Episode 87: Sex and Intimacy After Grief and Loss

Relationships can be a source of tremendous joy. But they can also be a source of tremendous pain, especially when they come to an end that we just weren’t ready for. When a valued relationship suddenly ends and that parter disappears from your everyday life–whether through death, divorce, or breakup–the resulting grief can make it difficult to move on, especially in terms of your intimate life. When is the right time to start dating or having sex again? What if you haven’t been on the dating scene for years and it has fundamentally changed? Also, what if you’re dating someone who is grieving a relationship loss? Let’s talk about it.

I am joined by Joan Price, a self-described advocate for ageless sexuality. Joan is the author of four books, including Sex After Grief: Navigating Your Sexuality After Losing Your Beloved. Joan was the guest on my previous episode, where we covered Tips For Better Sex at Any Age. It’s well worth a listen if you haven’t checked it out already! Some of the topics we explore in this show include:

• Why there isn’t one “right” way to grieve and how everyone’s post-grief intimacy journey is different.
• How to know when it’s the right time to re-engage with your sexuality.
• How to get back on the dating scene if you haven’t been on it for a long time.
• What to do when you find your “pilot light lover,” or the next person who re-sparks your arousal.
• Why self-discovery and self-exploration are essential in the healing process.
• Things you should and shouldn’t do when dating someone who is grieving a relationship loss.

To learn more about Joan, visit joanprice.com and be sure to check out all of her amazing books, including Sex After Grief.

Thanks to Promescent (promescent.com) and the Modern Sex Therapy Institutes (modernsextherapyinstitutes.com) for being sponsors of this episode!

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Credits: Legit Audio (Podcast editing) and Shutterstock/Florian (Music). Image created with Canva; photos used with permission of guest.