Sex and Psychology Podcast

Lockdowns and “social distancing” guidelines are changing our intimate lives in major ways. For example, one of the things we’re seeing in our own research is that people are increasingly turning to sextech, such as by engaging in more sexting and cybersex. In fact, many adults are reporting trying these things for the very first time. In order to explore the various ways that people are leveraging sextech right now, I spoke to two experts in this area: Dr. Erin Watson and Tasha Falconer. In this episode of the podcast, we tackle a wide range of topics, including: How are people’s sex lives different in this era of social distancing, and how is sextech helping us to cope? If you’re new to sexting, what do you need to know to feel more comfortable and confident? How can sexting and sextech help us to learn more about ourselves? A lot of people are worried that the more sextech we incorporate in our lives, the more disconnected we’ll become from each other—but is that necessarily the case? How can sextech help to connect us at an even deeper level? More people are sending nudes right now, so we also talk about the psychology of dick pics: Why do so many men send them unsolicited? How is this behavior different for gay vs. straight men? And what do guys need to know if they’re thinking about sending photos of their genitals to others to ensure it’s done in a consensual and ethical way? How can we build better sex and dating apps? *** Want to learn more about Sex and Psychology? Click here for previous articles or follow the blog on Facebook, Twitter, or Reddit to receive updates. You can also follow Dr. Lehmiller on YouTube and Instagram. Listen and stream all episodes on Apple, Spotify, Google, or Amazon. Subscribe to automatically receive new episodes and please rate and review the podcast! Credits: LEGIT Audio (Podcast editing) and Shutterstock/Florian (Music). Image created with Canva; photos and book covers used with guest permission.

These are unprecedented times. Much of the world is currently living under lockdown conditions and practicing social distancing in order to curb the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus. So how is this affecting people’s intimate lives? How are our sex lives and relationships holding up, and is there anything we can do to more effectively navigate this complex and challenging situation? For the answers to these questions, I spoke to Dr. Lori Brotto, a Professor at the University of British Columbia, a practicing psychologist, and author of the book Better Sex Through Mindfulness. I asked Dr. Brotto what she has been seeing in her clinical practice since the pandemic began and how it’s different from usual. According to Brotto, some of her clients are reporting more avoidance-related reasons for sex at the moment, meaning they’re more likely to report having sex in order to avoid a negative outcome rather than doing it because it’s what they truly want. Listen to the podcast to find out why that is. We also address the following questions: What are some effective coping strategies for relieving stress and anxiety in order to pave the way for a more active and fulfilling intimate life during this challenging time? How do you successfully navigate singlehood in the era of social distancing? Some people under lockdown are in abusive or unhealthy relationships. How can they stay safe and find the help they need? What are the potential silver linings of this situation? How can we utilize this time to explore our sexuality and develop a new intimacy with our partners? Enjoy, and be sure to check out Dr. Brotto’s latest book Better Sex Through Mindfulness! *** Want to learn more about Sex and Psychology? Click here for previous articles or follow the blog on Facebook, Twitter, or Reddit to receive updates. You can also follow Dr. Lehmiller on YouTube and Instagram. Listen and stream all episodes on Apple, Spotify, Google, or Amazon. Subscribe to automatically receive new episodes and please rate and review the podcast! Credits: LEGIT Audio (Podcast editing) and Shutterstock/Florian (Music). Image created with Canva; photos and book covers used with guest permission.

In this episode of the podcast, I interview Dr. Nan Wise, a cognitive neuroscientist, certified sex therapist, and Associate Research Professor at Rutgers University. Dr. Wise just published a fantastic new book titled “Why Good Sex Matters: Understanding the Neuroscience of Pleasure for a Smarter, Happier, and More Purpose-Filled Life.” We cover a wide range of questions and topics, including: What exactly is “pleasure?” Why are we experiencing less pleasure today than we used to? How can we get more pleasure in our sex lives? Is the answer different for men and women? Dr. Wise has conducted neuroscience research on women’s orgasms. How does one go about studying this in the lab? Is it challenging to find participants who are willing to masturbate to orgasm in an fMRI machine? (The answer might surprise you!) What are the key things Dr. Wise has learned from the women in her research who were willing to “donate their orgasms to science?” Enjoy, and be sure to check out Dr. Wise’s new book Why Good Sex Matters! *** Want to learn more about Sex and Psychology? Click here for previous articles or follow the blog on Facebook, Twitter, or Reddit to receive updates. You can also follow Dr. Lehmiller on YouTube and Instagram. Listen and stream all episodes on Apple, Spotify, Google, or Amazon. Subscribe to automatically receive new episodes and please rate and review the podcast! Credits: LEGIT Audio (Podcast editing) and Shutterstock/Florian (Music). Image created with Canva; photos and book covers used with guest permission.

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a term that most people are familiar with. But when we hear about someone having ADHD, we tend to think about children and adolescents and how this disorder affects them at home or in school because most people who are diagnosed happen to be kids and there’s a widespread belief that people eventually “outgrow” ADHD. The reality, however, is that most kids with ADHD become adults with ADHD. Also, there are a heck of a lot of adults out there with undiagnosed ADHD. So what are the implications of ADHD in adult life, especially in people’s personal lives? Does it impact the way they approach sex and relationships? For this episode of the Sex and Psychology Podcast, I interviewed Dr. Ari Tuckman in order to learn more about how ADHD affects people’s intimate lives. Tuckman is a certified sex therapist and psychologist who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD and he just published his fourth book on the subject, which explores the various ways that ADHD affects people’s sexual and romantic lives. It’s called ADHD After Dark. In this episode of the podcast, we address a wide range of questions, including: How does ADHD affect one’s sex life? How does it impact a romantic relationship when one partner has ADHD and the other does not? Are there gender differences in the way ADHD affects people’s relationships? What about sexual orientation differences? What can couples do to combat the challenges that ADHD poses? How can persons with ADHD and their partners cultivate happier and healthier relationships? What is the link between ADHD and infidelity? Are persons with ADHD well suited for polyamory and other forms of consensual non-monogamy? Enjoy, and be sure to check out Tuckman’s book, ADHD After Dark. *** Want to learn more about Sex and Psychology? Click here for previous articles or follow the blog on Facebook, Twitter, or Reddit to receive updates. You can also follow Dr. Lehmiller on YouTube and Instagram. Listen and stream all episodes on Apple, Spotify, Google, or Amazon. Subscribe to automatically receive new episodes and please rate and review the podcast! Credits: LEGIT Audio (Podcast editing) and Shutterstock/Florian (Music). Image created with Canva; photos and book covers used with guest permission.

For the first episode of the Sex and Psychology Podcast, I sat down with two relationship experts, Drs. John and Julie Gottman. They are the founders of The Gottman Institute and they have been studying sex and relationships for decades. The Gottmans have published a number of influential academic papers and bestselling books, with their latest being Eight Dates: Essential Conversations for a Lifetime of Love. I cover a wide range of topics in my interview with the Gottmans, including: What is the biggest takeaway or most important thing you have learned from your research? What is the biggest myth or misconception about relationships? What is Eight Dates all about, and who is it for? Is believing in a “soulmate” a healthy way to approach relationships? The idea that sex needs to be or is “supposed’ to be romantic is very popular–but is it true? What can couples do to improve sexual communication in their relationships? Are the principles of relationship success similar for same-sex and different-sex couples? What do people in sexually open relationships need to know? What relationship advice would you offer them? Enjoy, and be sure to check out the Gottmans’ new book, Eight Dates! *** Want to learn more about Sex and Psychology? Click here for previous articles or follow the blog on Facebook, Twitter, or Reddit to receive updates. You can also follow Dr. Lehmiller on YouTube and Instagram. Listen and stream all episodes on Apple, Spotify, Google, or Amazon. Subscribe to automatically receive new episodes and please rate and review the podcast! Credits: LEGIT Audio (Podcast editing) and Shutterstock/Florian (Music). Image created with Canva; photos and book covers used with guest permission.