The RISE to Intimacy Podcast | Sex Therapy, Couples Therapy & Relationships

How to Talk About Sex When Your Partner Shuts Down

You're struggling with your sex life, you're desperately missing your partner, and every time you try to talk about it, they change the subject, get irritated,

Why Your Partner Gets Defensive When You’re Not Criticizing Them

You bring up something small with your partner. Maybe it’s the trash that still hasn’t gone out, something they shared in front of friends, or a moment where you felt dis

Answering Relationship Questions About Sex and Connection

You can be talking to your partner about the same relationship and interpret the conversation completely differently. I learned that recently when I told my partner, Dall

Is Watching Porn Cheating in a Relationship?

You found porn on your partner’s phone, and now you’re wondering if watching porn is cheating or if you’re overreacting. Or maybe you’re the one whose partner found it, a

Sex vs. Communication: What If You Have Different Goals for Couples Therapy?

You want to work on your sex life. Your partner wants to work on communication. When you are coming into couples therapy focused on different problems, it can be hard to

Why Couples Start Feeling More Like Roommates Than Partners

You can still love your partner, function well together, and somehow end up feeling more like roommates than romantic partners. Maybe you do everything together and have

When Past Relationship Trauma Shows Up With a New Partner

Past relationship trauma can quietly shape the relationship you're in now, even when your current partner has done nothing to cause it. Your ex cheated on you, so yo

The Difference Between Boundaries and Ultimatums in Relationships

You’re trying to be clear about what you need in your relationship, so you draw a line and tell yourself you’re setting a boundary. But when your partner responds with de

How Anxious Attachment Shows Up in Your Sex Life

If you’re checking how long it's been since you last had sex or bringing up an ex just to see how your partner reacts, you've probably told yourself it's h

Sex Therapy and Couples Therapy Shouldn’t Be Separate

Couples can spend months or even years working on communication, conflict, and trust without ever talking about what is happening in their sex life. Once sexual concerns

How Trauma Affects Your Romantic Relationships

A calm, steady relationship can start to feel like something is missing, even when nothing seems wrong. If you have a trauma history, quiet may be harder to trust than ch

When Scheduling Sex Helps and When It Makes Things Worse

Scheduling sex can sound like a practical solution when life is full and intimacy keeps getting pushed aside. It can also leave you feeling like sex has become another ob

How to Ask Your Partner to Go to Couples Therapy

Couples wait an average of six years after problems start before ever getting help. If you’ve been sitting on the question, “Will you go to couples therapy with me?” you

How to Know If Mismatched Sex Drives Are a Real Problem

Your desire for sex doesn’t match your partner’s, and now you’re wondering what that difference says about your relationship. Is this a normal part of being together long

Is a Woman’s Orgasm Worth the Effort?

A viral podcast clip recently claimed that pleasuring a woman during sex has “not much ROI” and that using a vibrator would make him feel “cucked.” Reducing a woman’s org

When One Partner Wants Sex and the Other Pulls Away

When one partner wants sex and the other pulls away, it can start to feel like every attempt at closeness comes with a risk. If you’re the one initiating, you may feel re

Why Women Struggle With Desire and Knowing What They Want

You love your partner and want sex to feel close, connected, and mutual, yet desire can still feel harder to access than you think it should. When they ask what you like,

How to Resolve Conflict With Your Partner Without Resentment

Ever tried to resolve conflict with your partner, only for the argument to end because one of you finally gave in? It might look like the conflict is resolved, maybe even

How to Pause During Conflict Before It Causes Damage

You’re in the middle of a heated argument with your partner, and suddenly you can’t think clearly. Maybe you go quiet and wait for it to be over. Maybe you say something

How to Validate Your Partner Without Losing Your Own Perspective

Your partner may have told you they don't feel heard, even though you were right there listening to every word and even responding. Hearing someone and making them f