Foreplay Radio – Couples and Sex Therapy

Sometimes sex is awesome; sometimes not. This episode shows you how to turn up the heat when it's not! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today's episode we are answering the question 'why we need each other to feel safe?' Join hosts, Laurie and George as they breakdown the definition and importance of co-regulation. A necessary experience beginning in childhood and spanning the life cycle ,co-regulation is the process of someone being responsive to our distress and needs. We don't outgrow this need but we do get better at self-regulation as we get older. The need for co-regulation shows up in our adult intimate relationships all the time. If you think about it, you most certainly know when it goes wrong! Listen in today as we discuss how co-regulation shows up in the sexual cycle and how the safety it provides is the launchpad to adventure and exploration. Are orgasms co-regulating? Download this show today and hear how! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’ve talked about the cycle before and we’re talking about it again. This time we explore what EFT calls Stage 2. Why? because after de-escalating conflict there’s more to do to get closer with your partner! Join Laurie and George for this episode to understand how your moves and your partners moves impact one another and the deeper, unseen meanings they have. When we start to understand the good reasons we are missing each other there is opportunity to connect. Does your partner’s criticism represent their hope for the relationship? Does their silence mean they are trying to keep the pressure low? Hear how we flip the script to help you keep it hot!! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today's episode we are digging deep into sexual fears and how to ask for help. This is a quintessential move to shift partners from a negative cycle to a positive one. When we are able to see how we are protecting and what we are protecting we can uncover the true need and ask for help. Join Laurie and George, in this conversation as they provide real fear examples and how to ask your partner to meet your needs. As the receiving partner it can feel like pressure to fix or solve when this vulnerability is spoken. Our hosts will guide listeners on how to provide the best empathic response to promote care, connection and co-regulation. Joining one another in the stress and not being left alone is a key move to shifting the relationship to a new dynamic and facing fears together. Get brave with us today as we face our sexual fears and ask for the help we need! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Laurie and George define secrets as issues, fantasies or alliances that block connection. We certainly have a right to privacy and sometimes our private erotic thoughts makes our world sexier and makes us more available to our partner. Certainly some people choose and open marriage but they do it with… openness. we think talking about your fantasies or actual affairs with your a partner while incredibly difficult makes it possible for YOU not to be carrying the guilt of a secret that you find unethical and against your promise.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we're celebrating our 500th episode of Foreplay Sex Therapy! Join our hosts, Laurie and George as they look back on their favorite episodes so far, how their professional journey began and what they have learned from each other over the years. We are thrilled that our listeners are learning how to have healthy conversations around sex and reducing the stigma and shame around something that everyone does! Share with us your favorite episodes or key things you've learned over on our instagram page or leave us a review wherever you stream episodes. Whether it's how to be more intentional around these conversations, or how to spice things up in the bedroom we'd love to hear from our listeners. And thank you to all of you for your listens, downloads, shares and reviews. This wouldn't be possible without our amazing audience. Stay tuned as we have so much more to share and as we continually work to strengthen connections in love relationships. Keep it hot y'all! Congratulations! Huge accomplishment! Check out this episode's sponsor (and help the pod!): Uberlube.com -- Laurie's favorite personal lubricant! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

She needs more foreplay and he doesn’t wanna lose his erection. Women need a slow patter of arousal to reach the best climax. Men when they’re on sildenafil (viagra, etc.) need to use their erection - soon. This is a familiar dilemma for couples in their 50s. George and Laurie role-play a couple who learns how to talk about this problem. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Does introducing sexual novelty spice things up or turn things sour? Join us today for a conversation on how and when to introduce bringing something new into the bedroom? Research suggests that novelty in long-term relationships is key to keeping them alive but in the sexual relationship it has the potential to create a rift. George and Laurie breakdown the best way to structure this conversation to increase chances of successful communication, how one partner's gas pedal may trigger another partner's brake and how to apply the caregiving cycle if the situation gets a bit tense. If you've been thinking about how to approach adding some spice to your bedroom routine, you're not going to want to miss this episode. Tag us on instagram with your fails and nails conversations on this topic. We'd love to know what works and what didn't, all to help you 'keep it hot y'all!' Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

So many women seem to just give up on sex. Maybe they reach menopause and they’re done with sex. Or maybe well before menopause , she and her partner haven’t gotten through to each other and sex stops. Or if sex continues, she just is unengaged. How can something that feels so good be relegated to such a low/no priority? Here’s why. Females who don’t want to have sex are often stopped in 3 areas:the relationship - especially lack of communication,worry areas – disgust about certain sex acts, poor body image, or fear about not pleasing their partnerpleasure – loss of interest when she doesn’t climax or experience pleasure. George and Laurie discuss these areas and role play an initial conversation as a couple talking about her sexual blocks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today's episode, we discuss the messages we received about sex and who taught us about it. Join hosts, Laurie and George in this exploration to uncover 'who taught me about sex and what lessons did I receive?' For many, you may have received a one time birds and the bees conversation from your parents or through a mandatory sex ed lesson at school. However, communication about sex is much more than a one time conversation.  It is a process through which we exchange thoughtful ideas and openness for questions about intimacy. Perhaps you intercepted messaging from religion, culture, music or a peer on the back of the school bus. The origins of how you learned about sex can inform much of your connection to sex present day. It's time to get curious listeners and ask yourself and your partner what and from whom did I learn about sex? What messages did I receive and what beliefs did I form? These questions can help you dig deep and identify blocks, needs, desires or fantasies which when communicated about have the potential to be life changing. Keep it hot, y'all! Check out this episode's sponsor (and help the pod!): Uberlube.com -- Laurie's long-time favorite personal lubricant! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices