
Charting Toward Intimacy
Looking for answers to the questions you don't want to Google? Not sure where to get help when your sexual life is on the rocks and everything the secular culture has to offer is only making things worse? Welcome to Charting Toward Intimacy where you learn to actually enjoy and desire good, holy sex with your spouse. Hosted by Ellen Holloway, Catholic Sex and Intimacy Coach.
Latest episodes

4 snips
Oct 16, 2023 • 27min
All the Touches We Don't Want | Ep. 139
Discover the compelling concept of 'touched out' and how it affects personal relationships. The speakers delve into 'bristle touch,' exploring the complexities of intimacy and discomfort. Tips for combating negative reactions to touch are shared, encouraging healthier connections. Plus, there's a fascinating book recommendation that could enhance your understanding of touch dynamics. Join the discussion as they tackle listener questions, aiming to improve intimacy in everyday life.

Oct 9, 2023 • 33min
Oversexualized Culture | Ep. 138
Kesey Skoch joins us this week to talk about how our oversexualized culture is hurting our marriages, especially in the form of pornography. We talk about the real definition of pornography and how most of us have been exposed to pornography way more than we even realize.To hear Kelsey's story or get more information on how to be free, click here.The Orgasm Course for Catholic Women is available here. Special launch pricing of only $50 ends on October 6th, 2023. After that it goes up to $99, so get it now. If the link doesn't work for you, send me an email at podcast@ellenholloway.com___________________________________ Did we mention a book on this week's episode? Click here for our recommended books! Reach out at instagram.com/chartingtowardintimacy/ or email us at ellen@vinesinfullbloom.comReady to improve your sex life and take it to the next level? Check out our courses: vinesinfullbloom.com/courses

Oct 2, 2023 • 24min
Authentically Catholic Sex Education | Ep. 137
How was your sex education? Probably bad and not enough.In this episode we are diving into what is needed today in the church for adults: authentically Catholic sex education. We'll talk about what that is, where to find it, and why it's needed.The Orgasm Course for Catholic Women is LIVE. ___________________________________ Did we mention a book on this week's episode? Click here for our recommended books! Reach out at instagram.com/chartingtowardintimacy/ or email us at ellen@vinesinfullbloom.comReady to improve your sex life and take it to the next level? Check out our courses: vinesinfullbloom.com/courses

11 snips
Sep 25, 2023 • 31min
Pregnancy Sex! | Ep. 136
This lively discussion tackles the intricacies of pregnancy sex, addressing the impact of hormones on intimacy. Listeners learn about adapting sexual positions and the importance of emotional support by trimester. The challenges of early pregnancy fatigue and navigating intimacy are explored, along with body image issues and the beauty of embracing change. Communication emerges as key for enhancing connection and satisfaction, making room for playful experimentation as relationships evolve toward labor preparation.

Sep 18, 2023 • 28min
Initiating | Ep. 135
Do you initiate regularly? If you don't, we think you should. But believe us, we're not sitting on our high thrones looking down on you with this topic, we're right there in the thick of getting more comfortable initiating ourselves.In this episode we're talking a little bit about why you should initiate more often, the conversations you need to have with your husband BEFORE you start initiating more regularly, and some ways to initiate if the idea of saying the words "Do you wannna have sex tonight?" makes you want to want to hide under your pillow or blush with embarrassment.___________________________________ Did we mention a book on this week's episode? Click here for our recommended books! Reach out at instagram.com/chartingtowardintimacy/ or email us at ellen@vinesinfullbloom.comReady to improve your sex life and take it to the next level? Check out our courses: vinesinfullbloom.com/courses

Sep 11, 2023 • 29min
Rule Breaking | Ep 134
People pleasers and rule followers unite! We're talking about breaking the NFP rules in this episode and what that looks like for your marriage, potential pregnancies, and how your NFP instructor really doesn't care if you're choosing to break the rules.But also, if you "break the rules" meaning you use days within your fertile window, you should fully expect a possible pregnancy. Don't get mad at your body for working the way it's suppose to work.___________________________________ Did we mention a book on this week's episode? Click here for our recommended books! Reach out at instagram.com/chartingtowardintimacy/ or email us at ellen@vinesinfullbloom.comReady to improve your sex life and take it to the next level? Check out our courses: vinesinfullbloom.com/courses

Sep 4, 2023 • 34min
Myth Busting NFP | Ep. 133
We're myth busting some common NFP Myths this week with special guest Agata!Ever wondered how to respond when people come at you with misunderstandings or just plain wrong info about NFP, fertility awareness or female fertility in general. We've got some answers and responses for you right here!___________________________________ Did we mention a book on this week's episode? Click here for our recommended books! Reach out at instagram.com/chartingtowardintimacy/ or email us at ellen@vinesinfullbloom.comReady to improve your sex life and take it to the next level? Check out our courses: vinesinfullbloom.com/courses

Aug 28, 2023 • 29min
You Can Do Hard Things | Ep. 132
God calls us to some very difficult situations especially concerning chastity and sexual ethics and morality within marriage. This comes up a lot during the fertile window when a couple is trying to avoid pregnancy and therefore needs to abstain.This week we are talking about how God will never put you in a situation that you can't get through without his grace. You just have to be open to that grace___________________________________ Did we mention a book on this week's episode? Click here for our recommended books! Reach out at instagram.com/chartingtowardintimacy/ or email us at ellen@vinesinfullbloom.comReady to improve your sex life and take it to the next level? Check out our courses: vinesinfullbloom.com/courses

Aug 21, 2023 • 32min
Defining Licit and Illicit Actions | Ep. 131
How do I know if something is morally good or bad? Is there a way to judge the things we do in life (especially in the sexual realm) to know if it's the right thing to do? Yes! there is a way to judge human actions. The Church gives us a very clear, step-by-step process to evaluate the morality of an action. Ellen will talk you through these steps in this week's episode!___________________________________ Did we mention a book on this week's episode? Click here for our recommended books! Reach out at instagram.com/chartingtowardintimacy/ or email us at ellen@vinesinfullbloom.comReady to improve your sex life and take it to the next level? Check out our courses: vinesinfullbloom.com/courses

Aug 14, 2023 • 30min
Do You Talk About Sex Everyday? | Ep. 130
Talking about sex can be very intimidating. We urge you to talk about "it" with your spouse regularly on this podcast, but how do you get into the habit of communicating about sex We'd like to introduce you to a new idea on how to bring the topic of sex into conversation on a regular basis and why it is important to regularly communicate about sex.Gottman Card Deck App___________________________________ Did we mention a book on this week's episode? Click here for our recommended books! Reach out at instagram.com/chartingtowardintimacy/ or email us at ellen@vinesinfullbloom.comReady to improve your sex life and take it to the next level? Check out our courses: vinesinfullbloom.com/courses