females to Increase Sexual Enjoyment with Tracey LeGrand 155 Sex in Marriage and Its Positive Effects with Francie Winslow, Part 1 156 Science and Art of Sexual Intimacy in Marriage, Part 2 158 Making Love in Marriage with Debra Fileta 165 Mutually Pleasing Sex in Marriage with Gary Thomas 186 Sex Series: Enhancing Female Pleasure and Enjoyment of Sex: An Interview with Dr. Jennifer Degler 218 Secrets of Sex and Marriage: An Interview with Dr. Michael Sytsma Special Patreon Release: Protecting Your Marriage Against Unfaithfulness with Dave Carder 252 Maximizing Sexual Connection as Newlyweds to Long Term Marriages and Recovering from a Sexless Marriage with Dr. Clifford & Joyce Penner Connect with The Savvy Sauce on Facebook, 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.”
Brian finally had the conversation. Sat his wife down, told her the truth — the distance, the loneliness, how much he missed her. She cried. She said she was sorry. She said she didn't want to lose them.Two weeks later nothing has changed.In this episode I break down why the crying moment feels like a breakthrough but often isn't, what's actually happening when a woman feels it in the moment and then goes right back to her default, and what men consistently get wrong in the weeks after a conversation like that.If you've ever had a moment that felt like a turning point — and then watched it disappear — this one is for you.
In this deeply personal episode of The Dirty Rabbit Hole Podcast, Michael speaks directly to the silent heartbreak of living inside a sexless marriage. “My Rights in a Sexless Marriage” explores the emotional cost of monogamy when intimacy disappears, asking what happens when one partner remains faithful to a relationship that no longer offers desire, touch, or closeness. This episode is not about entitlement to another person's body. It is about the right to feel hurt, the right to speak honestly, the right to grieve what has been lost, and the right to question whether a marriage can survive when rejection becomes its daily language. With raw emotion, anger, despair, and painful clarity, this monologue gives voice to the person left waiting outside a locked door, still married, still faithful, but no longer willing to suffer quietly.
Eric is committed to staying in the marriage but is increasingly frustrated by the lack of physical intimacy. Got a dilemma? Call 1-800-DR-LAURA / 1-800-375-2872 or make an appointment at DrLaura.com Follow on social media: Facebook.com/DrLaura Instagram.com/DrLauraProgram YouTube.com/DrLaura Join the Dr. Laura Family!! >> Receive my weekly newsletter, perks, and more! Sign up now, it's FREE > DrLaura.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
What's possible when your sexuality belongs to you first? In this episode, I address a common question for those who are single, divorced, or in a sexless marriage: can you still befriend your sexuality? Many people are taught that sexual energy only belongs in a relationship, which creates confusion, shame, and reliance on others for regulation. I explain why outsourcing your sexual relationship to a partner or marriage doesn't resolve underlying issues and often leads to dependency or resentment. Befriending your own sexuality allows you to reclaim this energy, experience aliveness, and bring vitality and presence into all areas of your life. You'll hear why this process is about returning to yourself, not self-abandonment. You'll learn why sexuality is yours to steward, how shame and distorted beliefs limit your vitality, and how curiosity and intentional practices help you integrate sexual energy safely and meaningfully. You'll also learn about a 12-week live program that guides you to apply these principles and explore what's possible when you befriend your sexuality. Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://centerforovercoming.com/post/single-divorced-befriend-sexuality Sign up for the Befriend Your Sexuality program here: https://centerforovercoming.com/workwithme
Tom finally got his wife to agree to couples counseling. He was hopeful for the first time in months. He thought they were finally going to address the real issues — the distance, the intimacy, the disconnection.Instead every session became a list of everything he's ever done wrong. Old arguments. Ancient history. Things he's already apologized for. And the actual problems — a year without sex, emotional withdrawal — never got touched.In this episode I break down what's actually happening when counseling gets weaponized, why the therapy room can become the most dangerous place in a struggling marriage, and what men in this situation need to understand before they walk into another session.If you've ever left a couples counseling session feeling worse than when you walked in — this one is for you.
Text us your questions or topics for the show! We got you!Cass Morrow, Author of Disrupting Divorce: The NEW Man. Saving Struggling, Sexless, and Toxic Marriages.Kathryn Morrow, Author of Behind The White Picket Fence.Sexless Marriage — The Real Definition!The clinical definition of a sexless marriage is 6 months or more without sex. But Cass Morrow's definition starts much earlier.If she's having sex with you because she feels sorry for you — that's pity sex. You're not connecting. You're being managed. If she's having sex with you because she's afraid of what happens if she doesn't — that's fear sex. She consented, but not freely.Kathryn Morrow drops the bomb: if one or both of you isn't fully present and wanting it — is it actually sex? It's the act of sex, but not what sex is supposed to be. So are you in a sexless marriage? Probably.In Ep452 of The 'NEW' Marriage, Cass and Kathryn Morrow break down the real definition of a sexless marriage — and what it actually takes to get out of one.
I went live with divorce coach Karen McMahon from Journey Beyond Divorce (https://www.jbddivorcesupport.com) and this turned into one of the most honest conversations I've had about what men actually go through during divorce.We talked about:Why “being a good guy” can destroy you in divorceThe hidden damage of codependencyWhy men give too much away (money, custody, power)The fear that keeps men stuck in bad marriagesWhat really happens after divorce (that no one tells you)Why jumping into a new relationship too fast backfiresIf you're in a failing marriage, going through a divorce, or trying to rebuild your life after one… this is required listening.A lot of guys think they just need to “be nice” and everything will work out.It won't.You need boundaries. You need clarity. And you need to get uncomfortable.Karen brings 16+ years of experience helping people through high-conflict divorce, and we break down what actually works—and what gets men crushed.
Enjoy the episode? Send us a text!You think it's a sex problem.Most of the time, it isn't.When the spark is gone and one of you is always "too tired," the instinct is to fix the bedroom. Buy something. Try harder. Schedule it. But the bedroom is almost never where the problem started.Up to a third of couples are living in what researchers call low-sex or no-sex marriages. You are not broken. You are not the only ones. And you are not stuck.Here's the part nobody tells you.A fatigued woman cannot get aroused. That isn't an attitude problem. It's physiology. So if she's running on empty all day and you're waiting for her to come alive at night, you're working against her body, not with it.Real intimacy is "into-me-see." It's what happens when the relationship outside the bedroom is healthy enough to follow you into it. Everything outside affects everything inside. And everything inside affects everything outside.This video walks through what's actually driving the distance. The exhaustion. The resentment. The slow drift where your passion quietly moved toward the kids, the job, the to-do list, and away from each other.It also covers what this won't fix. Physiological issues need a doctor. Past trauma needs a trained counselor. Those are real, and they matter.But if the problem is the relationship itself, that's the good news.Because that's the part you can actually change.If you're struggling in your marriage, don't wait. Get our FREE resource: The 7 Steps to Rescue Your Marriage
A guy named Paul wrote in. His wife went through menopause three years ago. Since then — almost no sex. And every time he brings it up, she shows him articles and tells him this is just how it is now.So Paul started believing her. Started feeling like a jerk for even wanting it.In this episode I break down what's actually true about menopause and sex drive, why "it's biology" can become a conversation-ender that goes unquestioned, and what men in this situation are getting wrong when they accept the premise without pushing back.If you're in your 50s and feel like your needs have just been medically cancelled — this one is for you.
Today I'm speaking with Marni Kinrys, founder of the Wing Girl Method, about why being a "nice guy" often kills attraction. Marni explains the crucial difference between being "nice" (passive, conflict-avoidant) and being a "good man" (confident, assertive, emotionally intelligent). We discuss how societal conditioning creates insecurity in men, how emotional disconnection kills desire in relationships, and how men can rebuild attraction through consistent support and playful flirtation. Marni also introduces her "F Formula" program, designed to help men develop authentic confidence and flirting skills.MARNI KINRYS is the founder of The Wing Girl Method, host of the Ask Women Podcast, designer of the F-Formula, and an award-winning female dating coach for men ages 25-85 at every stage of dating and relationships, who's spent the last decade helping hundreds of thousands of men stop being Mr. Nice Guy and start being Mr. Holy Sh*t, I Want Him!With more than 50 digital programs, monthly online masterclasses, 150 million YouTube views and 1,300,000 subscribers to her channel, Marni Your Personal Wing Girl, Marni is known for her blunt, no “fluff” approach and honest insider tips, tools and advice on what women really want vs. what they say they want.The Difference Between "Nice" and "Good" (00:03:10) Marnie explains that "nice" often means boring and passive, while a "good" man is confident, assertive, and sexually expressive.The Origins of the "Nice Guy" (00:05:06) The discussion explores how early female influences, like mothers or teachers, and societal pressures can train men to be overly passive.Modern Pressures on Men (00:07:05) Marnie and Jen discuss how movements like #MeToo have created confusion for men, making them unsure how to act around women.The Importance of Emotional Intelligence (00:13:59) A man who can be masculine while also understanding communication and holding space for a woman's emotions is incredibly attractive.The "Soap" Argument: Understanding Triggers (00:19:53) Jen shares a story about an argument over soap, highlighting how small issues can trigger deeper feelings of inadequacy and mental load.How to See Beyond the Argument (00:25:44) Marnie explains how she coaches men to understand the real emotions behind a woman's complaints, like exhaustion or feeling overwhelmed.Revitalizing a Sexless Marriage (00:30:40) The conversation shifts to why wives lose sexual interest, linking it to feeling unheard, unseen, and unsupported by their partners.Baby Steps to Reconnection (00:33:50) Marnie offers practical, small steps for men to rebuild connection and trust, starting with consistent communication and taking on responsibilities.What Men Really Want (00:38:02) Men come to Marnie to learn how to attract women, which involves shedding the "nice guy" mask and becoming comfortable with themselves.Follow Marni:WingGirlMethod.comFacebookInstagramTikTokTwitterYouTubeLinkedInFollow The Open Bedroom Podcast:https://www.instagram.com/theopenbedroompodcast/
A lighthearted comment from Prince William sparks wild online speculation about his marriage to Princess Catherine. We separate fact from gossip and look at the sweet moments that royal watchers noticed during Peter Phillips' wedding. Plus, Tom Sykes examines the ongoing debate over whether William is “workshy,” explosive new claims raise questions about how the Palace handled Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor over the years, security experts warn the Duke could become a target, and author Andrew Lownie suggests Andrew may one day leave Britain altogether.Palace Intrigue is a daily British royal family podcast covering King Charles, Meghan Markle, Prince Harry, Kate Middleton and the House of Windsor. New episodes every day. Follow on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. Part of the Caloroga Shark Media network.
Scarlett is in a sexless marriage and she's now totally heating on her husband and she called in to talk all about it. Tune in to hear all the details including how her and her husband were both virgins when they got married and how and why her husband wasn't that into sex right from the get go, how she felt about him never wanting to have sex, how and why her husband doesn't even masturbate and what he has against it, the issues they now have in the bedroom and how her husband has no interest in fixing things, how she once told him she might cheat and how he reacted, how and when she decided to go online looking for someone to “have sex” with, the adult site she went on to and what she said she looking for, the married guy in an open marriage that she met and hooked up with him and exactly what went down, how she felt afterwards, the second time and third time they hooked up and what went down, how they feel about each other and why she keeps emotions out of it, what she can do to get a free pass from her husband so she can stop cheating plus a whole lot more. GET A COPY OF THE STRICTLY ANONYMOUS BOOK! Strictly Anonymous Confessions: Secret Sex Lives of Total Strangers. A bunch of short, super sexy, TRUE stories. GET YOUR COPY HERE: https://amzn.to/4i7hBCd or Pre-order audiobook version here To see HOT pics of SCARLET plus my other female guests + hear anonymous confessions + get all the episodes early and AD FREE, join my Patreon! It's only $7 a month and you can cancel at any time. You can sign up here: https://www.patreon.com/StrictlyAnonymousPodcast and when you join, I'll throw in a complimentary link to my private Discord! To join SDC and get a FREE Trial! click here: https://www.sdc.com/?ref=37712 or go to SDC.com and use my code 37712 Want to be on the show? Email me at strictlyanonymouspodcast@gmail.com or go to http://www.strictlyanonymouspodcast.com and click on "Be on the Show." Want to confess while remaining anonymous? Call the CONFESSIONS hotline at 347-420-3579. All voices are changed. Sponsors: https://Rythm.Health/STRICTLYANON for 15% OFF your first month PLUS FREE shipping https://www.quince.com/strictlyanon — For premium quality Quince clothing plus FREE shipping and 365 day returns! https://LoadBoost.com - To get 10% off DRIVE BOOST by VB Health, use code: STRICTLY https://bluechew.com — Buy 2 months of Bluechew GOLD and get the third month FREE! Use code: STRICTLYANON http://bollandbranch.com/strictlyanon Use code STRICTLYANON for 20% off plus FREE shipping https://beduc.at/pd2618-anonymous Click here to take the quiz and get your personalized roadmap to sexual happiness Follow me! Instagram https://www.instagram.com/strictanonymous/ X https://twitter.com/strictanonymous?lang=en Website http://www.strictlyanonymouspodcast.com/ Everything else: https://linktr.ee/Strictlyanonymouspodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In this episode, I'm joined by Alisa Kriegel, a Manhattan psychologist with a thriving private practice and the author of From Sexless Marriage to Sex Goddess. Together, we unpack what researchers actually mean by “sexless marriage," why shame and lack of communication keep couples stuck, and how complicated the real causes can be. Alisa shares personal, unfiltered insights on sexual pain, birth control effects, learning your own body later in life, and the difference between friendship chemistry and sexual chemistry.We also shift into the writing and publishing side: how Alisa drafted early pages in her iPhone Notes app on subway rides, why content editing mattered, and how she made careful choices around privacy, names, and not turning her ex into a villain. If you care about relationships, women's pleasure, sex education for adults, couples therapy, or the craft of writing a memoir that tells the truth without causing unnecessary harm, there's a lot here to sit with.Send us Fan MailSupport the show
On this week's episode of TheFallenState TV, host Jesse Lee Peterson is joined by Laura How—She is a relationship therapist and coach. Laura joins Jesse for a candid conversation about modern dating, emotional health, and the challenges facing men and women today. She shares insights from her work helping people build healthier relationships, overcome self-sabotaging patterns, and develop greater self-awareness. She and Jesse discuss love, marriage, masculinity, femininity, and whether genuine connection is becoming harder to find in the age of social media. It’s an engaging and thought-provoking exchange filled with practical wisdom, honest disagreements, and surprising moments of common ground.
Three years of a sexless marriage. He finally told her it was over if nothing changed. She laughed — then went back to watching TV.Four days later she's acting like nothing happened.In this video I break down what that laugh actually means, why the "normal" behavior after a big conversation is the most dangerous window in a struggling marriage, and what men consistently get wrong in this exact moment.If you're in a sexless marriage and feel like nothing you say lands — this one is for you.
How is it possible to be in a sexless marriage? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
A guy sent me an email that starts off like a lot of others…Sexless marriage. No intimacy. Growing distance.But then something changed.His wife started going out more.Dressing up.Staying out late.Acting like a completely different person.And he's sitting at home wondering what the hell is going on.In this episode, I break down what it really means when a woman checks out of the relationship… and starts finding her energy somewhere else.We talk about:• Why behavioral shifts matter more than words• The difference between independence and emotional exit• How attraction gets redirected outside the relationship• Why men often ignore the early signs• What you should (and should NOT) do when this starts happeningIf you feel like your wife is slowly building a life that doesn't include you… this one will hit.Start here:https://deadbedroomfix.comCheck out my Dead Bedroom Fix App! https://studio.com/ralph/deadbedroomfix?c=bGibj96r
Ever turned to your partner at 9:30pm, asked "you wanna…?" and rolled over disappointed when she said no? She didn't reject you... she rejected the way you initiated.In this episode, I break down the three ways most men initiate sex that almost guarantee a "no". None of them are your fault, you weren't taught this. But once you see which one you fall into, you can stop blaming her (or yourself) and start building the kind of connection that makes sex feel inevitable instead of awkward.I'll walk you through what real initiation looks like... the small, intentional moments throughout the day, the touch, the eye contact, the way you talk to her like she's your woman and how that completely changes what happens at night. This is about creating the frame and the energy that sex actually lives inside of.Ready for sex coaching?Join Built Daily
*Disclaimer: This topic is not intended for young listeners. Please use discretion. Maximize PLEASURE in Marriage by Understanding Your Wife Better: An Interview with Francie Winslow (Episode 294) Proverbs 5:19b NLT “May you always be captivated by her love.” *Transcription Below* Francie Winslow is a wife, mom, and intimacy evangelist. Three fun facts about Francie: NO. 1 I saw a glimpse of Jesus' heart one day as a 19-year-old, when I sat in a Thai brothel with girls my age. My friend and I bought two girls for the night so we could take them to dinner and shower them with REAL LOVE. It was there that I realized there was nothing more that I wanted than to give God all of me. NO. 2 I got married when I was 20, after knowing my husband for only 10 months, and dating him for less than 5 months. Total craziness, I know, but so clearly the way God was leading me. NO. 3 My husband and I have 6 kids, some with special needs and chronic health issues. So yeah, life right now is a bit crazy. But it never lacks for excitement as I learn about the things they really need and how God is working in me as I serve my family in every season. Francie's Website Follow along with her @franciewinslow Thank you to Our Sponsor: WinShape Marriage Questions and Topics We Cover: As moms, how do we go from “touched out” to “turned on”? How can we realistically choose to still prioritize connection, right in the middle of the busy? After diving into this topic for many years, will you share what you have learned about orgasm? Other Savvy Sauce Episode Mentioned: 4. Fostering a Fun, Healthy Sex Life With Your Spouse With Certified Sex Therapist and Author, Dr. Jennifer Konzen 7. Easy Changes to Enhance Your Sexual Intimacy in Marriage With Christian Sex Therapist Pioneers, Dr. Clifford and Joyce Penner 63 Maximizing Sexual Enjoyment During the 3 Most Challenging Seasons in Marriage with Dr. Clifford and Joyce Penner 252. Maximizing Sexual Connection as Newlyweds to Long Term Marriages and Recovering from a Sexless Marriage with Dr. Clifford & Joyce Penner 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: (0:00 – 0:11) Laura Dugger: (0:12 - 2:05) 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. I'm thrilled to introduce you to our sponsor, WinShape Marriage. Their weekend marriage retreats will strengthen your marriage, while you enjoy the gorgeous setting, delicious food, and quality time with your spouse. To find out more, visit them online at winshapemarriage.org slash savvy. I'm so excited to welcome back my returning guest, Francie Winslow. This conversation is going to be geared a little bit more toward understanding women, but I want you to know it's going to be very beneficial for both husbands and wives. I think husbands are going to appreciate getting a glimpse into how their wife's body works, and how they can love them better and serve them, even in the bedroom, so that they can enjoy a more fulfilling sex life with you as their spouse. And for wives, I believe you're going to appreciate your feelings or your vague thoughts being put into words, because Francie has this way of articulating big ideas and making them bite-sized and understandable through all of her wisdom. So, not everything will apply to every wife, but I hope that everyone gets to find encouragement and enjoy a deeper sexual connection with your spouse after listening to this message and applying the wisdom. Here's our chat. Welcome back to The Savvy Sauce, Francie. Francie Winslow: (2:05 - 2:07) It's so good to be here, thanks for having me. Laura Dugger: (2:07 - 2:20) Well, I'd love to begin with this idea of sharing sparks, because I was so intrigued the first time that I heard you teach on this topic. So, can you just explain more about this concept? Francie Winslow: (2:22 - 5:56) Sure. Well, I think the idea really just came from this experience that my husband and I have had of knowing that, kind of in movies, it's portrayed that romance is just always fiery and passionate, and then you get married, you have kids, real life sets in, and it's like, hey, what does this actually look like to have a sex drive or to have a sense of passion in your marriage? And just for some context, because I think context helps, I have six kids from 18 down to 7, some pretty significant special needs, autoimmune diseases. We've got a lot packed into our little home. And so, then you have a marriage that you want to stay on fire, you want to stay growing, but life is full, life is hard. And so, it's just easy to feel like the fire's just gone out. And my husband and I work really hard on intentionality in our sex life, and we kind of came up with this idea called sparks, because sometimes that's all you have, is like a tiny spark, and that's actually okay. You think about a campfire, really what you need is you just need a spark, and then you just need to blow on it a little bit, and it turns into embers and then can turn into a fire. And so, we talk about rather than like, I've lost my sex drive, or do you have high sex drive or low drive, kind of releasing that concept and the heaviness that can be around that concept and just talk about cultivating sparks. And a spark is essentially just a bit of desire, a bit of arousal, a bit of attraction, and we can kind of be so busy in our day that we might have a fleeting thought of, oh, it would be nice to be together tonight, and then you just forget about it. But rather than having a fleeting thought or a sensation in your body and letting it pass, we talk about sharing our sparks. And so, we'll, if I have a thought of, hey, I'm thinking about your biceps today, you know, like something playful and fun, and how much I am attracted to you, I'll text it to him or he'll text it to me. Or if we're in person, we'll share our sparks by, you know, grabbing each other and pulling each other into the pantry for a second, having a little makeout or having a little, you know, quick, playful petting session, and we're just being playful for 30 seconds here, 30 seconds there in the middle of real life. And it's a way to say, hey, I'm bringing my little spark, you're bringing your little spark, and we're doing, honestly, the best we can in the, in the midst of real life in the midst of real hard to keep our fire going. And it is amazing the impact that that's had on our marriage, because it's just easy to assume, we're just too tired. And then days go by weeks go by and, and really roommate, the roommate rut sets in or disconnection or even pain because you begin to miss each other. And it feels hard to get reconnected. So, we've found it to be really beneficial and simple just to say, okay, if I have a fleeting feeling in my body, a little sensation, a little attraction, a little arousal, a little desire, a little flirtatious energy, I'm just gonna express it as quickly or as sincerely as I can in that moment. Like I said, sometimes it's through text, sometimes it would be a quick phone call, hey, you know, I'm thinking about you tonight, or, you know, playfully, like, what are you wearing, or like a text a little, a little invitation to connection later. And it's those little things that make a really big difference. And I would say the physical things, especially like grabbing each other, hey, we'll say to our kids, mom and dad need to have a quick conversation, like real serious, and then we'll go to the laundry room or go to the pantry. And it's just those literal 30 second exchanges that are so small that make a really big difference in keeping the fire going in our marriage. And it's super meaningful, especially in these really busy seasons. Laura Dugger: (5:58 - 6:21) I love that because you've also pointed out, I think, in the past that you don't buy into the whole who has high libido, who has lower drive. Rather, you see it as energy that can be fostered. And also, then just that connection of we have the spark, but then sharing it, it can ignite faster. So, anything else you'd like to add about? Francie Winslow: (6:22 - 9:35) Yeah, I think that's good to bring it up. I mean, a spark is like a bit of energy. And if you think about like a spark of fire, like that creates something and a spark of desire in your marriage, or a tiny spark of arousal is sexual energy. And so, I think of it as how do I grow sexual energy. And that, ironically, has to be a really intentional thing. It has to be like, I think about being with my husband, I actually spend time, maybe even my planner thinking, okay, I'd like to have sex, we'd like to have sex at some point this week, what day would be best where I'd have the most energy or where he would be, you know, not as stressed out because he had a lighter workday or maybe not have to early morning, you think about your week, your time, in terms of energy. And when you think about sexual energy, when we might have the most sexual energy or creating sexual energy. And so, we've realized that we came to that point of kind of forsaking the high drive and low drive identities, because I think they can become Oh, he's the high, I'm the low, or vice versa. And that can feel heavy. And it can feel like pressure, like I feel ashamed, because I'm low, he feels disappointed, because he's high, whatever it might be. And that can switch for men and women as well. And rather than seeing it as that, and maybe we've just like, life has beat us up. So, neither of us have a high drive at this point. And but yet, we still have a very active sex life without that clinging to who's high and who's low, because we're both committed to growing our sexual energy. And so for me, that looks like thinking about being with him, it looks like tuning into my body in a sensuous way, as a tired mom, and that looks like holding my cup of coffee or cup of tea intentionally and like feeling sensation in the everyday moments from wafts of you know, steam coming from my coffee to the sunlight on my face to washing in the shower, I can actually realize that I've had years where I will do the whole shower routine and not feel a thing like I didn't even notice sensation from shampoo or from the loofah or from lotion, I just did it robotically to get through the chore of caring for my body. And I've switched really to think of it as being paying attention to my body paying attention to sensation paying attention to how nice it feels to wash my face with a soap that smells good. And it's those things of going slow and being embodied and paying attention to my body and sensations that does transfer over to help me remember, oh, I want to foster awareness of my body. And being aware of my body is a way of fostering sexual energy, because I'm thinking about how things feel. And I'm thinking about my body and how it's responding to touch. And then that helps me honestly feel more when my husband touches me. So, we can talk about that later about the issue of kind of feeling numb in our bodies. But I think that that is a reality for marriage later on is that we can become numb in our sex life, because we're just busy, and we're tired, and things are routine, and we're kind of bored. And so fostering sexual energy, getting out of our heads and into our bodies, thinking about our times together, growing our skills, sexually learning about learning about sex, learning about anatomy, all of those things are ways to grow sexual energy, as well as just the playfulness of the sparks and, you know, pulling each other into the pantry and having a quick makeout session, those kinds of things. Laura Dugger: (9:36 - 10:53) I love those practical examples. And I think you're right; we should get to numbing or what it feels like maybe later on in marriage. But let's go back to Newlyweds or especially new moms, because just for all of marriage, sexual connection is going to cement us together. So, of course, the enemy of our soul is going to want to do anything at every stage to make us too busy, too distracted, to have that intimate connection. And many times, new parents have things that make it difficult and challenging to connect. But it's not like it gets any easier, because then other difficulties are going to come in, whether that's raising older children or medical issues that come in or perimenopause and menopause. So, there are always going to be obstacles. But I want us to be wise, whatever season we're in right now, to cultivate our delight and connection in every season. So, I don't know about you, Francie, but the most common phrase I've heard new moms tell me is, I've had people touching me all day. I don't want him touching me at night. And I'd love for you to offer us a healthier narrative. Francie Winslow: (10:54 - 14:47) Yeah. Well, I don't get to speak in person very often because of my commitment to be really invested at home with my kids. But I am speaking a few times this spring to some moms' groups. And the theme is from touched out to turned on. So, I just want to affirm, if anybody is feeling that they are for sure not alone. I hear it all the time as well. And there is this dynamic of I'm so touched out; I don't want to be touched anymore. And the thing I've learned in understanding our bodies, understanding sexuality, and especially female sexuality is that we are not only coming to the table with our bodies and our anatomy, we're coming with our nervous systems. And so there is this thing at play where we have been having stimulation come at us all day through media, through our phones, through needs of others, and we are touched out. And another word for that would be overstimulated. And so, I would say you're not broken, you're not hopeless, you're overstimulated, and you're exhausted. And it is very hard for a woman to come into a place of arousal or desire from that place of what's probably fight or flight, that feeling of I just can't be touched anymore. I am so overwhelmed. I feel like this bubbling over of anxiety or a place of like shut down and disconnected, I want to withdraw. And so those are two nervous system states that we often go in when we are overdone, overcooked, too much has been coming at us. And so, when we're in that place, and we're feeling overstimulated, and like, I don't want to be touched, I would say the invitation is simply to take a minute and realize, oh, I'm not broken. I'm not actually as unavailable, maybe as I think I need to become available to myself for a minute, I need to reset, I need to remember that my body needs rest in order to connect and communicate that rather than it being like, oh, don't touch me, I've been touched out. And it looks like feels like rejection. It's more of an invitation to care for yourself, knowing that, oh, in order to be available for connection, I need to see it not as another chore, but a place to be nourished and a place to reconnect to my own body. And that sexuality was meant to be a place of nourishment, and care and rejuvenation, not just another need to be meeting. And so, I think that's the other mindset shift is we need a minute to rest, reconnect to our bodies, maybe a shower, maybe a bath, a minute to say, okay, I'm very overstimulated, I do need a second. And then to see that. And this is a call out to the husbands to like your job is to love your wife so well that she comes out of a sexual experience nourished. And if that's not happening in your marriage, know that that's actually the design of sexuality. And it might take some communication and work to switch our mindset. Because a lot of times we've been raised with a mindset that maybe X is a man's need. And another thing we have to do as wives, but that's actually a real huge lie. It's not about a man's need. It's about connection. And it's about nourishment. And it's about fully giving ourselves to one another and being cared for. And so what amazes me is the power of sexuality, even orgasm release, pleasure to be able to wash out a woman's nervous system and like a bath like oof, I got reset, I got this sense of the rush of the sexual hormones, the serotonin and the oxytocin and this place of deep connection is God's design for us. And so having this flip a mindset of it's not another need I have to meet, but it's actually a nourishing gift to me to get into my body to receive pleasure. There is a transition I think we need to give ourselves grace for to like, okay, I might want to shower and I might want to get out of my head and back into my body a little bit, but it really was designed to be a gift. And so that's, that's kind of my invitation is for women to receive it as a space that should be nourishing and can be nourishing and actually really healthy for her mind, body and spirit, even in tired seasons. Laura Dugger: (14:48 - 15:10) I appreciate what you said there, because you're flipping it from all day, maybe we are receiving very unpleasant touch. But this is a different type of very pleasant touch to be receiving, or we've been giving all day. This is the refilling, nourishing. And I think if we change our minds first, then our body can follow. Francie Winslow: (15:10 - 16:10) And there is an element to I think, creating an environment that does feel safe to let go. Because I think if you think about moms, they're giving all day, they've got the babies nearby, the monitors on, you know, the laundry piles huge, like there's all these distractions, and it doesn't actually feel like that safe of an environment to be nourished. And so, I would say even take that into consideration of what would make sexual experiences with your husband feel nourishing to you. And it might mean a really nice candle is lit or just a few things to change the environment to signal to your nervous system. Oh, yeah, this is a time of nourishment, not just okay, now I've got to switch, you know, here and meet another need. But this is a time to be beautiful. I would maybe put a noisemaker on for you, you know, to drown out some of the feeling that you're going to be heard, or you might wake up the baby, make sure the door is locked. Just take a minute to feel like you're giving yourself a gift in that time as well. And sometimes that can help to kind of quiet the environment to make it feel like a place where you want to let go and you really want to receive. Laura Dugger: (16:11 - 16:51) That's good. And the husbands can be so participatory with this, even that they have so much strength and usually more energy and sex gives them energy. So, if they can find creative ways to, I think, separate her as much as possible from mom to lover. So, I mean, people are aware of these like put if the husband does the bedtime bath routine or can finish the dishes or just do those physically taxing tasks so that she can have that transition time. I think there are just endless ways to be creative. And I'm assuming husbands would be so motivated to love and serve their wife that way. Francie Winslow: (16:52 - 17:08) Yeah, yeah, I think it's definitely a reality to think, okay, what does it look like for us both to step forward and really love each other? Well, and that will just probably be different for every couple but being able to know that you can use your voice and say that, hey, I really want to connect this would help me. Laura Dugger: (17:09 - 17:25) That's good. So, we've addressed that obstacle then of physical touch. But let's also talk about the constant noise in our minds as women. So, how can we move from getting stuck in our head to waking up our body? Francie Winslow: (17:26 - 21:44) Yeah, well, I mentioned it a little bit earlier. But I'll know for for me, I feel if I'm not very purposeful in the way that I take in technology and take in my phone, I can easily just live in a state of perpetual kind of humming anxiety, and not really know why. I mean, apart from like the parts of life that are really hard, and paying attention to, okay, what am I allowing in? What am I allowing to have access to me? What am I meditating on? How much white space? Am I giving my heart or am I like listening to a podcast 24 hours a day, or, you know, constantly having stuff in versus creating space for quiet in my body. And in my heart, just even to hear myself breathe, or to sit with some instrumental music and just be for a and not be performing or producing or consuming something. That's been a big thing for my nervous system, honestly, in that context. But I think the other thing that I mentioned earlier was our five senses. And I talked to women all the time who say I'm struggling with pleasure, I'm struggling with orgasm, I don't feel a whole lot. And there's a couple reasons we don't. But one of the reasons is we live so much in our head, with all the things we have to think about our to do list that never ends the and I think the part of having a phone is that the Instacart is there, the Amazon is there, the emails from the school are there, it's just always something that we need to be thinking about or processing. And that can cause us to live so much in our heads that we kind of live from our, our head up our neck up, and we neglect the fact that we have an entire body. And so I often be reminding myself, get out of your head and into your body feel, feel even just like your belly exhaling when you breathe, like that's so small, but if you can slow down enough to take five slow deep breaths, you'll feel your heart rate go down, you'll feel the sense of awareness even of God's presence of the sense that He's with you the sense that you know, you can navigate whatever you need to with peace. And so, I do a lot of things like take a walk without my phone. I'll sit on my back porch even just to sit in the sun for a minute to let the sun on my body and I'm always aware at this point, I want to feel things in my body because God gave us five senses to be present to the moment to be present to our kids to be present to Him. There's that classic book, Brother Lawrence, the practice of the presence of God. And it's this practicing awareness of God's nearness. And it's a practice. And not to make a leap that makes two people, people feel too uncomfortable, but to practice pleasure is a thing to get out of your head and into the sense of awareness in your day of sensation, a beauty of love of the presence of your kids, their smiles, their faces, and then in pleasure to be super aware of the presence of your husband, of your own self with him of the love that you're having of the feelings you're having in your body. And the noise that comes at us all day basically robs us of that awareness. And so, I think that the world's system of operating right now is maybe intentionally unintentionally, I'm not sure, bent on making us numb to God, to each other, to ourselves, to our souls, and to true genuine connection. And so, I think it's a real fight for me to live connected to myself, to God, to others. And what does it look like to really be present? And that's actually such a unique key to pleasure, to sexual pleasure that we wouldn't necessarily connect. We would think it's about like, oh, tips or positions, but it's actually about becoming present. And the noise coming at us tries to rob us of that presence, that awareness. And so, I think it's a very integrated conversation, whether it's talking about spiritual intimacy, sexual intimacy, obviously friendship, wherever we're trying to connect with someone or God, but the call is to be present and embodied. And that's what Jesus was. He was an embodiment of God. And He came to actually connect in a genuine face-to-face way. And yeah, so I think of when I think of the noise of my phone, the noise coming at us all the time, it's just draining of my energy, of my sexual energy, of my emotional energy, on all the levels. And it's constantly a reminder of God saying, “that's not your design. Your design was connection and presence and how that hits all the markers in all the relationships.” Laura Dugger: (21:45 - 24:26) And now a brief message from our sponsor. 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During your time away in this beautiful place, you and your spouse will learn from expert speakers and explore topics related to intimacy, overcoming challenges, improving communication, and more. I've stayed on site at Winshape before, and I can attest to their generosity, food, and content. You will be so grateful you went. To find an experience that's right for you and your spouse, head to their website, winshapemarriage.org/savvy. That's W-I-N-S-H-A-P-E marriage.org/savvy, S-A-V-V-Y. Thanks for your sponsorship. Getting out of our mind, getting into our body, how you said paying attention to your coffee and those five senses outside the bedroom, then when you're inside the bedroom, I remember Dr. Clifford and Joyce Penner just saying, thank God for every tingly feeling that you get. I think you're more aware of your body in those times of intimate connection if you're practicing that outside of it, which is what you're advising. I guess one other super practical tip, I love it that a friend years ago told me the way she transitioned from work into sexual connection with her husband, they invested in a massage table. She would get 20 minutes or whatever on the table and he would just relax her head to toe and then they enjoyed that connection so much more. Francie Winslow: (24:27 - 28:23) Absolutely. Yeah, there's different types of touch. I talk about this in one of my podcasts, but there's therapeutic touch, which is like, “hey, I think I need a foot rub. I just need to relax.” Then there's nurturing touch. I will walk up a lot of times to my husband and just stand there and that signal of like, just hold me. I just need to be touched in that way, not groped. I don't even need to be playfully touched. I just need to be secure and held. Sometimes that's what we need to let go and let our nervous systems calm down. I will say even like a hug for 30 seconds, you can feel your body, hug until you feel yourself let go because you feel yourself soften. Noticing the sensations of, Wyatt and I went on a date the other day and I could feel myself. I was just noticing the sensations of my body and I'm like, I'm gripping. I'm gripping everything. That's not a great way to go into a date. Talking through like, okay, what is it that my body is gripping onto? It's so much stress, so much pressure. Then we ended up having a great date, but I was able to name those things like, what is my body needing? What am I feeling? Where am I now? That just comes from awareness, and it comes from practicing being present to what's happening in my body, in my nervous system and what do I need? There's therapeutic touch, nurturing touch. There's obviously playful touch like tickling or just being flirtatious. Then there's sexual touch. There's a wide range of what sexual expression and nice and gentle touch can look like that can open you up. I think getting out of your head and into your body and not being afraid of your body. I think as Christian women, we were raised with a real fear of our bodies and a real fear of pleasure. I know I was feeling like the word pleasure was even a really dirty word. It wasn't something I should be thinking about. It wasn't something that I had permission to even explore because it had a real sense of negative connotation to it. God's just really set me free from that because I'm realizing it's my design. There are countless pleasure zones all over my body by his good design, by his orchestration. He made my body. There's not one part of my body he's ashamed of, and I don't need to be either. Realizing that God did make the female body with way more than double the capacity for pleasure than a male body has. That's a gift for us. It's a gift for our emotions. It's a gift for our mental health. It's a gift for our creativity. You said men get more energy from sex, but actually, it's like when a woman really let's go and she really let's go because we have a hard time letting go. That doesn't mean crazy. It just really means you turn off your brain, and you really receive. There is a restart that happens. Usually, creativity does flow because it's the sense of different parts of your brain are reactivated and you are nourished. Sexuality was meant to be a creative act in procreation, but also in energetic movement through your body of what love creates. Love multiplies. Love grows. Not being afraid of our bodies, not being afraid of feeling, but praising God, like the penner said for every tingle. I'll say in terms of awareness in the bedroom, if you're having trouble feeling or you're having trouble feeling pleasure or reaching orgasm, there's three tips that I've heard that I really like is breath, breathing in that moment, coming back to your breath because a lot of times we can be intimate and still be in our heads. Our bodies are there, but our minds are somewhere else. We're thinking about the grocery list or thinking about why am I taking so long or is he having fun or do I look not good? Do I not look good to him? Where our brains are stuck in a lot of different places and getting out of our head back into our body with breath. Slowing down, really conscious, slow breathing, movement, going back and forth, and then vocalization, like using a moan or a hum or a yes. Those three things are often helping you get back in your body, helping bring your attention back to sensation and can enhance the moment through paying attention in those ways. Laura Dugger: (28:24 - 28:59) Those are so good. The only one I would add, I'm sure you would incorporate this as well, is prayer. I've heard a wife tell me before that she will pray every time they come together, whether she's praying just in her mind, not even out loud with her husband, but just, Lord, help me experience orgasm or help us to enjoy this time or whatever the prayer is. You also brought up playful touch then. Can you just unpack why play is so powerful as it relates to our sex life? Francie Winslow: (29:01 - 30:36) Well, I think that we can get so serious in life and we can get so exhausted and overwhelmed and then sex can become a task, or we just are now stressed about it. For us, quite simply put, playfulness has just been an invitation to revitalize our connection and to remember that we don't have to take things so seriously. I think our playfulness has come through even just like silly text messages. I say silly, but they're intimate, they're playful, they're between us. Little things that we've done, like you have certain names for certain positions and so you can speak in code and that can be a fun way to connect where nobody else knows what you're talking about, but you're sharing connection. Getting your heart rate up together, things like playing literally, like playing a sport, exercising together, having playful times together outside of the bedroom is so powerful. Getting your heart rate up together is actually a real libido booster. If you go work out, you just feel this energy together in general or going on a walk, we like to do that. By the time you come back from your walk, if you've walked briskly, you feel this sense of connection and a little bit more drive. You can even make games like, hey, whenever I wear this necklace, it's me giving you a little bedroom wink. We've done that where we have little signs to each other that, hey, I'm thinking about you, I'm so into you, see this necklace I'm wearing. There's just so many playful ways that you can connect that remind you, oh yeah, we're on each other's teams, we're for each other. This is not a have to, this is a get to, and this is a special place just for us to really build the connection. Laura Dugger: (30:37 - 30:52) One step further then with that play and movement, I've heard you talk about for females, nonlinear movement of our body. Can you share about how that, again, outside the bedroom can impact inside the bedroom? Francie Winslow: (30:52 - 35:31) Yeah. I have a membership community called The Circle, and we talk about this a lot because it's a bit like rewiring, especially Christian women's minds to connect to their bodies in a genuine way. Our culture in general has raised us to not embrace the masculine but requires us to be masculine in a lot of ways, just with how what's required is getting stuff done, standing in line, standing in traffic. It's very much task-oriented, get stuff done, stay busy. The female design is much more nonlinear. It's much more creative. It's much more life-giving than just task and just to-do list all day. When we stay in that do, do, do, and go, go, go mode, we lose our ability to flow and to be playful as women. I know when I am in task mode all day, I feel rigid rather than open. By God's design, the female body itself speaks of curviness. It speaks of receptivity and openness, but sometimes in our structured lives that we lead where we have to get stuff done, we close off that space through stress and through just this response of rigidity and overwhelm. Movement is a great way to loosen up, to open up to access playfulness as a woman. I've heard people call it nonlinear movement, and I think that's great because literally you don't have to be a good dancer, but it's just begin moving. I've taught in this membership group that I have just practical ways. We practice and we laugh and we talk about how it's going, but it's really creating new neural pathways in our own brains, new habits, new ways of embodying our own selves in our lives that remind us of who we are and help us access a playfulness. What that looks like for me is I can just be brushing my teeth, and I'll just do figure eights with my hips. That's just nonlinear movement, and it's just a way to move my body and be like, oh, yeah. It's like doing shoulder rolls. You're like, oh, I didn't know I was so tense. I didn't know I was gripping. I didn't know my posture was all hunched over because I've just been tense all day, and our bodies are holding on to that tension. Nonlinear movement is playful. It's also a way to release tension. It's also a way to remember, oh, yeah, I'm a woman, and I have hips, and it's fun to move. I'm not even that great of a dancer. I don't feel super sexy when I move, but then I remember I can be playful, and it kind of unlocks another layer of our sensuality and our beauty and helps us remember that we are lovely and attractive and desirable and not just kind of to-do list on stairways walking around getting stuff done. Nonlinear movement can look like a lot of things. I've spent my 39th year, I decided on my birthday, I'd been thinking, reading, praying a lot about it, but my 39th year, I decided I'm going to befriend my body this year. I did things that whole year, like nonlinear movement, like just cultivating pleasure in my body in a lot of different ways to really befriend and honor my body and call it good, like God called it, because I had lived for so long kind of at a distance from my body and afraid of my body and afraid of, honestly, femininity in a way because I didn't know how to grid that, and I didn't know what it looked like to be holy and to be integrated, to be holy and to be an alive sexual woman. It just kind of seemed like I needed to shut most of it off, and God's been doing a healing work in me for the last several years, and that's part of it, is just simple things like dancing in my room when nobody's looking, turning on music that doesn't have to have like a certain lyric or notion to it, but I just get to move, and there's something about moving our bodies where we get to really let go of a lot and remember the design that we have for creativity and beauty, and yeah, that's just a fun way to do it, but a little practical is trying figure eights while you're doing your toothbrushing or stirring your spaghetti. A funny one that makes me laugh and makes everybody laugh when I have them do it is spelling your name with your hips, and so you just realize, oh, oh my gosh, you know, you're moving your hips in all sorts of directions, but by the time you finish, you feel more open, and you feel more alive and awake in your body, and I think, I know I'll speak for me, I feel many days if I'm not intentional very unalive in my body because I just am exhausted, but it's those intentional places of befriending our bodies, paying attention, and honoring our beautiful bodies allows us to enjoy it more, being a woman, being a wife, being present, and it sure does make it a lot more fun to participate in it rather than just feel like life is happening to us all the time. Laura Dugger: (35:32 - 35:59) Okay, and then speaking of that, life happening to us all the time, we talked about maybe newlyweds or new parents, but as we transition into middle age, maybe we're parenting older children at that point, or we're assisting with aging parents, or facing demands with work or our health. How can we realistically still choose to prioritize connection right in the middle of busy? Francie Winslow: (35:59 - 36:01) Yeah, you mean with our spouses? Laura Dugger: (36:02 - 36:02) Yes. Francie Winslow: (36:02 - 41:05) Yeah, yeah. Well, I think it, for us, I'll say it comes from really just seeing it as a priority. It's one of our biggest rocks, you know, like when you have a jar, and you have rocks, and you only have so much room, you have to figure out what are your biggest rocks, and intimacy together is for sure one of our biggest rocks because we see what we've called, I've called forever the ripple effect of sex, that there is a ripple effect that comes from intimacy and connection, I think by God's design, and it's the same with our connection with God, that there is a ripple effect that comes from our connection with God. When we're connected and we're growing with God, other things benefit, right? We see it in our ability to show up as parents, and at work, we see the ripple effect of intimacy, and I'll say the same thing mirrors in marriage, that there is a profound ripple effect from sexual intimacy specifically, and there's other forms of intimacy in marriage that are really important, but sexual intimacy is the only type of intimacy that is shared in marriage alone, and so you can have deep friendships, and partnerships, and ministry, and prayer teams, and, you know, small group leaders meetings, and you can have growth, and closeness with a lot of types of people and groups, but sexual intimacy is the full giving of yourself, naked, unashamed, fully to another, and it's a real place of vulnerability, and I think as we're aging, as I'm beginning perimenopause, as we have almost, we're launching our first kids into college, we've got a bunch of special needs younger kids, what I'm realizing is I don't just need to have sex because it's good for our marriage, we need it because it's good for us. We really need it for our own nervous systems. We need it for comfort, and for grief, and for trauma processing, and for the bonding of us together, because we're clinging to each other as seasons change, and as dark seasons are on us, it's almost like this refuge that God has given us, and so I think seeing sexual intimacy as a really deep place of provision, not just, oh, it's something we need to do, like exercising, because it's good for us. It is, but there is a deeper invitation to the meaning, and the power of oneness, and union, which is, again, that reflection of our union with God, and it's a gift for our bodies, our nervous systems, in changing seasons as well. It's a real place of connection that we need, and so I think in terms of prioritizing it, it's one of our big rocks, and so this point, 20 years in, it's not unusual for us to have intimacy many times every day of the week. I guess I just say that as our marriage is 20 years in, and it's more deep, and more beautiful, and more pleasurable, and more meaningful than ever, and in my changing body, in our tiredness, I feel more confident, and more awake to my body than ever, and I love that, that I feel more confident than I did when I was 20, right? I feel more pleasure, because we know each other more, and we've leaned in to learn each other, and we've wept together, and we've grieved together, and we've gotten lost together, like we've had the highs and the lows, and that's, I think I want to cast that out as vision for young marriages, like it's worth it to keep growing, it's worth it to lean in, it's worth it to know each other, and to continue to press on together, because there's deep riches in that intimacy, and for friends who are in the older years, I'm walking with women right now who've been married 35 years, and they're waking up to their best marriage ever, because they're waking up to their bodies, and they might be 60 years old, but they're finally confronting the shame that's held back, they're finally confronting the lies about pleasure, and about sex being for a man only, and they're realizing that they have an entire body to get to know, and to share in marriage, and it's like a whole new territory that they're encountering, and there's freedom and healing happening, because they've had to have conversations that are hard, but actually unearth things that need to be healed, and I think that's the other bit of sexual intimacy that doesn't often get talked about, is that sexual intimacy is so intimate, it does not occur without the heart being present, and so if hard things come up in sex, it's usually because hard things need to come up, and vulnerability and intimacy requires, intimacy requires vulnerability, and that vulnerability is the space for the hard things to come up, and then in the presence of God, through prayer, through love, you address those, it might be hard, it might be painful, and then there's space to say, hey, let's work through that, let's lean in, let's keep loving each other, find help, and it continues to grow the marriage deeper, and so that's what I've found in our marriage, and with women I'm walking with, is that it's not always an easy uphill, you know, like ascent, but it's highs and lows, but over time, throughout the seasons, prioritizing oneness, prioritizing sexual communication, prioritizing time together, to practice pleasure, getting to know each other, those are the spaces where actually I've seen God do a lot of healing. Laura Dugger: (41:07 - 42:40) I want to make sure that you're up to date with our latest news. We have a new website. You can visit thesavvysauce.com and see all of the latest updates. You may remember Francie Heinrichson from episode 132, where we talked about pursuing our God-given dreams. She is the amazing businesswoman who has carefully designed a brand-new website for Savvy Sauce Charities, and we are thrilled with the final product, so I hope you check it out. There you're going to find all of our podcasts, now with show notes and transcriptions listed, a scrapbook of various previous guests, and an easy place to join our email list to receive monthly encouragement and questions to ask your loved ones so that you can have your own practical chats for intentional living. You will also be able to access our donation button or our mailing address for sending checks that are tax-deductible so that you can support the work of Savvy Sauce Charities and help us continue to reach the nations with the good news of Jesus Christ. So, make sure you visit thesavvysauce.com. Well, and even with you sharing how often you're connecting, that requires saying no to some other, probably sometimes good things, too. Are there any practical examples you have, again, of what you and Wyatt have not prioritized in order to give this time and space? Francie Winslow: (42:41 - 45:06) Yeah, I mean, I don't want to put ourselves on a pedestal or sound so radical, but we really try to limit screen time and phones a lot. I would say my husband is very radical with this. He really is never on his phone and makes it a point to not be, and I appreciate that in the way he leads in our family. I feel like I'm doing stuff that needs to be done on my phone, and I can easily get pulled into scrolling, but that's been a big thing we say no to. We just really don't do that in our beds. We don't bring it into our bedrooms. We don't, because we just see that it can easily be like it just pulls us away from each other, and so that's kind of a non-thing, which I think is a big culture shifter that phone is not a part of our marriage or our time in the evenings. And yeah, with a lot of kids, we definitely have to prioritize. We do hotel dates quite frequently, which I can't remember if I've talked to you about or not, but that's been a huge gift in busy seasons of parenting. We scoot away to a local hotel for just a day, not even an overnight. We'll do like a long date, like maybe a four-hour stretch, and what that really gives us in terms of not just quantity, because it's not as much quantity, it's the quality of connection that we found, and being in a hotel room for four hours or so, we really get to let go and focus. And so, I think that that's a big part of it is, oh, it's not just about like checking the box, but it's really letting go together and learning. And those have been some of the hours we've spent together. It's like learning what feels good, learning how to linger with each other, learning how to go slow and not be rushed, learning how to communicate and learning how to care for one another. We'll do like king treatment or queen treatment, where you spend 20 minutes on one person, and then the other person gets 20 minutes, and you take turns, and it's just this exchange of care that doesn't happen in a busy life. But we found that sneaking away to do that every couple of weeks has been a real treat to figure out how to prioritize. But yeah, definitely saying no to... And I mean, the truth is, it doesn't take that long to connect. So, it's not like you have to say no to massive things, but I think it's saying yes to putting your energy towards each other and not spending your energy completely on every other thing except your marriage. Laura Dugger: (45:07 - 45:25) Okay, well said. And maybe somebody's hearing this and they're not there right now. So, regardless of whatever season of marriage they're in, how can they revive a sex life that's been asleep or has become complacent? Francie Winslow: (45:25 - 46:44) Yeah. Well, I think if it's a place where you are desiring and you are the one desiring, I think it's saying, hey, I really desire connection. What would it look like if we tried this again, if we leaned in? And if hopefully there's a sense of, yeah, I miss you too. I miss us too. And if not, it's a space where you can grow in your own understanding of your body, how your body works, and you can continue to learn how your spouse's body works and try to love them even without making a big plan, but just showing up more skills or showing up with more investment at times can communicate, hey, I'm showing up with a little bit more knowledge and I'm enjoying it more. Because I think when you learn a little bit more, you can receive more, you can be more present. And sometimes just working on you and your mindset can have a trickle-down effect. But I think definitely an invitation to say, hey, we're busy and I value you and I value us and I just want more connection. What does that look like? Yeah, I think it definitely takes two. It takes two to really grow, to be honest. And so, I think it can be a place where even that can be a hard conversation that has the potential to unearth, hey, are we too busy? It does require a sense of investment. And sometimes that can require conversations. Laura Dugger: (46:45 - 46:56) Francie, also, you are a wealth of knowledge. You've studied this topic for years; you've brought it before the Lord. So, what can you share with us that you've learned specifically about orgasm? Francie Winslow: (46:57 - 50:30) So, orgasm for anybody who is brand new is simply like a fast contraction of your muscles in your pelvic floor and around the nerve endings that are linked to pleasure sensors in your brain. And so, when those contract really fast, it feels like a whoosh or a powerful punch of pleasure, and it brings tingles and contractions, and it feels great. So, people come to me a lot. They're like, I can't have an orgasm. And so one of the biggest keys to having an orgasm, again, is understanding your body and not expecting your body to work like a man's body, not expecting it to just automatically work by penetration, which is a lot of times what men think is if you just have intercourse, you should have an orgasm. But a woman's body is much more intricate, and she has a clitoral structure kind of hidden behind her external anatomy. So, you can't see it all, all the time. I do have one here. I have other models, but this is a clitoris. And so, this is hidden behind your outside vaginal tissues. And so, but this is all pleasure anatomy. And so, your clitoris has over 10,000 nerve endings and that is over double what a man's penis has. We're maybe afraid to touch our bodies, but this is good in God's design, and it is that the clitoris is stimulated. And so, it can be manually, you can touch it, your husband can touch it. Sometimes before sex, you can have orgasms or even during, definitely during, but that comes with stimulation. And so I think sometimes women think I just, it should happen automatically, but it happens through blood flow to your tissues, to your whole body really, because your whole body becomes kind of alive with pleasure, but the blood flow allows engorgement of all of this tissue, which allows it to feel better and allows it to feel pleasure. And so, a clitoris, a clitoral orgasm is one type of orgasms, but there's lots of types of orgasms that your body can experience with also a female superpower. And it happens when we're able to let go and we're able to actually feel, which comes back to our earlier conversation of being awake in our bodies and aware of sensation and connected to feeling in our body and connected to awareness. And so, orgasm is a beautiful gift from God. There's many types of orgasms. Women can have multiple orgasms. That means can peak over and over and over again, not just once, but the bottom line is when God created, he created male and female, but he created woman last. And it seems like when you look at it metaphorically, that woman is like the exclamation point of beauty and pleasure. She was like the final, yes, she has double the amount of pleasure capacity than a man does. And I think it's because it delights God that women are fully alive in their bodies. And so, I do have a pleasure masterclass on my website because it took me and wound up and afraid of my own body, but this is God's design and he's not afraid or ashamed of our bodies. And the more we understand how God designed our bodies, the more we can really celebrate his design. And to me, that's worshipful. And it's honoring to him as our creator, because he made us wonderfully, right? And the Psalm says that my soul knows well, and it's like this catching up. He made us wonderfully. Do we believe it? And part of is education and understanding that our bodies are good. So, orgasm is a great gift, definitely one worth exploring and learning. Laura Dugger: (50:31 - 50:41) It's so wonderful, Francie. And are there any other practical ways that we can maximize pleasure in our marriage, both for husbands or wives? Francie Winslow: (50:43 - 53:59) Yeah, I think this sounds a little bit silly, but practicing pleasure is a real thing. We often feel like I should just know how to do it. It should just work, but it takes communication and it takes time. And going back to awareness, it takes us being able to understand our bodies. And so, I know the pinners recommend this as well. It might push some people's buttons, but it's exploring your own body. You have to know your body to share it well. It's a really awkward and uncomfortable thing to not know what's down there and then supposed to be giving it away to your husband. That's I think a sin against ourselves, to be honest, because we are essentially violating ourselves if we don't even have connection to ourselves. And then we're trying to give it away and expecting our bodies to express or experience something. We have to be embodied, connected to loving, blessing, and agreeing with the fact that our bodies are good. And that doesn't happen unless we know our bodies. And so, I would say that the pivotal thing for me and many women, and it might make people feel uncomfortable, is you must know your body. You must experience your body. You must believe it's good. And in order to be able to share it genuinely without shame, because shame is the biggest pleasure killer. And shame is straight from hell, straight from the enemy in the garden that they were originally naked and unashamed. And in comes the deceiver and the accuser of God's children. And they suddenly become aware of their nakedness and covered in shame and they start hiding. And so, God has an invitation to us to release shame in our sexuality as we bring our sexuality into his light, into the light of his word, into his presence. And part of that is for me, it was definitely realizing my body is good. So, spending time with your own body, getting to know what feels good for the sake of being able to share it with your husband is a big breakthrough point for a lot of women. And even confronting like, oh, when I'm alone with my body, I actually feel so much shame. Talk to God about that. God, do you feel ashamed of my body? Is it a shame that I'm sitting here with my body? Can I look at my body in the mirror and actually say, thank you, God, for this beautiful body? Can I take a mirror down there and explore my body and have joy rather than shame? And if we can't have joy and if we only have shame, that's okay. That's just an invitation to healing. And so that's what I mean when I say sexuality is also this invitation to healing because shame is so tightly wound around the conversation and shame is the opposite of what Christ died for. He died that we would be free and that it's not this selfish freedom. It's this life-giving freedom where love can really be shared and expressed. So, I would say that the number one thing is that women love and know their bodies and then can share them from that place of sharing a gift that they have actually received first. Because until we receive the gift, it's an awkward thing to try to give it away. And I think our husbands are hopefully wanting and willing to learn too. And so, it can be a joint effort that we learn about our bodies together, that we discover our bodies together, learn how to communicate and learn how to love each other well in a place of joy and care. Because that, I think, is a beautiful space of worship to God. Laura Dugger: (54:01 - 54:43) And just to echo what you said, I think it was Dr. Jennifer Kanzen who shared the same sentiment of women, it's really hard to see your private parts. So, get a handheld mirror and look and see what every part is and be aware on your body. I also want to make sure people aren't hearing what you're not saying. And so, I don't want to put words in your mouth, but I don't hear you saying, be selfish and masturbate to take away time from you and your spouse being together. You're saying, learn your body and your parts so that you and or be together with your spouse while you're doing this so that you can both experience greater pleasure. Is that right? Francie Winslow: (54:43 - 56:15) Exactly. But what I'm not saying is satisfy yourself apart from your husband and then don't ever connect. Nobody wants that. That's not what we're talking about. We're talking about building sexual intimacy in your marriage and sexual healing in your journey as a woman who wants to be integrated. And so, yeah, I think there could be a whole conversation on this because it can be a hot button. And I'm glad you're willing to go there because we need honesty. We need our daughters to be able to have this sort of conversation with us and not feel like there's things that we just need to do in secret. Because I think anything you feel like I have to have this as a secret, that's also like, ah, like, let's talk about it. And so, what I call self-cultivation is not a secret. And it's something you share with your spouse. And it's something that, hey, I want to get to know my body. And that's actually in my journey. My husband was like, hey, you need to get to know your body. I bless you to like have some alone time because you're so wound up in shame. You don't even know. You can't even feel. And so, it really, it was rooted in our experience as him commissioning me basically to befriend my body. And I think that that's, it's a different paradigm, but I appreciate the many sex therapists who are believers that agree with that menu, that idea of you have to experiment and explore to know how to genuinely articulate what you want rather than just laying there and assuming your husband can read your mind. And so, it's, again, a place of communication and saying, hey, this is where I'm at. Is this okay? What does this look like for us? And this is my desire is intimacy and connection with you. Laura Dugger: (56:16 - 56:41) And I love how you are explaining how you invite the Lord into that process for every person to ask him, what do you have for me? What do you want me to learn? What do you want to reveal to me about sex? And none of us want to miss out on any good gift that he has to offer. So, France, you could continue teaching us and you have so many resources. Can you just share where you would direct us to go online after this chat? Francie Winslow: (56:42 - 57:19) Sure. Yeah. Well, I have several courses and growth guides on my website. So, franciewinslow.com and just spaces. If you wanted to have these conversations with your husband or maybe just wanted to grow on your own. And if you're looking for conversations exactly like we're having today, ongoing, I have a community membership group that we meet monthly on zoom to literally have conversations like this that are so life-giving because we're all on a journey and it's fun to be able to talk about places that we've had barriers and how we're growing. And that's called the circle. So, I have that as well. So, lots of resources and ways to plug in and keep growing. Laura Dugger: (57:20 - 57:36) Wonderful. We'll add the links in the show notes for today's episode. And Francie, you're already familiar that we're called The Savvy Sauce because savvy is synonymous with practical knowledge. And so, as my final question for you today, what is your savvy sauce? Francie Winslow: (57:37 - 58:14) Well, it's not that fancy and it's going to sound extremely simple, but it's take a walk without your phone every day. It's part of that awareness and that coming back home to God who is in us with us all the time. And those simple deep breaths, remembering that we have him in us. And a lot of times it's just that simple reminder of a minute unplugged in God's creation that helps me to kind of come back home to him and recenter to be filled up for all that comes my way. So, I'm a big fan of unplugging. That's so good. Laura Dugger: (58:14 - 58:42) And it's just always such a joy to get to spend time with you. And God has given you these enormous gifts of teaching and this ability to synthesize knowledge from so many places and then make it beneficial and applicable for all of us as it relates to sexual intimacy in view of what God has for us in marriage. So, thank you, Francie, for sharing all this goodness today and thank you for being my returning guest. Francie Winslow: (58:42 - 58:43) Absolutely. Thanks for having me. Laura Dugger: (58:45 - 1:01:59) 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
A guy emailed me something that a lot of men are quietly thinking but don't want to say out loud…“My wife used to be wild before me. Now she barely wants anything to do with me.”This one stings. Because it forces you to compare yourself to her past—and wonder what changed.In this episode, I break down what's really going on when a woman who once had a strong sexual side suddenly shuts it down in a long-term relationship.We talk about:• The science behind the honeymoon phase and why it fades• Why novelty and newness play a bigger role than most people realize• How some people are wired to need “new relationship energy” to feel desire• Why this isn't always about you—but sometimes it is• What men can actually do (and what they can't fix)If you're in a sexless marriage and feel like you're not getting the version of her that other men got… this one will hit home.Start here:https://deadbedroomfix.comIf you want to talk to other men going through this and get real feedback:https://helpformen.com/join
Baron von Kaiser went from being in a sexless marriage, to cheating, to being in a very open second marriage and he called in to talk al about it. Tune in to hear all the details including how and wy his sex life with his first wife wasn't ideal, how and when she copped to cheating on him, when he started cheating on her, the rules he had for himself while cheating, the actual affair he had and how and why he wound up confessing and how it led to their divorce, how he decided to join an alternative dating sight and met his current wife, how they started off very early on being extremely non-monogamous and open in their relationship, their hotwifing cuck experiences and what he enjoys most about the hook ups, how his current wife feels about him being into guys, the other hardcore things they get into together including their solo play, the self help guide he created to help other guys live a truly authentic life while honoring their sexuality and kinks like he has plus a whole lot more. Check out his book here: https://baronvonkaiser.com GET A COPY OF THE STRICTLY ANONYMOUS BOOK! Strictly Anonymous Confessions: Secret Sex Lives of Total Strangers. A bunch of short, super sexy, TRUE stories. GET YOUR COPY HERE: https://amzn.to/4i7hBCd or Pre-order audiobook version here To see HOT pics of my Female guests + hear anonymous confessions + get all the episodes early and AD FREE, join my Patreon! It's only $7 a month and you can cancel at any time. You can sign up here: https://www.patreon.com/StrictlyAnonymousPodcast and when you join, I'll throw in a complimentary link to my private Discord! To join SDC and get a FREE Trial! click here: https://www.sdc.com/?ref=37712 or go to SDC.com and use my code 37712 Want to be on the show? Email me at strictlyanonymouspodcast@gmail.com or go to http://www.strictlyanonymouspodcast.com and click on "Be on the Show." Want to confess while remaining anonymous? Call the CONFESSIONS hotline at 347-420-3579. All voices are changed. Sponsors: https://RHYTHM.HEALTH.com/STIRCTLYANON for 15% OFF your first month https://LoadBoost.com - To get 10% off LOAD BOOST by VB Health, use code: STRICTLY https://beducate.me/pd2614-anonymous — Click here to take the quiz and get your personalized roadmap to sexual happiness https://bluechew.com — Buy 2 months of Bluechew GOLD and get the third month FREE! Use code: STRICTLYANON https://www.quince.com/strictlyanon — For premium quality Quince clothing plus FREE shipping and 365 day returns! Follow me! Instagram https://www.instagram.com/strictanonymous/ X https://twitter.com/strictanonymous?lang=en Website http://www.strictlyanonymouspodcast.com/ Everything else: https://linktr.ee/Strictlyanonymouspodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A guy reached out to me after 15 years of marriage and a completely dead bedroom.No intimacy. No desire. Nothing.Then one day, he finds out his wife is cheating.But not with another man… with another woman.Now he's trying to make sense of it:Is she gay?Is this just a phase?Why does she suddenly have a sex drive again… just not with him?In this episode, I break down what's really going on when a woman checks out of a marriage and redirects her desire somewhere else.We talk about:• Why female sexuality tends to be more fluid than most men realize• What the research actually says about attraction and arousal• Evolutionary psychology theories behind same-sex exploration• Why sexless marriages don't mean “low libido”• The uncomfortable truth most men avoid facingIf you're in a sexless marriage or feel like your wife has completely lost interest in you, this will hit close to home.Start with my book here:https://deadbedroomfix.comIf you want support from men who understand this and won't sugarcoat things, check out the Brotherhood:https://helpformen.com/join
A husband wrote to me after 16 years of marriage.Their sex life had slowly faded until they were barely intimate at all.Then he noticed something strange.His wife became very protective of her phone.One day he looked.What he found wasn't explicit cheating… but it explained a lot.In this episode we talk about:• Emotional affairs and how they begin• Why sexless marriages create vulnerability• What to do when you discover suspicious messages• Why confrontation often backfiresIf you're dealing with a sexless marriage, start here:https://deadbedroomfix.comIf you want grounded support from men navigating similar situations, check out the Brotherhood:https://helpformen.com/join
One of the hottest topics ever: sexless marriage! It's more common than you think and I'm sharing options you have, conversation starters, intimacy ideas and the 7-7-7 rule of relationships. Let's get laid Cravers! XOXOGet my favorite toys and wand vibe at TracysDog.com 20% OFF using code: CRAVERS20I'd love to hear your story! Send me an e-mail MidLifeCraving@gmail.com or a DM on IG @midlifecraving
Scheduling sex works for some people. Listen to this episode to find out who! Hint: it's not going to be the magic bullet that unilaterally makes your wife like sex or repairs your sexless marriage.My newest venture, including ALL BRAND NEW POSTS EVERY DAY: https://buymeacoffee.com/drpsychmom/postsJoin my awesome Midlife Women's Group here: drpsychmom.com/mwgTo get over 200 more episodes, most recently "You Don't Have To Attend Every Argument You're Invited To," subscribe here! https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/drpsychmomshow/subscribe For my secret Facebook group, the "best money I've ever spent" according to numerous members: https://www.facebook.com/groups/drpsychmomFor coaching from DPM, visit https://www.drpsychmom.com/coaching/For therapy or coaching, contact us at https://www.bestlifebehavioralhealth.com/
Sexy Siren went from a sexless marriage to tons of crazy sex, and she called in to talk all about it. Tune in to hear al the details including how and why it took her so long to break free from her sexless marriage, how she wound up cheating on him towards the end and what went down, how she went online looking for more guys after that affair ended and the “Uber driver” she hooked up with next, the Monk she hooked up with as well and what went down, the guy who lived in a shed that she hooked up with who made her squirt and what went down with him, how she wound up at her first swingers club and what went down including taking part in a class and a gangbana and what went down, the guy she met on Fetlife who was into kink and what went down with him, her first hook up with a woman and what went down, how opening up sexually has helped her self esteem plus a whole lot more. More info in her book here: An Unapologetic Erotic Memoir of Desire, Power, and Self-Worth GET A COPY OF THE STRICTLY ANONYMOUS BOOK! Strictly Anonymous Confessions: Secret Sex Lives of Total Strangers. A bunch of short, super sexy, TRUE stories. GET YOUR COPY HERE: https://amzn.to/4i7hBCd To see HOT pics of my female guests + hear anonymous confessions + get all the episodes early and AD FREE, join my Patreon! It's only $7 a month and you can cancel at any time. You can sign up here: https://www.patreon.com/StrictlyAnonymousPodcast and when you join, I'll throw in a complimentary link to my private Discord! To join SDC and get a FREE Trial! click here: https://www.sdc.com/?ref=37712 or go to SDC.com and use my code 37712 Want to be on the show? Email me at strictlyanonymouspodcast@gmail.com or go to http://www.strictlyanonymouspodcast.com and click on "Be on the Show." Want to confess while remaining anonymous? Call the CONFESSIONS hotline at 347-420-3579. All voices are changed. Sponsors: https://beducate.me/pd2614-anonymous — Click here to take the quiz and get your personalized roadmap to sexual happiness https://Vb.Health — To get 10% off DRIVE BOOST by VB Health use code: STRICTLY https://bluechew.com — Get 10% OFF your first month of Bluechew GOLD! Use code: STRICTLYANON https://www.quince.com/strictlyanon — For premium quality Quince clothing plus FREE shipping and 365 day returns! Follow me! Instagram https://www.instagram.com/strictanonymous/ X https://twitter.com/strictanonymous?lang=en Website http://www.strictlyanonymouspodcast.com/ Everything else: https://linktr.ee/Strictlyanonymouspodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices