
Sleeping Around
Therapy is expensive - try Sleeping Around! Sleeping Around offers a peek behind the curtain of modern sex therapy, couple's therapy, and sex and relationship research. Each week, Master of Counselling Psychology student and content creator Alayna Joy brings you conversation with experts and professionals in the field of sex and relationship psychology. Each interview offers listeners insights and information otherwise reserved for the therapy couch, bringing a unique and inclusive perspective on intimacy, attachment, and what it means to be in a relationship today.
Latest episodes

Apr 8, 2025 • 1h 1min
Why Sex Hurts (and What to Do About It) with Sara Reardon
In this episode of Sleeping Around, Alayna is joined by pelvic floor therapist Sara Reardon to talk all things pelvic health—and it’s way more than just kegels. They unpack common (but often unspoken) issues like pain during sex, painful periods, and how to know if your pelvic floor is actually functioning normally. Whether you're experiencing any of these concerns, pregnant, postpartum, or just curious about how your body works, this episode is packed with everyday tips and empowering advice to help you take charge of your pelvic health and advocate for yourself along the way.Since 2007, Dr. Sara Reardon has been caring for people’s pelvic floors as a board-certified pelvic floor physical therapist. She is the Founder of The V-Hive, an online pelvic floor workout platform for pregnancy, postpartum, menopause, painful sex, and pelvic floor strengthening. As The Vagina Whisperer on Instagram and TikTok, she has hundreds of thousands of followers. Sara lives in New Orleans, La. with her husband and two sons. FLOORED: A Woman’s Guide to Pelvic Floor Health at Every Age and Stage, available for pre-order and releasing June 10 2025, is her first book. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 1, 2025 • 52min
Discover This Sexual Superpower with Lori Brotto
What is the key to unlocking your best sexual experiences? In this episode of Sleeping Around, Alayna and guest Dr. Lori Brotto explore the role of mindfulness in intimacy, its connection to pleasure and body awareness, and its uses for problematic low sexual desire. Plus, do both partners need to practice mindfulness for it to work? Tune in to learn the secrets of applying these tools to your own life and relationships.Connect with Dr. Brotto:Research lab: @ubcshr@drloribrottoloribrotto.comBooks:Better Sex Through Mindfulness: How Women Can Cultivate Desire: https://www.amazon.com/Better-Sex-Through-Mindfulness-Cultivate/dp/1771642351/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2INN16VBUD0L7&keywords=better%20sex%20through%20mindfulness&qid=1646782566&sprefix=better%20sex%20through%20mindfulness%2Caps%2C129&sr=8-1The Better Sex Through Mindfulness Workbook: https://www.amazon.com/Better-Sex-Through-Mindfulness-Workbook/dp/1771648376/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=better+sex+through+mindfulness+lori+brotto&qid=1646783034&sprefix=better+sex+th%2Caps%2C127&sr=8-2 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 25, 2025 • 1h 5min
The Ultimate Guide to Kink with Tina Horn
Use the code SLEEPINGAROUND to try CHEEX for free for 7 days, click here 👉 https://bit.ly/CHEEXFreeTrial-SleepingAroundThe code applies when you select the yearly plan, but you can cancel or switch to the monthly plan anytime during the trial period! After that, your CHEEX subscription starts from just $9.90 USD per month ✨This week, we’re diving deep into all things kink with guest Tina Horn! What exactly is kink? Where do these desires come from, and why do we have them? More importantly, how can we explore and share them—whether with ourselves or a partner? Curious about kink parties? Join the patreon for the extended episode where we talk all about them: https://www.patreon.com/MissFenderrTina Horn is a writer, educatrix, and media-maker. She is the author of Why Are People Into That?: A Cultural Investigation of Kink, a book based on her long-running indie fetish podcast of the same name. Tina is the creator & writer of the sci-fi sex-rebel comic book series Safe Sex, and the cult detective thriller Deprog; she was also the host & cowriter of the phone sex podcast Operator. Her reporting on sexual subcultures has appeared in Rolling Stone, Playboy, Hazlitt, Glamour, Jezebel and elsewhere; she has contributed to numerous anthologies including We Too: Essays on Sex Work and Survival, which she also coedited. She is a LAMBDA Literary Fellow, an AVN nominee, and the recipient of two Feminist Porn Awards. Find her on IG @TinaHornsAss and at her website TinaHorn.net Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 11, 2025 • 57min
The Most Common ADHD Relationship Struggles (and How to Fix Them) with Jak Levine- Pritzker
Download Love & Pies here - https://pixly.go2cloud.org/SH4iPThanks to Love & Pies for sponsoring!In this week's episode of Sleeping Around, Alayna sits down with Jak Levine-Pritzker to discuss the unique challenges and dynamics of dating with ADHD. They dive into the impact of ADHD on communication, household responsibilities, and new vs longterm connection, while offering practical strategies to create more understanding and balance in relationships.They also discuss important topics like:- Misconceptions about ADHD- Different types of ADHD- How ADHD affects daily tasks and how to manage them- Tips for non-ADHD partnersConnect with Jak:https://www.instagram.com/authenticallyadhd/?hl=enhttps://authenticallyadhd.com/https://www.facebook.com/holistichealthjaklin/Don’t forget to follow the podcast on social media: https://www.instagram.com/sleepingaroundpod and subscribe for more episodes. If you found this episode helpful, please leave a comment and share it with someone who might benefit from our discussion! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 4, 2025 • 1h 3min
The Real Healthcare Crisis is Fatphobia | Alexandra Shewan On Fat Liberation
In this week's episode of Sleeping Around, Alayna is joined by counsellor, consultant, and fat liberationist Alexandra Shewan for a conversation about fat liberation. They dive into the history of fatphobia, the medical industrial complex, and how anti-fatness intersects with racism, colonialism, and capitalism. Alexandra also shares insights on dating and how to unlearn internalized anti-fat bias. This is a must-listen episode for anyone looking to challenge societal norms and embrace true body liberation.Follow Alexandra on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/selkiecounselling/ Fat community group info can be found here: https://www.selkiecounselling.ca/fat-tea Books and Organizations mentioned:https://asdah.org/ https://naafa.org/ Fearing the Black Body by Sabrina StringsThe Body is Not an Apology by Sonya Renee TaylorDecolonizing Wellness by Dalia KinseyBelly of the Beast by Da’Shaun Harrison HoodFeminism by Mikki KendallYou Just Need to Lose Weight by Aubrey GordonFat Talk by Virginia Sole SmithFat Rights Movement and Fat Liberation Manifesto: https://fatlibarchive.org/fat-liberation-manifesto-1973/ https://naafa.org/histor Spectrum of Fatness: https://fluffykittenparty.com/2021/06/01/fategories-understanding-smallfat-fragility-the-fat-spectrum/ Don’t forget to follow the podcast on social media: https://www.instagram.com/sleepingaroundpod and subscribe ❤️ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 25, 2025 • 47min
Katy O’Brian On Discovering Sexuality and Identity
Any other Love Lies Bleeding fans out there?! This episode is for you!! Check out Dossier Perfumes: https://dossier.co/ (wait did I seriously just have a conversation with Katy O’Brian?! seriously?!)In today's episode of Sleeping Around, Alayna sits down with actor and martial artist Katy O’Brian to talk about identity, self-discovery, and queer representation in media.Katy shares her coming out journey, how she navigates sexual identity and gender expression, and the story of meeting her wife. They also dive into the impact of playing visibly queer characters on screen and what that representation means for audiences. Plus, they chat about the realities of long-distance relationships and how Katy and her wife make it work.For Patreon extended-cut listeners? A spooky ghost story you won’t want to miss. 👀 https://www.patreon.com/c/AlaynaJoyConnect with Katy (especially on Facebook 😉):Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thekatyo/X: https://x.com/thekatyoFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/thekatyo/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 11, 2025 • 59min
Boundaries Are Not What You Think with Juliane Taylor Shore
What exactly is a boundary, and why do so many people struggle to set and maintain them? In this episode, we’re breaking down what boundaries truly are, how to set them effectively, and the secret to ensuring they’re “respected"!Connect with Juliane Taylor Shore:Why Does My Partner? PodcastSetting Boundaries That Stick BookInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/julianetaylorshore?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==Website:Juliane Taylor ShoreEmail:admin@julianetaylorshore.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 4, 2025 • 1h 1min
The Sex Education We Deserved (But Never Got) with Dr. Nadine Thornhill
For those of us who never got the sex education we needed - those left with gaps, shame, or straight-up misinformation - this episode is for us. Dr. Nadine Thornhill, an award-winning sexuality educator, joins us to break down what comprehensive, science-backed sex education could and does look like, and why it matters. We explore ideas around teaching youth about consent, pleasure, and relationships in ways that are affirming and age-appropriate. - Can abstinence-only education and sex positivity coexist? - Where do queerness and asexuality fit into the curriculum? - How do we fight back when comprehensive sex ed continues to be targeted and outlawed? Dr. Thornhill shares insights, strategies, and resources for educators, parents, and anyone who believes in giving the next generation the knowledge and tools that we missed.Join the Patreon VIP tier to get the extended episode where we discuss the most harmful misconceptions of sex education: https://www.patreon.com/c/AlaynaJoyConnect with Dr. Nadine Thornhill:https://www.instagram.com/nadinethornhill/?hl=enhttps://www.nadinethornhill.com/https://www.youtube.com/c/nadinethornhillhttps://everybodycurious.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 28, 2025 • 1h 6min
A Beginner’s Guide to Non-Monogamy with Emma and Fin
This week Alayna sits down with Emma and Fin, a nonmonogamous couple who have been together since college and now co-host the podcast Normalizing Non-Monogamy. Together, they dive into the fundamentals of non-monogamy, offer practical advice for anyone curious about opening their relationship, and share stories of their own experiences.They answer questions like:
What is non-monogamy?
How can a curious person or couple get started?
What are some non-monogamy red flags to look out for?
Can a relationship between a monogamous and non-monogamous person work?
Don’t miss the Patreon extended episode! In the bonus content, they dive even deeper into:
How to talk to the people in your life about non-monogamy
How to support a partner through a breakup
Join the $10 tier here: https://www.patreon.com/MissFenderrFor Emma and Fin’s episode with Alayna, click here: https://www.normalizingnonmonogamy.com/Check them out on IG: https://www.instagram.com/nnmpodcast/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 17, 2025 • 27min
Your Most Pressing Questions Answered
Dive into a fun Q&A session where personal milestones meet wedding planning excitement! Discover how nerves play a role in interviews and explore the speaker's journey in counseling psychology. From indoor climbing and mindfulness research to balancing a busy schedule, this episode reveals behind-the-scenes insights into podcasting life. Plus, get a glimpse of upcoming moves to Vancouver and hear about the perks of online security services for staying safe while surfing the web!
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