Mormon Sex Info
Providing Accurate Information and Sexual Education for Mormons and their Families
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Trigger Warning:
If you’ve experienced sexual trauma, some of the things we discuss in this episode may trigger unwanted emotions to surface.
Natasha joined Crystal Escobar on her Wannabe Balanced Mompodcast.
Crystal and her husband, Sean had recently discussed sexual shame and trauma in one of their recent podcasts. Natasha reached out and provided a “therapy session” to help them along the path to healing.
Crystal Escobar is a mother of 4 and wannabe balanced mom. She has a passion for helping moms find balance and purpose in motherhood and business. Crystal is a momprenuer, health & lifestyle podcaster.
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Natasha joined Braxton Dutson on his podcast, “Birds and Bees Podcast”.
Natasha Helfer-Parker, MFT, CST, CSTS speaks with Braxton about being able to explore topics, address uncomfortable situations, and improve your understanding about “The M word.”
Masturbation–There are a lot of euphemisms for the word that makes many people uncomfortable to talk about. Let’s face it, many parents are worried about what it means if their child masturbates.
If you are a parent who wants to be able to support your child in building values around masturbation while also avoiding shaming them, then this episode is for you. Braxton and Natasha are here to help dispel myths, talk about values, talk about masturbation, and to support parents in creating a value-centric view on masturbation. This is especially supportive for those who live in religious communities and practice themselves.
Many of us have grown up in a religious setting that explicitly or overtly teaches values about masturbation. It is difficult to be able to follow these values while also addressing the reality that the majority of children are participating in self-soothing/masturbation practices.
In this Episode we explore:
-The question “when does masturbation usually start?”
-Speaking to values when addressing masturbation
-Different approaches to conversations about masturbation with your child.
-Avoiding shame when having these (multiple) conversations.
-Creating “I Do’s” in what you value, VS following a “to Do” list.
-Historical views of Masturbation and how they affect us now.
-Identifying what we want for our children as a sexual being later in life.
-Offering a value-centric view on Masturbation in religious communities while addressing the ways we can best support our children.
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
In this episode of The Gift of the Mormon Faith Crisis licensed marriage and sex therapist and active Mormon Natasha Helfer Parker shares with us a more effective approach to masturbation and pornography for both teens and adults.
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Jennifer Limones joins Natasha on this episode of Mormon Mental Health to discuss the recent training the Church of Jesus Chris of Latter-day Saints released for abuse training and protection of youth and minors. Jennifer, having taken the training, shares her insights with Natasha about the training and, although it’s a step in the right direction, she validates some of the fears of it not being run by a third party, that there is no accountability as to what was involved in the training through trauma-informed lens, and of course, nothing is being done about one-on-one worthiness interviews.
Resources Mentioned During this Podcast:
To find out more about a program Jennifer feels is a more healthy approach, you can check out “Darkness to Light” by Stewards of Children by going here: https://www.d2l.org/education/stewards-of-children/
You can find out more about Sam Young’s movement, “Protect LDS Children” by going here: https://protectldschildren.org
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Natasha had the great pleasure to interview world renown Dr. Barry McCarthy. They discuss sexuality as we age (and hint… you’re going to benefit from listening to this regardless of how old you are).
Dr. McCarthy is a clinical psychologist with a subspecialty in marriage and sex therapy practicing at the Washington Psychological Center in Washington DC. He is professor of psychology at American University where he teaches an undergraduate human sexual behavior course. Barry, with his wife Emily, has written seven well-respected books, with some of the most recent being Enhancing Couple Sexuality, Finding your Sexual Voice, Sexual Awareness: Couple Sexuality for the Twenty-First Century and Rekindling Desire: A Step By Step Program to Help Low-Sex and No-Sex Marriages.
In addition, he has published over fifty-five professional articles and fourteen books and has presented over one hundred and ten workshops nationally and internationally.
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Natasha Helfer-Parker, MFT, CST was recently a guest on Braxton Dutson’s “Birds and Bees Podcast.” Braxton is a LCSW and Certified Sex Therapist in Salt Lake City, Utah. He works at The Healing Group.
Natasha speaks with Braxton about being able to explore these topics, address uncomfortable situations, and improve your understanding about “The M word.”
Masturbation, there are a lot of euphemisms for the word that makes many people uncomfortable to talk about. Let’s face it, many parents are worried about what it means if their child masturbates.
If you are a parent who wants to be able to support your child in building values around masturbation while also avoiding shaming them then this episode is for you. Braxton and Natasha help dispel myths, talk about values, talk about masturbation, and support parents by creating a value-centric view on masturbation. This is especially supportive for those who live in religious communities and practice themselves.
Many of us have grown up in a religious setting that explicitly or overtly teaches values about masturbation. It is difficult to be able to follow these values while also addressing the reality that the majority of children are participating in self-soothing/masturbation practices.
In this Episode we explore:
The question “when does masturbation usually start?”
Speaking to values when addressing masturbation
Different approaches to conversations about masturbation with your child.
Avoiding shame when having these (multiple) conversations.
Creating “I Do’s” in what you value, VS following a “to Do” list.
Historical views of Masturbation and how they affect us now.
Identifying what we want for our children as a sexual being later in life.
Offering a value-centric view on Masturbation in religious communities while addressing the ways we can best support our children.
Resources mentioned during the podcast:
Listen on Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher, iHeartRadio, and
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcXBM6GS-Pfk9CB6ctmvLLg
Leave Birds and Bees an iTunes review https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/birds-and-bees-podcast/id1201131540?mt=2
Leave a Stitcher Review https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/braxton-dutson/birds-and-bees-podcast
Birds and Bees Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/birdsandbeespodcast
Listen from our webpage Birdsandbeespodcast.com
Read more at https://birdsandbeespodcast.libsyn.com/#8HRf8D8XJYV090ou.99
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Braxton Dutson and Shannon Hickman join Natasha on this episode of Mormon Sex Info. Recently the church published a new page on pornography so the 3 professionals discusses what they like and don’t about the page.
He is also the host of the “Birds and the Bees Podcast” that teaches children and couples about intimacy and talking to kids about sexual health. You can find out more about the podcast by going here: https://www.thehealinggroup.com/therapists/2018/4/20/braxton-dutson-lcsw-cst
Shannon Hickman is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and an AASECT Certfified Sex Therapist. She works for the Core Healing Group and is a Gottman trained therapist. To find out more about Shannon’s practice, Core Healing Counseling, please go here: http://corehealingcounseling.com/about/
Resources mentioned during podcast:
Interview Natasha did with Matt Folmer (170: Why “Sex Addiction” Isn’t a Thing – A Personal Story)
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Natasha is joined by BYU Faculty Members and Therapists Dr. Marty Erickson, Ph.D. and Dr. Michael Buxton Ph.D. They discuss the group therapy they do at BYU for students surrounding sexual concerns. The program follows the “Acceptance and Commitment Therapy” (ACT). CAPS, the department of counseling, is available for students and they stress confidentiality. In this episode they talk about the evolution of the therapy, what a group sessions looks like and how they’ve seen the results.
Dr. Erickson is a part time faculty member at BYU and is the president of the Mormon Mental Health Association. He received his Ph.D. in Marriage and Family Therapy from Iowa State University. In addition to his work at BYU Dr. Erickson is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist at Alliance Behavior Psychology in Orem. UT
Dr. Buxton is a full time faculty member at BYU with Ph.D. in Child and Family Development from the University of Georgia.
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
In this episode of Mormon Sex Info, Natasha is joined by “Earthly Parents” who recently wrote a book for his adult children, “And It Was Very Good: A Ladder-day Saints Guide to Lovemaking.” He writes the book in regards to comprehensive sexuality from a values perspective that fits within an LDS framing.
The guest goes by “Earthly Parents” to protect the privacy of his family and wife. As a parent, he writes to his children as what he wants his adult children to know about sexuality, especially going into marriage.
He talks about his background in Mormonism and then goes into the book including chapter 1 as “Our family’s Sexual Articles of Faith”.
For a free copy, please email earthlyparents@gmail.com. You are welcome to share the PDF as well.
Resources mentioned during the podcast:
And It Was Very Good: A Latter-day Saint’s Guide to Lovemaking by Earthly Parents
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Resources mentioned during the podcast:
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
On this episode of Mormon Sex Info, Matt Fullmer joins Natasha to share his experience going through “Sex Addiction Treatment,” coming from the Mormon Tradition. He shares his experiences with the treatment as the church ramped up its porn rhetoric, why the treatment didn’t work for him and why he’s now better off; realizing that this type of treatment is not clinically sound or effective.
Matt resides in Topeka, KS where he has a dental practice.
Resources about the Research on Pornography:
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
On this episode of Mormon Sex Info, Tammy Ellis returns. She and Natasha discuss some myths Tammy has observed in higher education when it comes to sexuality including gender dysphoria, pregnancy and sexuality. They also talk about how to treat sexual behavior that’s out of control and older people not being interested in sex.
Tammy shares her story and her growing up experience and how it helped her get into this field and what types of research she is doing.
Tammy has a Masters Degree from Utah State in Social Work and is enrolled in the
University of Michigan training program that prepares candidates for AASECT certification.
Resources mentioned during podcast:
Stephanie Buehler and pregnancy: Counseling Couples Before, During, and After Pregnancy: Sexuality and Intimacy Issues
Eli Green, founder of The Transgender Training Institute
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Dr. Lehmiller returns on this episode of Mormon Sex Info. He continues discussing his book “Tell Me What You Want”. They go into depth with his book including the differences between male and female fantasies along with 15 things that can affect sexual fantasies. Some of these include: age, sexual orientation, religious affiliation and political affiliations. He ends with overall takeaways of the book.
Dr. Justin Lehmiller is researcher, writer and public speaker about Sexual Health and sexuality. He received his Ph.D. in Social Psychology from Purdue University. He is a Research Fellow at The Kinsey Institute and author of the book Tell Me What You Want: The Science of Sexual Desire and How It Can Help You Improve Your Sex Life.
Dr. Lehmiller is an award-winning educator, having been honored three times with the Certificate of Teaching Excellence from Harvard University, where he taught for several years. He is also a prolific researcher and scholar who has published more than 40 pieces of academic writing to date, including a textbook entitled The Psychology of Human Sexuality (now in its second edition) that is used in college classrooms around the world.
Dr. Lehmiller’s research focuses on topics including casual sex, sexual fantasy, sexual health, and friends with benefits. His studies have appeared in all of the leading journals on human sexuality, including the Journal of Sex Research, Archives of Sexual Behavior, and The Journal of Sexual Medicine.
Dr. Lehmiller has run the popular blog Sex and Psychology since 2011, and it now receives several million page views per year. He has been interviewed by numerous media outlets.
Resources mentioned during podcast:
You can find out more about Lehmiller by going to his website: https://www.lehmiller.com/about-sex/
Natasha and Dr. Lehmiller discuss Dr. Joshua Grubbs and self-assessment
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Dr. Justin Lehmiller joins Natasha Helfer Parker on this episode of Mormon Sex Info. Dr. Lehmiller recently published his new book, “Tell Me What You Want: The Science of Sexual Desire” and discusses the book with Natasha, specifically how fantasies play into sexuality.
Dr. Justin Lehmiller is researcher, writer and public speaker about Sexual Health and sexuality. He received his Ph.D. in Social Psychology from Purdue University. He is a Research Fellow at The Kinsey Institute and author of the book Tell Me What You Want: The Science of Sexual Desire and How It Can Help You Improve Your Sex Life. Dr. Lehmiller is an award-winning educator, having been honored three times with the Certificate of Teaching Excellence from Harvard University, where he taught for several years. He is also a prolific researcher and scholar who has published more than 40 pieces of academic writing to date, including a textbook entitled The Psychology of Human Sexuality (now in its second edition) that is used in college classrooms around the world. Dr. Lehmiller’s research focuses on topics including casual sex, sexual fantasy, sexual health, and friends with benefits. His studies have appeared in all of the leading journals on human sexuality, including the Journal of Sex Research, Archives of Sexual Behavior, and The Journal of Sexual Medicine.
Dr. Lehmiller has run the popular blog Sex and Psychology since 2011, and it now receives several million page views per year. He has been interviewed by numerous media outlets.
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Katherine Wela Bogen joins Natasha on this episode of Mormon Sex Info to discuss the data behind false reporting. She made a facebook post during the Brett Kavanaugh hearings when Christine Blasey Ford spoke out about her experience with Kavanaugh in high school. The post went viral and you fan find it here:
Katherine is a clinical research program coordinator at Rhode Island Hospital in the department of Psychiatry, working in violence protection research for over 3 years
She started out as a pediatric violence resistant research assistant at the University of Pittsburgh Medical School, working with vulnerable populations.
Bogen is currently collaborating on a chapter with her boss, Dr. Lindsay Orchowsky, and with Alan Berkowitz who was one of the founding father of “Social Norms Theory.” They are collaborating on a chapter that will be in “The Handbook for Interpersonal Violence” to be published in 2020. The chapter is on false reporting and how common (or uncommon) false reporting is, what some of the barriers to reporting are to begin with, how false reporting is qualified, etc.
Resources mentioned during podcast:
Katherine’s Facebook Post
Alan Berkowitz’s paper “An Overview of the Social Norms Approach”
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
In the first part of this conversation with John Dehlin, Natasha and John discuss his research and findings when it comes to LGBTQIA and Mix Orientation Relationships. John shares how he came into this field, how he got his data and what findings his data
represents.
John Dehlin is a researcher, podcaster and social activist. He has a Ph.D. in Clinical and Counseling Psychology from Utah State University. John is the founder of the Mormon Stories Podcast and also has a private coaching practice.
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Natasha interviews Tammy Ellis, a provider at Symmetry Solutions who is undergoing training to become a certified sex therapist. They discuss information being covered in her classes in an attempt to help educate the Mormon Sex Info audience as to the newest research and topics that the sexological field is covering.
Tammy has a Masters Degree from Utah State in Social Work and is enrolled in the University of Michigan training program that prepares candidates for AASECT certification.
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Resources mentioned during podcast
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Blaire Ostler and Nick Stewart join Natasha on this episode of Mormon Sex Info. Both Blaire and Nick identify as bisexual and they share their stories of coming out within a Mormon culture. They give helpful suggestions to help both individuals who identify as bisexual as well as those who are family and friends of those who identify as bisexual.
Resources mentioned during podcast:
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Shannon Hickman of Core Healing Counseling and Kristin Hodson join Natasha on this month’s Sex in the Mormon News. On this episode, they discuss several articles which include their criticism about an article coming out of BYU Idaho that talks about why comprehensive sex ed is damaging, discussion around the Mormon Mental Health statement that recently was released about worthiness interviews and then the policy that is harmful to homosexual members in the church.
Also, Kristen tells her experience dealing with state legislature trying to teach consent in classrooms.
Kristin Hodson is Founder and Executive Director of The Healing Group in and co-author of the newly published book Real Intimacy: A Couples Guide for Genuine, Healthy Sexuality. She practices as a psychotherapist with a passion helping women find their authentic self by working through areas where they feel stuck.
Shannon Hickman is a LCSW, CST and an AASECT Certified Sex Therapist and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 12 years of experience in a variety
of disciplines. Shannon derives great joy and satisfaction from helping individuals and couples discover the bliss that goes along with sex, intimacy, connection, relationships and much more at Core Healing Counseling in Murray, UT.
Resources mentioned during podcast:
http://www.purecouples.org/blog/2018/8/5/husbands-your-wife-isnt-a-porn-star
They also discussed Caitlyn Ryan’s Family Acceptance Project which you can find here:
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Natasha Helfer Parker interviews Lisa Hacking in regards to her experience figuring out female arousal and orgasmic potential as she went through shifts in her faith journey.
Lisa now courageously shares her experience with other women in worshops helping them understand how to better address issues of sexual repression and shame.
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
This episode is an intimate conversation with Natasha’s close friend, Melissa, who found she was in a mixed orientation marriage several years into her Mormon marriage. At the time, Natasha was a part of Melissa’s process of uncovering her own journey. And, Natasha went on her own journey because of this situation herself, admitting her own biases.
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
TRIGGER WARNING
Rape and other abuse are discussed in this episode.
In March of 2018, MormonLeaks released an audio recording and transcript of McKenna Denson interviewing Joseph Bishop, MTC President during her time she was in the MTC in 1984. Bishop groomed and raped her and now Denson is bringing suit against him and the LDS Church.
McKenna joins Natasha to discuss the mental health aspects of her life as a young sexually abused child by her step father to her encounters with Bishop, and after. Natasha also dives into the cyclical responses of perpetrators and why this is problematic and shares advise on what kind of help there is and things to look out for.
Resources mentioned during podcast:
McKenna’s interview with Mosaic Podcast
To help McKenna with costs of Travel & Expenses as she continues to attend legal proceedings, please go to: https://www.gofundme.com/mtc-victims-legal-amp-travel-fund
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Sheri Winston joins Natasha on this episode of Mormon Sex Info. Sheri is the author of “Women’s Anatomy of Arousal: Secret Maps to Buried Pleasure.”
Sheri Winston is a celebrated sexuality teacher, award-winning author and medical professional. She offers classes, workshops and retreats online and at in-person venues such as sexuality boutiques, privately sponsored classes, conferences and educational institutions.
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Shannon Hickman joins Natasha on this episode of Sex in the Mormon News for June 2018. They begin the discussion with comments from an article that recently came out in the “Journal of Sex Research” called, “God, I Can’t Stop Thinking About Sex! The Rebound Effect in Unsuccessful Suppression of Sexual Thoughts Among Religious Adolescents” where they discuss the research supporting the view that suppressing sexual thought only causes more damage…
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Liz Klinger joins Natasha on this episode of Mormon Sex Info. Liz is the Co-Founder and CEO of Lioness, a vibrator that tracks women’s pleasure to better explore their own bodies and sexuality. Natasha and Liz dive into the genesis of the product, the current status and how pleasure is different for every woman and the hope for Lioness in the future.
And, for anyone interested in the Lioness, Liz is giving all listeners a 15% discount! Just use “NATASHA” at checkout.
To see the product and get your 15% discount, please go to https://lioness.io
And, to see Liz’s Ted Talk, please find it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gzspv0GU5E
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Natasha Helfer Parker discusses sex related topics in the Mormon news May 2018
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Rob Perkins joins Natasha on this episode of Mormon Sex Info. Rob Perkins is the co-founder of the website OMGYes.com. This is a website dedicated to women’s sexual pleasure.
Rob and Natasha discuss the research he and his team are conducting to help bring female sexual awareness to the masses.
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
In this episode of Mormon Sex Info Natasha interviews Megan Torrey-Payne about the stages of Menopause and sexuality. The discussion primarily focuses on Perimenopause; the confusing grey area of time in every woman’s life. The dialogue focuses on defining perimenopause and how to manage the normal trials of being a healthy and sexual woman in perimenopause.
Megan Torrey-Payne is a a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and AASECT Certified Sex Therapist working in Southern California. She has over 15 years of experience working in a therapy practice. The primary focus of Megan’s therapy practice is working with individuals and couples on improving the relationships in their lives, with an emphasis on the sexual relationship. “All relationships. All genders. All people.”
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Kristin Marie Bennion and Amy Heffernan join Natasha as they discuss current topics in Mormonism surrounding sexuality. They discuss the term “non-consensual immorality” and how this is not a “thing,” the Protect LDS Children movement, the situation surrounding Joseph Bishop and go into depth of one man’s experience who found his sexual perpetrator was recently called to be a bishop.
During the conversation, Natasha realizes she is a possible mandatory reporter for this man’s experience. As she processes the situation with Kristin and Amy, she realizes she needs to report the perpetrator. Please note that Natasha consulted with her professional ethics/legal board and has placed a call to child protective services in regards to the case discussed in the podcast. Natasha also consulted with the couple in question before she placed any report.
Resources mentioned during podcast:
To view the the talk Natasha gave for the Protect LDS Children march in Salt Lake City, please go here: www.facebook.com/ProtectLDSChildren/videos/1801423469921921/
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Natasha is joined once again by Dr. Doug Braun-Harvey to wrap up their discussions on the Universal Sexual Health Principles.
They discuss the difference between Sexual Health and Healthy Sexuality and how to handle it when the principles are conflicting and/or values change.
Douglas Braun-Harvey is a sexual health author, trainer and psychotherapist. Doug is a co-founder of the The Harvey Institute, an international education, training, consulting and supervision service for Improving health care through integration of sexual health. He teaches and trains nationally and internationally linking sexual health principles within drug and alcohol treatment, group psychotherapy, HIV prevention and treatment, and child maltreatment. Previous publications include “Sexual Health in Recovery: Professional Counselor’s Manual” (2011) and “Sexual Health in Drug and Alcohol Treatment: Group Facilitator’s Manual”(2009). Doug is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Certified Group Psychotherapist and Certified Sex Therapist. He currently serves as Treasurer of AASECT and, as an alumni of the University of Minnesota, to join their Advisory Board for the Program in Human Sexuality in which he is a founding donor of the Doug Braun-Harvey Fellowship in Compulsive Sexual Behavior. He has been providing individual and group therapy in his San Diego private practice since 1987.
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Natasha interviews Dr. Laurie Mintz about her book Becoming Cliterate and her passion for helping people, especially woman embrace sexuality and sexual pleasure.
Dr. Laurie Mintz is a feminist author, therapist, professor, and speaker. She is Professor at the University of Florida, she teaches the Psychology of Human Sexuality. Dr. Mintz has over 20 years working with private clients on sexual issues and has published over 50 research studies.
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Natasha discusses Sex in the Mormon News March 2018.
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Natasha interviews Lexi Kite, PhD one of the founders of BeautyRedefined.org. Some of the topics they discuss are self objectification, “how to see more than bodies and how to be more than bodies”, sexiness vs. sexuality and modesty rhetoric.
Beauty Redefined is a non profit nonprofit dedicated to promoting positive body image to women, run by identical twins Lexie Kite, Ph.D. and Lindsay Kite, Ph.D.
Lexie and Lindsay, self proclaimed progressive, feminist mormons, have become leading experts in the work of body image resilience through research-backed online education available on their website, social media, and through speaking events to tens of thousands across the US.
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Natasha interviews Dr. Doug Braun-Harvey for the final part of this series discuss the principles of Sexual Health, developed by the World Health Organization.
The sixth principle is mutual pleasure.
Douglas Braun-Harvey is a sexual health author, trainer and psychotherapist. Doug is a co-founder of the The Harvey Institute, an international education, training, consulting and supervision service for Improving health care through integration of sexual health. He teaches and trains nationally and internationally linking sexual health principles within drug and alcohol treatment, group psychotherapy, HIV prevention and treatment, and child maltreatment. Previous publications include “Sexual Health in Recovery: Professional Counselor’s Manual” (2011) and “Sexual Health in Drug and Alcohol Treatment: Group Facilitator’s Manual”(2009). Doug is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Certified Group Psychotherapist and Certified Sex Therapist. He currently serves as Treasurer of AASECT and, as an alumni of the University of Minnesota, to join their Advisory Board for the Program in Human Sexuality in which he is a founding donor of the Doug Braun-Harvey Fellowship in Compulsive Sexual Behavior. He has been providing individual and group therapy in his San Diego private practice since 1987.
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Natasha Helfer Parker interviews Bryce Cook, founding member of ALL (Arizona LDS LGBT Friends and Family) and the “All are alike unto God Conference,” member of the church and father of two gay sons, in regards to his writing the following piece for Dialogue Journal:
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Mormon Sex Info interviews Paul Malan on the article he wrote several years ago, The Naked People in your iPod, that has garnered national attention — including renowned sex therapists. He writes it from a perspective as a father who wants to help his son navigate the landscape that teens currently face in regards to sexually explicit material they can easily come across on the internet. Paul comes from a Mormon background and offers a sex-positive and comprehensive perspective.
Audio version of The Naked People in your iPod
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Natasha Helfer Parker leads a monthly podcast “bookclub style” with colleagues who also happen to be AASECT Certified Sex Therapists in regards to current articles, news stories, research, etc. that have to do with the Mormon community from a sex-positive perspective…
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Natasha Helfer Parker interviews Paul Joannides, author of The Guide to Getting it On, which is reminiscent of an encyclopedia about sexuality. Anything you would want to know about is covered, to the point that medical school and other training facilities are now using this resource as a text in their training programs. Paul talks about some of the content and what drove him to do this type of work to begin with.
Resources Mentioned During this Podcast:
Guide to Getting it On Website and Blog
Videos on Guide to Getting it On
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Mormon Sex Info interviews Dr. Doug Braun-Harvey for part five in a 6-part series to discuss the principles of Sexual Health, developed by the World Health Organization.
The fifth principle of “shared values” is discussed in length and detail. How do our values get shaped? What’s the difference between our beliefs and our values? What happens when we have competing values that are in conflict with one another? Or when we have competing values and/or beliefs with our sexual partner?
Douglas Braun-Harvey is a sexual health author, trainer and psychotherapist. Doug is a co-founder of the The Harvey Institute, an international education, training, consulting and supervision service for Improving health care through integration of sexual health. He teaches and trains nationally and internationally linking sexual health principles within drug and alcohol treatment, group psychotherapy, HIV prevention and treatment, and child maltreatment. Previous publications include “Sexual Health in Recovery: Professional Counselor’s Manual” (2011) and “Sexual Health in Drug and Alcohol Treatment: Group Facilitator’s Manual”(2009). Doug is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Certified Group Psychotherapist and Certified Sex Therapist. He currently serves as Treasurer of AASECT and, as an alumni of the University of Minnesota, to join their Advisory Board for the Program in Human Sexuality in which he is a founding donor of the Doug Braun-Harvey Fellowship in Compulsive Sexual Behavior. He has been providing individual and group therapy in his San Diego private practice since 1987.
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Natasha Helfer Parker leads a monthly podcast “bookclub style” with colleagues who also happen to be AASECT Certified Sex Therapists in regards to current articles, news stories, research, etc. that have to do with the Mormon community from a sex-positive perspective.
This month join Natasha and Kristin Marie Bennion as they discuss the following news stories & articles:
1. the Protect LDS Children petition and press conference,
2. survey results coming out of BYU study in regards to reporting sexual assault, and
3. how LDS Living Magazine dealt with the dresses worn in solidarity with the #metoo movement at the Golden Globes.
Resources Mentioned During the Podcast:
Protect LDS Children Press Conference
Fox News Reports on the Press Conference
SNAP- Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests
Declaration of Sexual Rights by the World Association for Sexual Health
Results of the BYU Campus Climate Survey on Sexual Assault
Julie Valentine: BYU professor encouraged by results of new research on sexual assault kit processing
Donna Kelly: Helping Sexual Assault Victims and Keeping BYU Accountable for Title IX Recommendations
Mormons miss the point of #MeToo by focusing on modest gowns at Golden Globes by Jana Riess
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Natasha interviews Dr. Doug Braun-Harvey for part three in a 6-part series series to discuss the principles of Sexual Health, developed by the World Health Organization.
The fourth principle of “honesty” is discussed in length and detail. Why is a value most of us have sometimes so difficult to practice? What types of things get in the way of sexual honesty? Honesty requires vulnerability and vulnerability requires safety. But what if what you’re trying to share doesn’t feel safe to the recipient of the information?
Douglas Braun-Harvey is a sexual health author, trainer and psychotherapist. Doug is a co-founder of the The Harvey Institute, an international education, training, consulting and supervision service for Improving health care through integration of sexual health. He teaches and trains nationally and internationally linking sexual health principles within drug and alcohol treatment, group psychotherapy, HIV prevention and treatment, and child maltreatment. Previous publications include “Sexual Health in Recovery: Professional Counselor’s Manual” (2011) and “Sexual Health in Drug and Alcohol Treatment: Group Facilitator’s Manual”(2009). Doug is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Certified Group Psychotherapist and Certified Sex Therapist. He currently serves as Treasurer of AASECT and, as an alumni of the University of Minnesota, to join their Advisory Board for the Program in Human Sexuality in which he is a founding donor of the Doug Braun-Harvey Fellowship in Compulsive Sexual Behavior. He has been providing individual and group therapy in his San Diego private practice since 1987.
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Natasha leads a monthly podcast “bookclub style” with colleagues who also happen to be AASECT Certified Sex Therapists in regards to current articles, news stories, research, etc. that have to do with the Mormon community from a sex-positive perspective.
This month join Natasha, Kristin Hodson and Shannon Hickman as they discuss an article written anonymously by an LDS woman on the Exponent ii website called Virginal Sex. She shares her thoughts about how the lack of sexual education affected her sexuality in the context of her marriage.
Resources Mentioned:
Aimee Heffernan: Achieving Female Orgasm
Jennifer Finlayson Fife: LDS Female Sexuality with Jennifer Finlayson-Fife Part 1
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Mormon Sex Info interviews Dr. Doug Braun-Harvey for part three in a 6-part series to discuss the principles of Sexual Health, developed by the World Health Organization.
The third principle of avoiding unwanted pregnancy and STIs is discussed in length and detail. Many assume this is a simple concept, and yet we see in much of our national discussion today, that it’s much more complicated than we’ve assumed in the past. This is a principle the majority of people agree with….
Douglas Braun-Harvey is a sexual health author, trainer and psychotherapist. Doug is a co-founder of the The Harvey Institute, an international education, training, consulting and supervision service for Improving health care through integration of sexual health. He teaches and trains nationally and internationally linking sexual health principles within drug and alcohol treatment, group psychotherapy, HIV prevention and treatment, and child maltreatment. Previous publications include “Sexual Health in Recovery: Professional Counselor’s Manual” (2011) and “Sexual Health in Drug and Alcohol Treatment: Group Facilitator’s Manual”(2009). Doug is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Certified Group Psychotherapist and Certified Sex Therapist. He currently serves as Treasurer of AASECT and, as an alumni of the University of Minnesota, to join their Advisory Board for the Program in Human Sexuality in which he is a founding donor of the Doug Braun-Harvey Fellowship in Compulsive Sexual Behavior. He has been providing individual and group therapy in his San Diego private practice since 1987.
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Natasha interviews Dr. Doug Braun-Harvey for part two in a 6-part series to discuss the principles of Sexual Health, developed by the World Health Organization.
The third principle of avoiding unwanted pregnancy and STIs is discussed in length and detail. In fact, this part 1 only goes into reproductive decision making. You would think the conversation would be as simple as “use birth control and condoms.” Not so. Doug has an uncanny way of furthering the conversation in such important ways that have implications for those in committed relationships, casual relationships, teens, adults and parents.
Douglas Braun-Harvey is a sexual health author, trainer and psychotherapist. Doug is a co-founder of the The Harvey Institute, an international education, training, consulting and supervision service for Improving health care through integration of sexual health. He teaches and trains nationally and internationally linking sexual health principles within drug and alcohol treatment, group psychotherapy, HIV prevention and treatment, and child maltreatment. Previous publications include “Sexual Health in Recovery: Professional Counselor’s Manual” (2011) and “Sexual Health in Drug and Alcohol Treatment: Group Facilitator’s Manual”(2009). Doug is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Certified Group Psychotherapist and Certified Sex Therapist. He currently serves as Treasurer of AASECT and, as an alumni of the University of Minnesota, to join their Advisory Board for the Program in Human Sexuality in which he is a founding donor of the Doug Braun-Harvey Fellowship in Compulsive Sexual Behavior. He has been providing individual and group therapy in his San Diego private practice since 1987.
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Natasha interviews Dr. Doug Braun-Harvey for part two in a 6-part series to discuss the principles of Sexual Health, developed by the World Health Organization.
The second principle of having sexuality be non-exploitative between partners is incredibly important. When “exploitation” comes up as a word, many think of extremes like human trafficking. However, the reality is that exploitative tactics are found in the most common of relationship… including marriage. Learn how to recognize manipulative tactics and patterns we should avoid in order to enjoy healthier more satisfying sexual relationships.
Douglas Braun-Harvey is a sexual health author, trainer and psychotherapist. Doug is a co-founder of the The Harvey Institute, an international education, training, consulting and supervision service for Improving health care through integration of sexual health. He teaches and trains nationally and internationally linking sexual health principles within drug and alcohol treatment, group psychotherapy, HIV prevention and treatment, and child maltreatment. Previous publications include “Sexual Health in Recovery: Professional Counselor’s Manual” (2011) and “Sexual Health in Drug and Alcohol Treatment: Group Facilitator’s Manual”(2009). Doug is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Certified Group Psychotherapist and Certified Sex Therapist. He currently serves as Treasurer of AASECT and, as an alumni of the University of Minnesota, to join their Advisory Board for the Program in Human Sexuality in which he is a founding donor of the Doug Braun-Harvey Fellowship in Compulsive Sexual Behavior. He has been providing individual and group therapy in his San Diego private practice since 1987.
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Natasha Helfer Parker interviews Dr. Doug Braun-Harvey for part one in a 6-part series to discuss the principles of sexual health developed by the World Health Organization.
The first principle of consent is discussed in length and detail. Many assume this is a simple concept, and yet we see in much of our national discussion today, that it’s much more complicated than we’ve assumed in the past. This is a principle the majority of people agree with regardless of culture, race, socio-economic status, gender, etc. And yet it goes profoundly wrong on a regular basis as we can see by the #metoo movement with so many sharing publicly (often for the first time) where they were involved with sexual encounters that were non-consensual. Such an important conversation with implications for ourselves, for our children, for our relationships and for our communities.
Douglas Braun-Harvey is a sexual health author, trainer and psychotherapist. Doug is a co-founder of the The Harvey Institute, an international education, training, consulting and supervision service for Improving health care through integration of sexual health. He teaches and trains nationally and internationally linking sexual health principles within drug and alcohol treatment, group psychotherapy, HIV prevention and treatment, and child maltreatment. Previous publications include “Sexual Health in Recovery: Professional Counselor’s Manual” (2011) and “Sexual Health in Drug and Alcohol Treatment: Group Facilitator’s Manual”(2009). Doug is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Certified Group Psychotherapist and Certified Sex Therapist. He currently serves as Treasurer of AASECT and, as an alumni of the University of Minnesota, to join their Advisory Board for the Program in Human Sexuality in which he is a founding donor of the Doug Braun-Harvey Fellowship in Compulsive Sexual Behavior. He has been providing individual and group therapy in his San Diego private practice since 1987.
Resources Mentioned During this Podcast:
Out of Control Behavior Part 1
Out of Control Behavior Part 2
Treating Out of Control Sexual Behavior: Rethinking Sex Addiction
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Natasha Helfer Parker interviews Dr. Joe Kort in regards to his background in both the sex addiction certification process and becoming a Certified Sex Therapist. They discuss the issues with looking at sexual behavior through an addictions lens, even when there are problematic issues that should be treated. There is an important overlay to be aware of between values and behaviors as well as the challenging of heteronormative culture – where only certain types of sexual behaviors or tastes are credited as healthy. Being aware of the different types of training is useful information for both professionals and the general public, who is looking to get help from the most credible sources. Sex positive approaches are best when dealing with behavior that feels out of control or that is in conflict with a person’s or partner’s values.
Dr. Joe Kort is a leading expert on sex and relationships. He specializes in Out-of-Control Sexual Behaviors, Relationship Problems and Marital Conflict, Sex Therapy, and Sexual Identity Concerns, Depression, Anxiety and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. His practice is located in Royal Oak, Michigan but he welcomes clients from all over the Metro Detroit area. Dr. Kort is also available for long-distance coaching and consultation. Dr. Kort graduated from Michigan State University with dual majors in Psychology and Social Work. At Wayne State University, he earned his Master’s in Social Work (MSW), then a Master’s (MA) in Psychology, and has received his Doctorate (Ph.D.) in Clinical Sexology from the American Academy of Clinical Sexologists (AACS).
More about Dr. Kort:
- Teaching Faculty at University of Michigan Sexual Health Certificate Program
- Certified IMAGO Relationship Therapist
- Board Certified Sexologist
- Member of the Society for the Advancement of Sexual Health (SASH)
- Member of the Academy of Certified Social Workers
- Member of the National Association of Certified Social Workers
- Certified AASECT Therapist, Supervisor of Sex Therapy and Member of American Association of Sex Educators, Counselors and Therapists (AASECT)
- Member of EMDRIA Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Basic Training
- Licensed Clinical Social Worker
He has been featured in Huffington Post Live & Huffington Post, Psychology Today, The New York Times, and Woman’s Day.
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Natasha Helfer Parker interviews Dr. Tina Sellers in regards to her work with clients and students from religiously conservative cultures and her experience noticing a recent increase of sexual shame coming from what she calls the purity movement. She recently published a book called Sex, God and the Conservative Church: Erasing Shame from Sexual Intimacy where she addresses sex-positive approaches people can reduce harmful shame and adopt both Christian and Hebrew traditions that can enhance, heal and
edify their sexual relationships. She presented at the Rocky Mountain Sex Summit , September 22-23, 2017 in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Dr. Sellers is the Director of Medical Family Therapy at Seattle Pacific University and has been teaching the sexuality course for the Family Therapy program.
Resources Mentioned During the Podcast:
Al Vernacchio: Sexual Educator
Sex, Mom and God: How the Bible’s Strange Take on Sex Led to Crazy Politicsby Frank Schaeffer
Are We Due for Another Sexual Revolution? with Dr. Roger Libby
Thank God for Sex project
Girls and Sex: Navigating Complicated Landscape by Peggy Orenstein
The Etiology and Phenomenology of Sexual Shame: A Grounded Theory Study by Dr. Noel Clark
Christians Caught Between the Sheets — How ‘Abstinence Only’ Ideology Hurts Us by Tina Sellers
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Natasha Helfer Parker interviews Dr. Marty Klein in regards to his latest publication, "His Porn, Her Pain: Confronting America's Porn Panic with Honest Talk About Sex." Dr. Klein presented at the Rocky Mountain Sex & Intimacy Summit in Salt Lake City, September 22-23, 2017. They discuss some of the societal and relational challenges that have taken place since the advent of broadband internet, and how we are often having the wrong conversations. Instead of focusing on important discussions in regards to our sexuality, our fears, our intimacy needs/wants, etc., we keep the focus on “porn panic” rhetoric, which is subject to many myths and misinformation. This has significant implications not only for couples and individuals, but for how we parent and educate our teens. The importance of being willing to challenge our biases around meanings and assumptions we make about pornography and be open to expert research & facts, is paramount in being able to move into healthier sexual narratives and relationships.
Resources Mentioned During this Podcast:
"His Porn, Her Pain: Confronting America's Porn Panic with Honest Talk About Sex.
"Sexual Intelligence: What We Really Want from Sex-and How to Get It"
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Natasha Helfer Parker interviews Dr. Roger Libby, author of The Naked Truth about Sex: A Guide to Intelligent Sexual Choices for Teenagers and Twentysomethings and Sex from Aah to Zipper: A Delightful Glossary of Love, Lust and Laughter. They discuss the history of sexual revolutions that have been part of our sexual narrative in this country, which then affects myths, folklore, perceptions and processes that affect the day-to-day lives of sexual relationships. They also discuss where the next sexual revolution needs to go… so that we can continue to make progress in sexual spheres, in legal realms, for different parts of of our population and in cultural attitudes.
Resources Mentioned During this Podcast:
We Need a Sex Positive Revolution! Ted Talk
Our Whole Lives: Lifespan Sexuality Education
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Natasha Helfer Parker interviews Dr. David Ley, author of Ethical Porn for Dicks: A Man’s Guide to Responsible Viewing Pleasure and a return guest on the show. Many people, even members of the LDS church, are moving away from the “porn addiction” framing and rigid expectations of 0% viewing of sexually explicit material. But then the next question inevitably comes up… how do I participate in a behavior that has questionable issues in regards to the industry, my values, ethics, cultural objectification of women in particular and many other legitimate concerns. This interview attempts to address or at least begin a dialogue around some of these topics.
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Four Certified Sex Therapists who routinely work with Mormon clientele continue to offer a response to An Open Letter to Bishops from a Wife of a Pornography Addict: 7 Things I Wish You Knew. Natasha Helfer Parker, Kristin Hodson, Kristin Marie Bennion and Shannon Hickman lead a thorough discussion walking listeners through both the clinically sound parts of the piece as well as those perspectives that they consider not helpful and even harmful to potential readers.
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Four Certified Sex Therapists who routinely work with Mormon clientele offer a response to An Open Letter to Bishops from a Wife of a Pornography Addict: 7 Things I Wish You Knew. Natasha Helfer Parker, Kristin Hodson, Kristin Marie Bennion and Shannon Hickman lead a thorough discussion walking listeners through both the clinically sound parts of the piece as well as those perspectives that they consider not helpful and even harmful to potential readers.
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Mormon Sex Info interviews Dr. Brian Willoughby, associate professor at Brigham Young University, in regards to his involvement with the recent research publication written in The Journal of Sex Research titled: Damaged Goods: Perception of Pornography Addiction as a Mediator Between Religiosity and Relationship Anxiety Surrounding Pornography Use.
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Natasha Helfer Parker continues her interview with Ryan Flake, who was referred to the LDS Addiction Recovery Program by his bishop due to confessions about viewing sexually explicit material and masturbation. They discuss his upbringing as a Mormon and the many messages he received from an early age that contributed to quite a bit of sexual shame by the time Ryan was preparing to go on a mission, even though he was not having any relational sexual experiences. Ryan’s story does a good job of highlighting how certain rigid expectations and attributed meanings can do harm in regards to self-esteem, anxiety management, relational dynamics, sexual development and self-identity. Ryan talks about his experience with the ARP and how he found the messaging shaming and unhelpful in his particular situation where “addiction” was not a correct assessment.
It is the hope of podcasts like these to educate the public about the difference between things such as chemical dependency from relational and behavioral problems that are more common among the general population. It is important to get help and find adequate resources for whatever issues one might be facing. Correct assessment and competent professional help are vital first steps. Unfortunately, the research shows that mental health professionals who come from a religious background themselves, will be more willing to follow a “sex” or “porn addiction” model even though there is no such formal diagnosis. Therefore, the Mormon community needs to be aware that getting adequate help for this topic is complicated and one needs to use caution and good research to get appropriate help.
Resources Mentioned During this Podcast:
How Concepts of Sex Addiction and Porn Addiction are Failing Clients
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Natasha Helfer Parker interviews Ryan Flake, who was referred to the LDS Addiction Recovery Program by his bishop due to confessions about viewing sexually explicit material and masturbation. They discuss his upbringing as a Mormon and the many messages he received from an early age that contributed to quite a bit of sexual shame by the time Ryan was preparing to go on a mission, even though he was not having any relational sexual experiences. Ryan’s story does a good job of highlighting how certain rigid expectations and attributed meanings can do harm in regards to self-esteem, anxiety management, relational dynamics, sexual development and self-identity. Ryan talks about his experience with the ARP and how he found the messaging shaming and unhelpful in his particular situation where “addiction” was not a correct assessment.
It is the hope of podcasts like these to educate the public about the difference between things such as chemical dependency from relational and behavioral problems that are more common among the general population. It is important to get help and find adequate resources for whatever issues one might be facing. Correct assessment and competent professional help are vital first steps. Unfortunately, the research shows that mental health professionals who come from a religious background themselves, will be more willing to follow a “sex” or “porn addiction” model even though there is no such formal diagnosis. Therefore, the Mormon community needs to be aware that getting adequate help for this topic is complicated and one needs to use caution and good research to get appropriate help.
Resources Mentioned During this Podcast:
How Concepts of Sex Addiction and Porn Addiction are Failing Clients
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Natasha Helfer Parker continues her interview with Dr. Daniel Parkinson, a psychiatrist who was raised Mormon and left the church partly due to being gay, and Thomas Montgomery, Mormon father of a gay son and husband to Wendy Montgomery who helped found the Mama Dragons. Both men recently collaborated on some articles they decided to publish on the same day, Utah’s Escalating Suicide Crisis and LDS LGBTQ Despair on Rational Faiths and Rejection and the Family on No More Strangers. They discuss the alarming increase in suicide rates in Utah — a trend that has been apparent since the Church’s involvement in Prop 8, increased focus on anti-gay rhetoric in talks over the pulpit and the “November 5th policy” which specifically calls out homosexual marriage as a sin worthy of excommunication going as far as disallowing children who reside in such marriages to participate in Mormon ordinances. Many from within church activity dismiss this type of “anecdotal evidence” stating that one can not blame the Church or any one reason for something as complicated as suicide. Both interviewer and interviewees challenge this type of thinking and call on leaders and members alike to take note and be alarmed at the harm that is being done to LGBT+ members across the age spectrum. With the April 2017 Ensign having yet another anti-LBGT article being published just this coming month… these types of podcasts sharing valuable information can be life-saving to many within our midst. Please listen.
Resources Mentioned During this Podcast:
Family Acceptance Project
Families are Forever
The LGBTQ Mormon Crisis: Responding to the Empirical Research on Suicide
Youth Suicide Rates and Mormon Religious Context: An Additional Empirical Analysis
Dialogue
Mama Dragons
Affirmation
ALL Arizona
Utah’s Youth Suicide Problem interview with Doug Fabrizio
Mormon Mental Health Association
Mackintosh Family Video
ACE Study
I’ll Walk With You: Latter-day Saints Encouraging Love for our LGBT Brothers and Sisters
This organization has a Facebook group for active LDS parents of LGBTQ children – you can request to join by contacting this website.
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Natasha Helfer Parker interviews Dr. Daniel Parkinson, a psychiatrist who was raised Mormon and left the church partly due to being gay, and Thomas Montgomery, Mormon father of a gay son and husband to Wendy Montgomery who helped found the Mama Dragons. Both men recently collaborated on some articles they decided to publish on the same day, Utah’s Escalating Suicide Crisis and LDS LGBTQ Despair on Rational Faiths and Rejection and the Family on No More Strangers. They discuss the alarming increase in suicide rates in Utah — a trend that has been apparent since the Church’s involvement in Prop 8, increased focus on anti-gay rhetoric in talks over the pulpit and the “November 5th policy” which specifically calls out homosexual marriage as a sin worthy of excommunication going as far as disallowing children who reside in such marriages to participate in Mormon ordinances. Many from within church activity dismiss this type of “anecdotal evidence” stating that one can not blame the Church or any one reason for something as complicated as suicide. Both interviewer and interviewees challenge this type of thinking and call on leaders and members alike to take note and be alarmed at the harm that is being done to LGBT+ members across the age spectrum. With the April 2017 Ensign having yet another anti-LBGT article being published just this coming month… these types of podcasts sharing valuable information can be life-saving to many within our midst. Please listen.
Resources Mentioned During the Podcast:
Family Acceptance Project
Families are Forever
The LGBTQ Mormon Crisis: Responding to the Empirical Research on Suicide
Youth Suicide Rates and Mormon Religious Context: An Additional Empirical Analysis
Dialogue
Mama Dragons
Affirmation
ALL Arizona
Utah’s Youth Suicide Problem interview with Doug Fabrizio
Mormon Mental Health Association
Mackintosh Family Video
ACE Study
I’ll Walk With You: Latter-day Saints Encouraging Love for our LGBT Brothers and Sisters
This organization has a Facebook group for active LDS parents of LGBTQ children – you can request to join by contacting this website.
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Natasha Helfer Parker interviews Drs. Chuck and Jo-Ann Bird in regards to some of the more common sex toys and aids on the market, their practical uses not just for pleasure but also for help with types of sexual dysfunction, and how to best go about purchasing, using and caring for such products. Sex toys and aids can still be a taboo topic for many couples and individuals, and myths abound that add to people’s concerns in regards to incorporating them to their sex lives.
Chuck and Jo-Ann are both Licensed Mental Health Counselors, Board Certified Clinical Sexologists and Sex Therapists, Relationship and Intimacy Counselors, Relationship and Sexuality Speakers, Hypnotherapists, and up until recently were distributers of CalExotics products.
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Gina Colvin of A Thoughtful Faith, continues her interview with sex and marriage therapists Natasha Helfer-Parker and Julie de Azevedo-Hanks about Wendy Watson Nelson’s speech at the January 2017 Worldwide Devotional for Young Adults. Nelson’s address garnered some criticism for the unhealthy, purity-centered and confusing expectations that she constructed around sex. She argued that “Four Truths” should govern and inform marital sex. Helfer-Parker and de Azevedo-Hanks provide a frank critique of this advice. This is a co-production with Mormon Mental Health and Mormon Sex Info.
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Gina Colvin of A Thoughtful Faith, interviews sex and marriage therapists Natasha Helfer-Parker and Julie de Azevedo-Hanks about Wendy Watson Nelson’s speech at the January 2017 Worldwide Devotional for Young Adults. Nelson’s address garnered some criticism for the unhealthy, purity-centered and confusing expectations that she constructed around sex. She argued that “Four Truths” should govern and inform marital sex. Helfer-Parker and de Azevedo-Hanks provide a frank critique of this advice. This is a co-production with Mormon Mental Health and Mormon Sex Info.
Nelson’s address can be found below:
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Natasha Helfer Parker interviews Dr. David Hersh regarding his long career and experience as a sex therapist working with couples. Through this expertise Dr. Hersh has developed a concise and helpful list of things that detract from the type of sexual experiences most couples desire and want to seek after. He talks about how these detractors are much more common in creating problems in the bedroom than any type of official disorder or dysfunction, and how with a combination of relational tools, self-awareness and a willingness to address these detractors head on… many couples can make a significant difference in the quality of their sex life together.
Dr. David Hersh is one of North America’s noted Sex Therapists. Originally from Brooklyn, New York, he completed his college and university studies at American International College, where he received a Bachelor’s degree in 1963. He then received a Master’s Degree in Counseling from Springfield College in 1964, and did doctoral studies at Boston University from 1964 – 1966.
From 1979 – 1984, he was trained, supervised and mentored in Sex Therapy by Dr. Wardell Pomeroy of the Kinsey Institute. During these years, he did an internship in Sex Therapy at the San Francisco Sexual Health Care Clinic, received a doctorate in 1986, and practiced in San Francisco from 1979 – 1990.
Dr. Hersh has lived and practiced in Canada since 1990, where he became a Canadian citizen in 2006. He sees patients in Calgary, AB, Nelson, BC, and San Francisco, California.
His emphasis is on counselling couples and individuals to achieve their greatest relationship potential, beyond the diagnosis and treatment of relationship and/or sexual concerns, to reach the most exciting levels of their relationship with their partners.
Dr. Hersh is a Professional Member of AASECT (American Association of Sex Educators, Counselors and Therapists). He is also a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) with the British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors (BCACC), a Board Certified Sexologist by the American College of Sexologists (ACS), a Certified Diplomate of the American Board of Sexologists (ABS), and a Founding Fellow of the American Academy of Clinical Sexologists (FAACS). He is one of the founders of the Sex Therapy Consortium in San Francisco, and was qualified as an expert in Human Sexuality by the Supreme Court of British Columbia, in 2003.
He is also a member of the Society for Sex Therapy and Research (SSTAR) and is listed in The International Who’s Who in Sexology (1st ed.). He has been a member of the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality (SSSS), the Sex Information and Education Councils of the United States (SIECUS) and Canada (SIECCAN), and has served as a branch Board member and Educator for the Planned Parenthood Association of BC. He is also on the Board of Advisers for The Center for Sex and Culture in San Francisco, California.
Dr. Hersh provides consultation to colleagues. He also continues to teach, train and mentor.
He has been in a successful, 35+ year relationship and marriage.
Resources Mentioned During this Podcast:
Psychology of Sex
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Natasha Helfer Parker interviews Dr. Stephanie Buehler, PhD in regards to how sexuality is commonly affected by pregnancy. They discuss a variety of applicable topics for couples to consider: emotional changes, physical changes, myths & common fears, concerns that should be addressed with a physician, how husbands/partners are affected, and tips/strategies to help a couple best communicate as well as different positions and tools to better have comfortable sex.
Dr. Buehler is a graduate of UCLA, USC, Pepperdine University and Alliant University (formerly California School of Professional Psychology, San Diego). She is the author of multiple articles in scientific journals and popular magazines and has been interviewed for various media outlets, including Men’s Health, New York Times, WebMD, and a Scientific American psychology textbook. She will be authoring the book: Counseling Couples Before, During and After Pregnancy: Focus on Intimacy and Sexuality (due out in 2017).
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Natasha Helfer Parker interviews Doug Braun-Harvey and Michael Vigorito, authors of the book titled Treating Out of Control Sexual Behavior: Rethinking Sex Addiction. With so much media and public emphasis on looking at any sexual behavioral problem through an addictions lens, Doug and Michael have developed a sexual health assessment and treatment protocol for people who present to a therapy office with sexual behaviors that feel out of control to them. This can be the case for a variety of reasons that need to be adequately assessed. Both Doug and Michael do a wonderful job of explaining the limitations of sex addiction treatment as well as an overview as to what they have found to be a useful approach towards helping men, in particular, embrace a model of sexuality that is based on healthy values and principles.
Douglas Braun-Harvey is a sexual health author, trainer and psychotherapist. Doug is a co-founder of the The Harvey Institute, an international education, training, consulting and supervision service for Improving health care through integration of sexual health. He teaches and trains nationally and internationally linking sexual health principles within drug and alcohol treatment, group psychotherapy, HIV prevention and treatment, and child maltreatment. Previous publications include “Sexual Health in Recovery: Professional Counselor’s Manual” (2011) and “Sexual Health in Drug and Alcohol Treatment: Group Facilitator’s Manual”(2009). Doug is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Certified Group Psychotherapist and Certified Sex Therapist. He currently serves as Treasurer of AASECT and, as an alumni of the University of Minnesota, to join their Advisory Board for the Program in Human Sexuality in which he is a founding donor of the Doug Braun-Harvey Fellowship in Compulsive Sexual Behavior. He has been providing individual and group therapy in his San Diego private practice since 1987.
Michael Vigorito is a sexual health psychotherapist, author and consultant. As a psychotherapist, he provides individual, couples and group psychotherapy for a range of behavioral health concerns. He works with clients concerned about consensual sexual behavior problems, relationship and sexual dissatisfaction, sexual disorders, unconventional erotic interests and sex-drug linked behaviors. Michael has specialized psychotherapy training treating co-occurring disorders, domestic violence, mindfulness and clients living with HIV/AIDS. Michael also offers local and national workshops for mental health providers and consumers on various sexual health topics, including out of control sexual behavior assessment and treatment, psychotherapy with lesbian, gay and bisexual clients and integrating sexual health into psychotherapy. Michael is a member of the American Group Psychotherapy Association, the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality, the American Association of Sex Educators, Counselors and Therapists and the American Association of Marriage & Family Therapists.
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Natasha Helfer Parker interviews Doug Braun-Harvey and Michael Vigorito, authors of the book titled Treating Out of Control Sexual Behavior: Rethinking Sex Addiction. With so much media and public emphasis on looking at any sexual behavioral problem through an addictions lens, Doug and Michael have developed a sexual health assessment and treatment protocol for people who present to a therapy office with sexual behaviors that feel out of control to them. This can be the case for a variety of reasons that need to be adequately assessed. Both Doug and Michael do a wonderful job of explaining the limitations of sex addiction treatment as well as an overview as to what they have found to be a useful approach towards helping men, in particular, embrace a model of sexuality that is based on healthy values and principles.
Douglas Braun-Harvey is a sexual health author, trainer and psychotherapist. Doug is a co-founder of the The Harvey Institute, an international education, training, consulting and supervision service for Improving health care through integration of sexual health. He teaches and trains nationally and internationally linking sexual health principles within drug and alcohol treatment, group psychotherapy, HIV prevention and treatment, and child maltreatment. Previous publications include “Sexual Health in Recovery: Professional Counselor’s Manual” (2011) and “Sexual Health in Drug and Alcohol Treatment: Group Facilitator’s Manual” (2009). Doug is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Certified Group Psychotherapist and Certified Sex Therapist. He currently serves as Treasurer of AASECT and, as an alumni of the University of Minnesota, to join their Advisory Board for the Program in Human Sexuality in which he is a founding donor of the Doug Braun-Harvey Fellowship in Compulsive Sexual Behavior. He has been providing individual and group therapy in his San Diego private practice since 1987.
Michael Vigorito is a sexual health psychotherapist, author and consultant. As a psychotherapist, he provides individual, couples and group psychotherapy for a range of behavioral health concerns. He works with clients concerned about consensual sexual behavior problems, relationship and sexual dissatisfaction, sexual disorders, unconventional erotic interests and sex-drug linked behaviors. Michael has specialized psychotherapy training treating co-occurring disorders, domestic violence, mindfulness and clients living with HIV/AIDS. Michael also offers local and national workshops for mental health providers and consumers on various sexual health topics, including out of control sexual behavior assessment and treatment, psychotherapy with lesbian, gay and bisexual clients and integrating sexual health into psychotherapy. Michael is a member of the American Group Psychotherapy Association, the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality, the American Association of Sex Educators, Counselors and Therapists and the American Association of Marriage & Family Therapists.
Resources Mentioned During this Podcast:
Work of Eli Coleman
Work of John Bancroft
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Natasha Helfer Parker invites Dr. Ricky Siegel and his brother Larry Siegel back to the show to discuss some of the problematic messaging that can be found in mainstream pornography — specifically when in the context of adolescent viewers. Since Natasha takes a strong position against the “porn addiction” treatment approach, she often gets accused of being “pro-porn” or minimizing the negative effects pornography can have. This interview is a rich dialogue about the discussion we should be having with ourselves (as parents, educators and ecclesiastical leaders) and more importantly, with adolescents themselves in attempts at comprehensive sexual education that stay away from simplistic “this is bad – this is good” types of scenarios, and instead develop a rich sense of personal values, integrity and healthy sexual development.
Dr. Richard M. Siegel, PhD, LMHC, CST is a Florida-licensed Mental Health Counselor, Director of the Modern Sex Therapy Institutes, a Florida Board Certified Sex Therapist and Qualified Supervisor, and an AASECT Certified Sex Therapist, Supervisor of Sex Therapy, and Provider of Continuing Education. He has a rich experiential background, including over 20 years as a sexuality educator and fifteen years in private sex therapy practice. In addition to his private practice in Boca Raton, Florida, Mr. Siegel is an adjunct faculty member at Palm Beach State College and enjoys a national reputation as a respected trainer, supervisor and conference presenter.
Lawrence Siegel, MA, CSE is a Clinical Sexologist and sexuality education consultant. He is the founder and serves on the Board of Directors of Sage Institute for Family Development, a non-profit training and counseling center in Florida. Larry sits on the faculties of several colleges, universities and training institutions, and is nationally recognized as a leader in the fields of sexuality, sexual development, sexual pharmacology, and medical sexology.
Resources mentioned during podcast:
Virtue Makes You Beautiful parody that was mentioned as problematic modesty rhetoric
Ethical Porn for Dicks by Dr. David Ley
Girls and Sex by Peggy Orenstein
The Guide to Getting it On by Paul Joannides and Youtube Channel
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Natasha Helfer Parker invites Dr. Ricky Siegel and his brother Larry Siegel back to the show to discuss some of the problematic messaging that can be found in mainstream pornography — specifically when in the context of adolescent viewers. Since Natasha takes a strong position against the “porn addiction” treatment approach, she often gets accused of being “pro-porn” or minimizing the negative effects pornography can have. This interview is a rich dialogue about the discussion we should be having with ourselves (as parents, educators and ecclesiastical leaders) and more importantly, with adolescents themselves in attempts at comprehensive sexual education that stay away from simplistic “this is bad – this is good” types of scenarios, and instead develop a rich sense of personal values, integrity and healthy sexual development.
Dr. Richard M. Siegel, PhD, LMHC, CST is a Florida-licensed Mental Health Counselor, Director of the Modern Sex Therapy Institutes, a Florida Board Certified Sex Therapist and Qualified Supervisor, and an AASECT Certified Sex Therapist, Supervisor of Sex Therapy, and Provider of Continuing Education. He has a rich experiential background, including over 20 years as a sexuality educator and fifteen years in private sex therapy practice. In addition to his private practice in Boca Raton, Florida, Mr. Siegel is an adjunct faculty member at Palm Beach State College and enjoys a national reputation as a respected trainer, supervisor and conference presenter.
Lawrence Siegel, MA, CSE is a Clinical Sexologist and sexuality education consultant. He is the founder and serves on the Board of Directors of Sage Institute for Family Development, a non-profit training and counseling center in Florida. Larry sits on the faculties of several colleges, universities and training institutions, and is nationally recognized as a leader in the fields of sexuality, sexual development, sexual pharmacology, and medical sexology.
Resources mentioned during podcast:
David Ley being interviewed by Katie Couric
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
October 2016 featured two opposing Op-Eds in the Salt Lake Tribune (here and here) focusing on the issue of pornography, and especially if an “addiction” model (“pornography is highly addicting”) is appropriate to be taught in high school settings. The impetus for the initial opinion piece was the propriety of allowing the group “Fight the New Drug” (FTND) to offer presentations in public school assemblies or other gathering types, especially since the science behind the claims FTND makes about pornography as “addicting” is not credible (at least that is the claim of the writers). Leaders of FTND and others who work with clients under the “pornography addiction” model and the therapies it suggests wrote a response challenging the claims made in the first Op-ed, linking to studies they say supports all the arguments they make or that challenge studies that underlie the thinking of those who oppose the “addiction” model. It is a fascinating back-and-forth that highlights a major division within helping communities with regard to the effects of pornography upon the human brain and body, and the best approach(es) to take when someone comes to a therapist for help with a level of pornography usage they feel is is problematic.
In this two-part episode, two of the authors of the first Op-ed, Natasha Helfer Parker and Kristin Hodson (both Mormon and certified sex therapists), along with neuroscientist and sex researcher Dr. Nicole Prause and counselor and sex therapist Jay Blevins (who are both non-LDS), join Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon for a wide-ranging discussion of the research surrounding the effects of pornography and if it shows the markers typically associated with “addiction,” and why this group feels the model fails—not only scientifically but with the therapies that arise out of this framing doing more harm than good.
The host and panel discuss the influence of religious framings on both therapists and clients that are likely very much at play in preferring the “addiction” model, what other factors might be at play in continuing to use this language and claims about pornography usage, the propriety of it being presented in schools that allow no teachings whatsoever about sexuality within the curriculum yet still allow scare-inducing warnings against pornography (which, in itself, seems incomprehensible apart from understanding healthy sexuality first), along with various other models for assisting those who self-report as pornography or sex “addicts”—and why they feel these other framings and therapies yield better results. Plus so much more!
Resources mentioned during podcast:
Op-Ed: “Utah Students Need Real Sex-Ed, not ‘Fight the New Drug’,” Salt Lake Tribune, 1 October 2016
Op-Ed: “Utah Students Need Real Sex-Ed and ‘Fight the New Drug’,” Salt Lake Tribune, 8 October 2016
Natasha Helfer Parker, Mormon Sex Info website
Kristin Hodson’s therapy practice website: The Healing Group
Kristin Hodson, et al, Real Intimacy: A Couple’s Guide to Healthy, Genuine Sexuality (Cedar Fort, 2012)
“Sex-Positivity in Mormonism,” Mormon Matters podcast episode, Nos. 314-315. December 17, 2015.
Dallin H. Oaks, “Recovering from the Trap of Pornography,” Ensign, Ocober 2015
AASECT: American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists website
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
October 2016 featured two opposing Op-Eds in the Salt Lake Tribune (here and here) focusing on the issue of pornography, and especially if an “addiction” model (“pornography is highly addicting”) is appropriate to be taught in high school settings. The impetus for the initial opinion piece was the propriety of allowing the group “Fight the New Drug” (FTND) to offer presentations in public school assemblies or other gathering types, especially since the science behind the claims FTND makes about pornography as “addicting” is not credible (at least that is the claim of the writers). Leaders of FTND and others who work with clients under the “pornography addiction” model and the therapies it suggests wrote a response challenging the claims made in the first Op-ed, linking to studies they say supports all the arguments they make or that challenge studies that underlie the thinking of those who oppose the “addiction” model. It is a fascinating back-and-forth that highlights a major division within helping communities with regard to the effects of pornography upon the human brain and body, and the best approach(es) to take when someone comes to a therapist for help with a level of pornography usage they feel is is problematic.
In this two-part episode, two of the authors of the first Op-ed, Natasha Helfer Parker and Kristin Hodson (both Mormon and certified sex therapists), along with neuroscientist and sex researcher Dr. Nicole Prause and counselor and sex therapist Jay Blevins (who are both non-LDS), join Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon for a wide-ranging discussion of the research surrounding the effects of pornography and if it shows the markers typically associated with “addiction,” and why this group feels the model fails—not only scientifically but with the therapies that arise out of this framing doing more harm than good.
The host and panel discuss the influence of religious framings on both therapists and clients that are likely very much at play in preferring the “addiction” model, what other factors might be at play in continuing to use this language and claims about pornography usage, the propriety of it being presented in schools that allow no teachings whatsoever about sexuality within the curriculum yet still allow scare-inducing warnings against pornography (which, in itself, seems incomprehensible apart from understanding healthy sexuality first), along with various other models for assisting those who self-report as pornography or sex “addicts”—and why they feel these other framings and therapies yield better results.
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Natasha Helfer Parker interviews Dr. Stephanie Buehler, PhD in regards to how sexuality is commonly affected by infertility as well as how some sexual disorders can actually play a role in causing infertility. With 5-10% of couples facing some level of infertility in their family planning journey, this can be a sensitive and painful topic fraught with cultural, personal and religious pressures/messages. In addition, information surrounding treatment protocols can feel overwhelming and daunting for most couples to sort through. This podcast is meant to give informational and useful resources in helping couples navigate this difficult terrain, especially in the areas of sexual and relational health.
Dr. Buehler is a graduate of UCLA, USC, Pepperdine University and Alliant University (formerly California School of Professional Psychology, San Diego). She is the author of multiple articles in scientific journals and popular magazines and has been interviewed for various media outlets, including Men’s Health, New York Times, WebMD, and a Scientific American psychology textbook. She will be authoring the book: Counseling Couples Before, During and After Pregnancy: Focus on Intimacy and Sexuality (due out in 2017).
Resources Mentioned During the Podcast:
What Every Mental Health Professional Needs to Know About Sex: 2nd Edition
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Natasha Helfer Parker interviews neuroscientist Dr. James G. Pfaus, PhD, in regards to helping women understand sexual desire and arousal disorders as opposed to libido disparities with partners, vaginismus, an asexual orientation, etc. This podcast is so loaded with information that it will be worth listening to at least twice. This podcast covers everything from why the DSM-5 has organized female sexual disorders in the way it has, issues with how research and pharmacological entities approach women’s issues, to evolutionary theory, to the benefits and limitations of the new drug Addyi (flibanserin), to feminine/masculine traits humans share, to brain plasticity, to opiod actions in the brain, to a variety of other topics. So informational!
Jim Pfaus received his Ph.D. in behavioral neuroscience from the University of British Columbia, Vancouver in 1990. After postdoctoral training in molecular biology and behavior at the Rockefeller University in New York City with Dr. Donald Pfaff, he joined Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology at Concordia University in Montréal in 1992 where he is currently a professor of Neuroscience and Psychology, and a university research fellow, with cross-appointments to the graduate programs in Biology, Chemistry and Biochemistry, and Exercise Science. His research is generally concerned with the neurochemical and molecular events that subserve sexual behavior and neuroendocrine functions. His particular interests are in the role of brain monoamine and neuropeptide systems in sexual arousal, desire, reward, and inhibition in laboratory animals, and the role played by steroid hormones and cell‑signaling mechanisms in the neuronal and behavioral responses to primary and conditioned sexual stimuli, especially those that induce conditioned sexual excitation and inhibition, resulting in epigenetic changes to neurochemical systems that subserve sexual partner preferences. His research in human sexual function is focused on subjective and objective measures of sexual desire and pleasure in women and men using a combination of eye-tracking, EEG, brain imaging, and genital arousal measures. His research is funded by operating grants from CIHR and NSERC (Canada), FRQS (Québec), and NIH (USA). In addition, he has held consulting grants from several pharmaceutical and biotech companies to work on the sexual side-effects of different psychiatric medications and on the identification of new drugs to treat male and female sexual dysfunctions. He has published over 160 research papers, reviews, and book chapters in peer-reviewed journals and books, and presented his research at numerous scientific conferences and consultations worldwide. He is an Associate Editor of the Journal of Sexual Medicine and Sexual Medicine Reviews, Psychophysiology and Preclinical Models Section Editor for Current Reviews in Sexual Medicine, and sits on the editorial boards of the Behavioral Neuroscience and Physiology & Behavior. He is the President-Elect of the International Academy of Sex Research.
Resources mentioned during podcast:
International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Natasha Helfer Parker interviews neuroscientist Dr. James G. Pfaus, PhD, in regards to helping women understand sexual desire and arousal disorders as opposed to libido disparities with partners, vaginismus, an asexual orientation, etc. This podcast is so loaded with information that it will be worth listening to at least twice. This podcast covers everything from why the DSM-5 has organized female sexual disorders in the way it has, issues with how research and pharmacological entities approach women’s issues, to evolutionary theory, to the benefits and limitations of the new drug Addyi (flibanserin), to feminine/masculine traits humans share, to brain plasticity, to opiod actions in the brain, to a variety of other topics. So informational!
Jim Pfaus received his Ph.D. in behavioral neuroscience from the University of British Columbia, Vancouver in 1990. After postdoctoral training in molecular biology and behavior at the Rockefeller University in New York City with Dr. Donald Pfaff, he joined Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology at Concordia University in Montréal in 1992 where he is currently a professor of Neuroscience and Psychology, and a university research fellow, with cross-appointments to the graduate programs in Biology, Chemistry and Biochemistry, and Exercise Science. His research is generally concerned with the neurochemical and molecular events that subserve sexual behavior and neuroendocrine functions. His particular interests are in the role of brain monoamine and neuropeptide systems in sexual arousal, desire, reward, and inhibition in laboratory animals, and the role played by steroid hormones and cell‑signaling mechanisms in the neuronal and behavioral responses to primary and conditioned sexual stimuli, especially those that induce conditioned sexual excitation and inhibition, resulting in epigenetic changes to neurochemical systems that subserve sexual partner preferences. His research in human sexual function is focused on subjective and objective measures of sexual desire and pleasure in women and men using a combination of eye-tracking, EEG, brain imaging, and genital arousal measures. His research is funded by operating grants from CIHR and NSERC (Canada), FRQS (Québec), and NIH (USA). In addition, he has held consulting grants from several pharmaceutical and biotech companies to work on the sexual side-effects of different psychiatric medications and on the identification of new drugs to treat male and female sexual dysfunctions. He has published over 160 research papers, reviews, and book chapters in peer-reviewed journals and books, and presented his research at numerous scientific conferences and consultations worldwide. He is an Associate Editor of the Journal of Sexual Medicine and Sexual Medicine Reviews, Psychophysiology and Preclinical Models Section Editor for Current Reviews in Sexual Medicine, and sits on the editorial boards of the Behavioral Neuroscience and Physiology & Behavior. He is the President-Elect of the International Academy of Sex Research.
Resources mentioned during podcast:
Diagnostic Statistic Manual (DSM-5)
Asexuality: An Extreme Variant of Sexual Desire Disorder? Research by Lori Brotto
International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Please enjoy the episode.
Natasha Helfer Parker interviews Dr. Jennifer Gunsaullus, PhD, a sociologist and sex educator of the popular In the Den with Dr. Jenn video podcast show. She recently gave an address at The New Narrative in San Diego titled Sex & The Price of Masculinity. She gives a detailed account of an encounter where, as a single, educated, mature woman, her date goes past the boundaries they had previously consented on — leaving her shocked at how this could have happened to her. They discuss how she handled the difficult conversations and reflections that ensued. Dr. Gunsaullus offers us a rare and vulnerable look into the complexities of consent. Not the type of consent that is obvious (i.e. don’t rape a woman when she is unconscious or inebriated) — but the more intricate power plays and sensual negotiations that occur during our dating experiences.
This podcast will be useful for single adults navigating the dating and sexual landscape. It will also be useful for parents to have some very frank discussions with their adolescents about what consent really means. Whether it’s intercourse or any other type of sexual activity, we all need to know how to communicate our wants, desires and plans. Especially with the gender messages we receive as a backdrop to communication going badly between dating partners. And the following note to parents: if watching her talk is uncomfortable, that’s perfectly normal. If watching the talk with your teens in uncomfortable (she has a worksheet available to help you do so), that’s perfectly normal. But if you are allowing that discomfort to steer you away from this type of opportunity because either it’s too difficult or you feel like your teen is too innocent to be introduced to such concepts, this podcast would encourage you to reconsider. Sexual assault and date rape are occurring at alarming rates — with repercussions that can last a lifetime. Our teens have more access to sexual information than ever before, and much of it not good or healthy. We have got to take ownership of having these types of conversations with our adolescents. They will be better prepared to make good, empowered decisions for themselves, and react correctly when others don’t. Natasha regularly sees young adults, single adults and adolescents within our church structure exploring their sexuality in a myriad of ways. We cannot ignore this reality just because their behavior may not fit our ideal of marital sex being the only type of sexuality we approve of. And many marriage partners can also use a healthy discussion on what consent looks like in their relationship as well.
Dr. Jenn Gunsaullus, sociologist and sexologist, is a frequent speaker about sexual empowerment, healthy relationships, body image, erotic play, sexual health, women’s empowerment & nurturing, and mindfulness. She has presented two TEDx Talks, is a writer on sex and relationships, and a recurring intimacy expert on the San Diego morning news. Dr. Jenn is also an active philanthropist and leader within the Women Give San Diego donor’s circle. Her In the Den with Dr. Jenn educational video series has over a million hits on YouTube and she is an expert in the new documentary on masturbation, called Sticky: A (Self) Love Story. And, as a martial arts practitioner, she just was promoted to black belt in Soo Bahk Do (Korean karate)!
Resources mentioned during podcast:
Female Sexual Shame Hurts Us All Ted Talk
Sex: Mind full or Mindful? Ted Talk
Mindfulness and Sexuality at Mormon Mental Health Podcast
Sticky: A Documentary on Masturbation
Miss Representation Documentary
The Mask You Live In Documentary
Girls & Sex by Peggy Orenstein
For Parents: Worksheet to Talk to your Teens about Sexual Consent & Assault
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Due to the support LDS LGBTQ+ members currently need, this interview discussing the harms of reparative/conversion therapies will be co-released with Mormon Mental Health and is available at no charge. Natasha Helfer Parker interviews James Guay, a licensed Marriage & Family Therapist who grew up as a pastor’s son in an evangelical community and went through reparative therapy as a young man to try to change his sexual orientation. They discuss the harms that LGBTQ+ people face in homophobic environments, which often includes religious and family systems that claim they are loving and accepting, and conversion therapies. They also touch on resources and strategies that families, ecclesiastical leaders and individuals themselves can tap in to in order to prioritize mental health and general wellbeing.
James Guay is an LGBTQ Affirmative Psychotherapist in West Hollywood, working primarily with LGBTQ youth, adults and couples since 1996. Besides co-leading annual workshops for gay men at Esalen in Big Sur, California, he also films frequent psycho-educational videos on topics such as coming out, communication skills, and creating boundaries. The James and Heather Show
James testified in the California State Capital successfully advocating for them to ban the psychologically abusive practice of Sexual Orientation Change Efforts (SOCE) on LGBTQ youth by licensed therapists. His passion is to prevent other LGBTQ people from having to endure the harms of religious homophobia and conversion “therapy” that he had to survive. James has served on the Board of Directors for Gaylesta (The LGBTQ Psychotherapist Association), AAMFT-CA (The American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy, California Division) and is currently on the Board of Directors for CAMFT (The California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists).
Resources mentioned during the podcast:
Families are Forever Documentary
Mormon Spectrum: LGBTQ Resources
Ending Conversion Therapy: Supporting and Affirming LGBTQ Youth
My Hellish Youth in Gay Conversion Therapy and How I Got Out
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Please enjoy the episode.
Mentioned during the podcast:
David Schnarch, author of A Passionate Marriage
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Please enjoy the episode.
Natasha Helfer Parker interviews Carol Lynn Pearson, author of The Ghost of Polygamy: Haunting the Hearts and Heaven of Mormon Women and Men, about the unfortunate and damaging legacy the Mormon doctrine of polygamy continues to have on mainstream LDS members and their relationships with self, spouse and God. Carol Lynn explains her project and how it came to be, starting with her own story as to how polygamy affected her sense of self as a female since adolescence and also destroyed the marriage of her great-grandparents. She talks of how as a devoted LDS woman, she came to the conclusion that polygamy was not an inspired teaching. “I was forever finished with the insane attempt to love a God who hurts me.” She treats this issue as a civil rights case and takes the courageous stand that disavowing polygamy is the most urgent thing we need to do for the mental and sexual health of Mormon women today. Getting to hear Carol Lynn read some excerpts out of her book is a treat in of itself. And the interweaving of myth, folklore and doctrinal teachings of Mormon history makes this podcast a must-listen.
Carol Lynn Pearson is a poet, playwright, screenwriter, performer, speaker, and general free-lance philosopher. She was born in Salt Lake City and has an M.A. in Theatre from Brigham Young University. Her work within Mormonism has affected much of its current culture and she is seen by many as an activist, ally and prophetic matriarch.
Mentioned during the podcast:
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Please enjoy the episode.
Natasha Helfer Parker interviews Dr. Holly Welker, author of Baring Witness: 36 Mormon Women Talk Candidly about Love, Sex and Marriage, about this collection of essays she painstakingly edited. They discuss how Holly became interested in this project through the observation of her own parents’ Mormon marriage, with the catalyst being the death of her mother. And how her curiosity about women, in particular, are affected by their faith journeys within the constructs of their courtships, marriages and sexuality. Are they satisfied? Are they content? Do they experience and prioritize sexual pleasure? From devoted voices to those who have walked away from their faith traditions, Holly does a beautiful job of alerting us to some of the many themes that came up throughout this project — the difficulty many Mormon women have in separating motherhood from being a wife, the interplay between sex and marriage, the role libido differences and unsatisfying sexual experiences play, infidelity, how faith transitions can affect partnered sex, lesbian relationships and even domestic violence. A podcast like this can be quite normalizing for many within the faith to help them understand the many challenges and successes members face. And for those who are motivated to learn more about the Mormon culture (especially non-LDS mental health professionals who work with Mormon clients) this is a great overview of some of the themes found within. She and several of the contributors will be doing some book readings in the upcoming month: The King’s English in Salt Lake City on September 21 at 7:00 pm and Writ and Vision on September 22.
Dr. Holly Welker is a writer and editor who received an MFA in poetry from the University of Arizona, an MFA in nonfiction writing and a PhD in English literature from the University of Iowa. Her poetry and prose have appeared in dozens of publications ranging from Best American Essays to Bitch to Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought to Poetry International to the New York Times. She grew up in southern Arizona, the descendant of Mormon pioneers. She is also one of the coeditors of Singing and Dancing to The Book of Mormon: Critical Essays on the Broadway Musical.
Mentioned during the podcast:
Minding the Body: Women Writers on Body and Soul by Patricia Foster
The Bitch in the House: 26 Women Tell the Truth About Sex, Solitude, Work, Motherhood, and Marriage by Cathi Hanauer
The Bastard on the Couch: 27 Men Try Really Hard to Explain Their Feelings About Love, Loss, Fatherhood, and Freedom by Daniel Jones
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Please enjoy the episode.
Natasha Helfer Parker interviews Dr. Gina Ogden, PhD, LMFT for Part 2 of their original interview exploring low female sexual desire. Gina will soon be presenting in Salt Lake City, alongside Emily Nagoski (author of Come As You Are) at the Rocky Mountain Summit of Sex and Intimacy. The summit is sponsoring this episode, which will be available for free until the event takes place: September 23 and 24, 2016. Also, those who subscribe to the podcast between now and then, will receive a $30 discount to attend the summit! (please contact me directly through the “contact” button above if you’re interested in the discount code)
This podcast weighs heavily on Dr. Ogden’s understanding on how spirituality holds an important space in the realm of sexuality. And how learning to tap into these spiritual concepts can help move us into unstuck places — new territory where the possibilities are exciting, at times scary, and endless. These ideas meld well within the Mormon construct and will serve as useful reframes to propel us into growth and progress most of us may want to experience.
The Rocky Mountain Summit of Sex + Intimacy held in Salt Lake City September 23-24 will be featuring leading sex experts Emily Nagoski, PhD and Gina Ogden, PhD (both guests on Mormon Sex Info). This summit is meant to help mental health professionals develop new interventions and methods to explore a client’s sexual story and learn ways to help clients get unstuck in their sexuality (CEs available). It is also open to the general public and will be universally relevant. Hear the latest research and evidence in increasing sexual desire and how focusing on pleasure, not performance, is the key to healthy sexuality!
Dr. Gina Ogden is an award-winning sex therapist, family therapist, researcher, teacher, and author. She is founder of the Relational Sexuality Network, an international collaboration of practitioners whose mission is to expand the practice of therapy and sex therapy beyond limiting notions of function and dysfunction to include a wide range of diversity and experience. She conducts retreats and trainings internationally, lectures widely, leads tele-seminars attended by professionals all over the world, and has appeared in the media from talk radio to the Oprah Winfrey Show. She supervises and trains sex therapists, physicians, nurses, social workers, family therapists, and other health providers in the Four-Dimensional Wheel approach, to broaden their understanding of sexual experience. She conducted the only nationwide survey on integrating sexuality and spirituality. She is the author of ten books so far. Her most recent books for a general readership (all published by Trumpeter) are: The Return of Desire (2008) and The Heart & Soul of Sex (2006). The 3rd edition of Women Who Love Sex, was published in 2007. Her books for a professional readership (all published by Routledge) are: Expanding the Practice of Sex Therapy: An Integrative Model for Exploring Desire and Intimacy, (2012) and Extraordinary Sex Therapy: Creative Approaches for Clinician(2015)—an edited collection of innovative and creative approaches from colleagues in the US and the UK. Her 4-D Wheel workbook for clinicians is : Exploring Desire & Intimacy: Innovative Approaches, Practical Applications–due in September, 2016.
Resources mentioned during the podcast:
Exploring Low Sexual Desire – Part 1
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Please enjoy the episode.
Natasha Helfer Parker interviews Dr. Russell Stambaugh, PhD, DST, CSSP, author of The Elephant in the Hot Tub: Kink in Context blog. They cover a variety of topics including the definition of “kink,” how cultural context has affected sexual norms throughout history, and where we stand today as far as types of alternative sexuality (i.e. different forms of BDSM, cross-dressing, non-monogamy, and more). It is interesting to note that many who would consider themselves “heteronormative” have interests that would be considered “alternative” and that the kink community has much to offer as far as being ahead of the curve on the appropriate communication and use of consent.
Couples coming in with concerns around alternative sexuality, are usually facing issues where one partner finds something sexually arousing that their partner does not. How are they to reconcile these types of differences? And how do we stay away from shame or pathology (“your’e broken”) types of approaches, which end up making worsening the situation for all involved? Great and informative podcast, whether you are attempting to negotiate some of these sexual differences in your own sexual relationship, or wanting to understand human sexuality at a more complex level.
Dr. Staumbaugh is a clinical psychologist in private practice. He is a member of the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists, and has maintained a Diplomate in Sex Therapy since 2005. He has served in AASECT leadership since 2000, including service as a Director 2004-2009. In June, 2015, he was awarded the Distinguished Service to AASECT Award for the second time. He has chaired the AASECT AltSex Special Interest Group from 2011-15. He has been studying sexual deviance, sexual variation, and the psychology of sexuality for 33 years.
Resources mentioned during podcast:
Elephant in the Hot Tub: Kink in Context
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Please enjoy the episode.
Natasha Helfer Parker interviews Dr. Emily Nagoski, author of Come As You Are: The Surprising New Science that will Transform your Sex Life. This podcast is being sponsored by the Rocky Mountain Summit of Sex and Intimacy which is making this episode available for free until the summit takes place on September 23 and 24, 2016! Also, those who subscribe to the podcast between now and then, will receive a $30 discount to attend the summit! (please contact me directly through the “contact” button above if you’re interested in the discount code)
This podcast covers relevant information regarding female anatomy, sexual desire and the importance of prioritizing pleasure and sex-education in the process of achieving our best sexual selves. There is information that will be applicable to women, parents, and partners who want better skills and strategies to better communicate, educate and self-develop.
The Rocky Mountain Summit of Sex + Intimacy held in Salt Lake City September 23-24 will be featuring leading sex experts Emily Nagoski, PhD and Gina Ogden, PhD (both guests on Mormon Sex Info). This summit is meant to help mental health professionals develop new interventions and methods to explore a client’s sexual story and learn ways to help clients get unstuck in their sexuality (CEs available). It is also open to the general public and will be universally relevant. Hear the latest research and evidence in increasing sexual desire and how focusing on pleasure, not performance, is the key to healthy sexuality!
Resources Mentioned During Podcast:
Come As You Are: The Surprising New Science that will Transform your Sex Life
Exploring Low Sexual Desire – Part 1 with Dr. Gina Ogden
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Please enjoy the episode.
Natasha Helfer Parker continues her interview with Scott and Mitzi Cannon. They discuss the painful process Scott went through preparing to disclose to his wife his history with pornography viewing, how that disclosure went, the painful struggles that ensued in their marriage as a result, and how they came through to the other side by deciding to negotiate their sexuality on their own terms as a couple – instead of through the Mormon messaging they had both grown up with. They end with how this process has left their relationship on more solid ground, with higher sexual satisfaction and sustainability, and most importantly, within a more intimate realm.
Resources Mentioned During Podcast:
How to Have Better Sex in Your Mormon Marriage
Pornography, Masturbation, Sex and Marriage in Mormonism
Passionate Marriage by David Schnarch
Mating in Captivity by Esther Perel
Other Mentions:
Race and the Priesthood LDS Essay
LDS Addiction Recovery Program
Rowboat and Marbles (Mormon Sex Info does NOT endorse)
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Please enjoy the episode.
Natasha Helfer Parker continues her interview with Scott and Mitzi Cannon. There is a quick review of some of the shaming themes covered in Part 1, and then they move into how this perceived problem with pornography and masturbation played into the relational dynamics between Scott and Mitzi as they met, courted, and became married. They cover what it was like to start having sex, expectations they had that were not met, difficulties Mitzi had achieving orgasm, and the meaning ruts that started developing which exacerbated intimacy and sexuality problems both individually and relationally. They discuss the difference between conditional love (based on behavioral expectations) and unconditional love (based on the intimacy of partnered acceptance). And how difficult it was for them to know how to start conversations around these topics.
Resources Mentioned During Podcast:
She Comes First: The Thinking Man’s Guide to Pleasuring a Woman by Ian Kerner
Other Mentions:
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Please enjoy the episode.
Natasha Helfer Parker speaks with Scott and Mitzi Cannon in a 3-part, in-depth interview about their experience dealing with a porn disclosure in their marriage. Part 1 focuses mainly on the negative messaging that Scott received about the evils of pornography viewing & masturbation, and sexuality in general during his developmental years – and how this goes on to severely affect his self-identity, sense of self-worth, and mental health. He walks us through how these messages exacerbated an anxiety disorder, to the point that he became suicidal and was diagnosed and treated for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder at BYU. This interview furthers our understanding of how negative sexual messaging can affect many LDS members, validates the experiences of many who have interpreted the messaging in similar ways, challenges the current trend of using the addiction model within LDS circles, and highlights the importance of shifting much of the current dialogue and rhetoric towards sexual positivity as we go about the sexual education of our youth.
Does include content around suicidal and homicidal ideation he dealt with during his lowest mental state that may be difficult for some to hear.
Resources mentioned during podcast:
What Research Has to Say about Porn Viewing with Dr. Nicole Prause
Sexual Education for Adolescents with Al Vernacchio
BYU Counseling and Psychological Services
Other mentions:
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Please enjoy the episode.
Natasha Helfer Parker interviews Ben and Jen Johnson about their experience dealing with a porn disclosure in their marriage. They discuss the messages they heard growing up Mormon that framed their sexual understanding, their histories in regards to being introduced to pornography, the betrayal and hurt they had to face when Ben would disclose his pornography viewing behavior to his wife, meanings that were attributed to the behavior (including that their marriage might be over), and how they figured out how to reframe the entire problem into a less threatening one. In fact, their relationship actually improved. They address how they were able to shift meanings and begin a dialogue that actually enhanced self-worth for both, explored their sexual relationship, increased intimacy, and has set them on a different trajectory as far as how they want to educate their children. Ben and Jen courageously share a very personal story in the hopes that other couples like them can find productive and healing ways to resolve disclosures around pornography viewing.
Resources mentioned during podcast:
Podcast the Johnson’s mentioned can be found either at
Mormon Stories: Pornography, Masturbation, Sex and Marriage in Mormonism
or
Mormon Mental Health Podcast: Pornography, Masturbation, Sex and Marriage in Mormonism
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Please enjoy the episode.
Natasha Helfer Parker interviews Dr. Nicole Prause, founder of the Sexual
Psychophysiology and Affective Neuroscience (SPAN) Laboratory, in regards to the research she has personally done (and is aware of) concerning our relationships with pornography and erotic viewing materials. They cover all types of topics such as: What are some common correlations that are made in regards to porn viewing research that are completely inaccurate? Are we aware that those who view porn tend to be more egalitarian in their relationships? Why does it matter if we call problematic behavior by the right name (i.e. addiction vs. compulsivity vs. out-of-control, etc.)? Did you know that women respond to erotica in similar ways as men do and even share similar sexual tastes? Did you know that people who view erotic films report having increased desire for sexual activity with their spouse/partner? Objectification of women is definitely a problem, but violence? Not so much. Did you know that those who report having “out of control” behavior with porn viewing actually watch the same or less than those who don’t identify with having a problem? And that research is now showing that those who see their behavior as problematic tend to come from religious or conservative backgrounds? Get up to date with what we think is science versus what is actually science in regards to positives and negatives that can come from porn/erotic viewing.
Nicole Prause obtained her PhD at Indiana University with joint supervision from The Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender, and Reproduction in 2007. Her concentrations were in neuroscience and statistics. She completed her APA/APPIC clinical internship at the Boston Consortium. Her clinical rotations were in neuropsychological assessment and behavioral medicine; her research fellowship was at Harvard University in alcoholism treatment. She was promoted to Associate Scientist at UCLA in 2014. Current laboratory interests include primary rewards, transcranial brain stimulation, and approach motivation. She is licensed as a psychologist in the state of California. Dr. Prause currently holds positions as the founder of Liberos LLC, an independent research institute, and Data Scientist in Los Angeles.
Resources mentioned during podcast:
Religion, Spirituality and Sexual Addiction: A Critical Evaluation of Converging Fields
Position of the Mormon Mental Health Association
Trib Talk: Porn and Public Health
Treating Out of Control Behavior by Doug Braun-Harvey and Michael Vigorito
Other Resources:
Prause et al. (2015) the latest falsification of addiction predictions
Other subjects mentioned:
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Please enjoy the episode.
Natasha Helfer Parker interviews Kimberly Anderson, author of the Mama Dragon Story Project, regarding her journey of gender discovery and her ensuing knowledge on such topics as intersexuality and the transgender experience. In the wake of so much controversy about transgender rights to use public restrooms, this is such an important area for all of us to seek education about. What are intersexual conditions? What does it mean to be transgender? What medical interventions are available and when is it appropriate or not appropriate to use them? How do these topics affect people’s lived experiences? What are considerations those of us who are cisgender never have to think about? What types of stigmas and discriminations are typically experienced? How does Mormon doctrine and culture currently deal with some of these issues? This is a fascinating interview covering a broad spectrum, yet applicable details that will make it worth the listen for those who identify as intersex or transgender, for parents of such youth, for family and friends who want to offer support, for ecclesiastical leaders who want to lend support without causing undue harm, and for the general public who needs further education so that we can all do our part to lessen the discrimination this segment of our population readily endures.
Kimberly Anderson is a noted photographer, professor of photography, and storyteller who has recently published the Mama Dragon Story Project, as an attempt to offer a much needed resource within the Mormon community that will fight against the high suicide rates we see within the LGBTQ+ population. Anderson has a BA and an MFA from Utah State University, has exhibited widely both nationally and internationally and has work in various collections throughout the Intermountain west. She has taught as an adjunct professor at Brigham Young University, Snow College and Utah Valley University.
Resources mentioned during podcast:
Disorders of Sex Development Wiki Page
Intersex Society of North America
Ending Conversion Therapy: Supporting and Affirming LGBTQ Youth by SAMHSA
transequality.org re travel issues
Mormon Mental Health Association
Other things mentioned during the podcast:
The Family: A Proclamation to the World by the LDS Church
BCC Documentary Thalidomide a Wonder Drug
Other resources:
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Please enjoy the episode.
Natasha Helfer Parker interviews Dr. Tammy Nelson, author of The New Monogamy: Redefining Your Relationship After Infidelity, regarding the complicated issues and tasks associated with recovering from infidelity. So many applicable things are discussed, whether you have experienced infidelity in your relationship or not. How do we define infidelity in the first place? How does having dialogue about what monogamy means help prevent infidelity? What can one expect to experience when they have found out their partner has been unfaithful? What are some ways to categorize the different stages of crisis and healing a couple might go through as they deal with betrayal? How do we negotiate our sexual relationships in regards to what some would consider benign behaviors like being attracted to other people, masturbation, and flirtation all the way to deciding to open one’s marriage to the sexual or romantic involvement of other people? When does infidelity point towards the end of a relationship? How do we find meaning in betrayals – as far as what they tell us about our relationships and our roles in them? What’s the difference between forgiveness and empathy – and what roles do these play? A wonderful overview of the many complexities and possibilities couples are facing as they decide how to move forward after a significant betrayal.
Tammy Nelson, PhD is a licensed psychotherapist in private practice, a relationship expert and international speaker, an author, a faculty member and teacher for over 25 years. She holds a Doctorate in Philosophy in Clinical Sexology, is a Board Certified Sexologist, a Diplomat of the American Board of Sexologists, a Licensed Professional Counselor, an AASECT Certified Sex Therapist, a Registered Art Therapist, a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor, a Certified Imago Relationship therapist and an Advanced Imago Clinician. Dr. Nelson is the author of several books including, “The New Monogamy; Redefining Your Relationship After Infidelity“ (January 2013), “Getting the Sex You Want; Shed Your Inhibitions and Reach New Heights of Passion Together” (2008), “What’s Eating You: A Workbook for Teens with Anorexia, Bulimia, and other Eating Disorders” (2004). Her latest book is currently under negotiation. She is the author of “Six Weeks to Desire” (2013), an eBook, currently published on Amazon, as well as several chapters of edited compilations and articles in professional journals. She has also been a featured expert in many media forums such as the New York Times, Women’s Health, Wall Street Journal and Redbook.
Resources mentioned during podcast:
The New Monogamy: Redefining Your Relationship After Infidelity
For the Six Weeks to Desire Ebook contact Dr. Nelson directly: tammy@tammynelson.org
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Please enjoy the episode.
Natasha Helfer Parker interviews Colleen Payne Dietz and Alyson Bigelow Horrocks in regards to their experiences with sexual assault during their college years. In this time, when Brigham Young University is undergoing a lot of scrutiny about their policies and procedures when students report cases of sexual assault, these stories are so important to share. This podcast is co-produced with the Mormon Mental Health Podcast and is free of charge. It addresses such issues as: what are some typical ways that victims act during and after sexual assaults? What types of assault occur? What are some common misperceptions a general audience can make when hearing about sexual assault? What are some problematic ways that ecclesiastical leaders engage in inappropriate repentance processes during these times? What ramifications does this have for people’s journeys within Mormonism? How can Mormon beliefs be interpreted when sex abuse is occurring? How can leaders, friends and families be better equipped to deal with these types of situations?
Be aware that detailed information is shared in regards to the assaults that took place. Some who have experienced trauma of their own may find these conversations triggering and difficult to listen to.
Colleen Payne Dietz is a BYU-Utah alumni with a Bachelors in Psychology. She has enjoyed many years working in the field of Mental Health. She has recently discovered a new role as an adored wife and busy mother. Colleen and her husband dream of the rural homestead life, somewhere green and alive. Colleen is honored to be part of a movement to change the conversations about sex, and especially sexual assault, within the LDS Culture and make BYU a safer place.
Alyson Bigelow Horrocks attended BYU-Idaho for several years, is a writer, is married and a mother of 4.
Resources mentioned during podcast:
Healing from Sexual Abuse by Chieko Okazaki
How the Church Approaches Abuse – This page has been updated since it was re-released in February 2016 (Alyson refers to how the original article impacted her)
Roundtable: Abuse and Forgiveness with Tresa Edmunds and Natasha Helfer Parker
BYU-Utah Counseling Center
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Please enjoy the episode.
Natasha Helfer Parker interviews Dr. Jennifer Finlayson-Fife, PhD, LCPC, on the topic of how to best handle a pornography disclosure within a couple system. This would be applicable for a couple where pornography viewing and/or masturbation was/is taking place by one spouse/partner in secret from the other. And now the behavior has come to light either through a voluntary disclosure (“confession” per se) or has been “found out.” This often creates a marital or relational crisis that needs to be navigated -especially in the context of a religious construct where high standards of sexual conduct have been developed. How can a couple take this type of catalyst and use it as an opportunity to develop not only the relationship, but the self? How do the ways we teach and talk about pornography keep us from healthy integration of sexuality and sensual pleasure? How do we navigate such things as our religious/spiritual values, the relationship we do or do not want with pornography, and our desire to be empathic lovers? How do we stand up for the type of sexuality we want in our relationships – in ways that honor and respect what our partners want?
Dr. Finlayson-Fife grew up in Burlington, Vermont as one of eight children. She studied Psychology and Women’s Studies at Brigham Young University, and went on to receive her Masters and PhD in Counseling Psychology from Boston College. She has a private practice in Chicago, IL where she works primarily with LDS couples on relational and sexual issues. She is a frequent guest on LDS-themed podcasts, and has written articles for LDS-themed magazines and blogs on the subjects of sexuality, modesty, relationships, mental health and faith. She is married to John Finlayson-Fife and has three wonderful children.
Resources mentioned during podcast:
LDS Female Sexuality with Dr. Jennifer Finlayson-Fife: Mormon Mental Health Podcast
Mormon Mental Health Association Position on Sex Addiction
Women and Mormonism: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives
Esther Perel, author of Mating in Captivity
David Schnarch, author of Passionate Marriage
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Please enjoy the episode.
Natasha Helfer Parker interviews Al Vernacchio on the topic of providing the most effective types of sexual education to adolescents. What’s the difference between abstinence and comprehensive sexual education? What’s the history of the importance of virginal status and the impact it has on our culture? How do we teach teens what it means to have sex outside of the mechanical definition? How do we honor our teens as sexual beings? What kinds of sexual options can we offer our teens, so that they are better prepared to make sexual decisions that parallel their values?
A Human Sexuality educator and consultant for over 20 years, Al has lectured, published articles, and offered workshops throughout the country. His work has been featured in “Teaching Good Sex”, a November, 2011 cover story in The New York Times Magazine. In addition Al has given three TED Talks, and his blog, “For Goodness Sex: Notes from a Sexuality Educator”, can be found on the Psychology Today website. He is the author of For Goodness Sex: Changing the Way We Talk to Young People About Sexuality, Values, and Health published by Harper-Collins. Al earned his BA in Theology from St. Joseph’s University and his MSEd in Human Sexuality Education from the University of Pennsylvania. He is a member of The Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality (SSSS), The American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists and Advanced Sexuality Educators and Trainers (ASET).
Resources mentioned during podcast:
For Goodness Sex: Changing the Way We Talk to Young People About Sexuality, Values, and Health by Al Vernacchio
Sex Needs a New Metaphor. Here’s One. by Al Vernacchio
The Danger of the Single Story by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Please enjoy the episode.
Natasha Helfer Parker interviews Aimee Heffernan, LMFT in regards to achieving what can at times seem like the elusive female orgasm. They cover all types of topics from psychological aspects that can get in the way of climax, to specific techniques that women and their partners can find helpful. What ruts can we get stuck in either in regards to sexual practice or sexual meaning? How does self-pleasure and self-exploration begin a self knowledge that can translate to orgasmic potential? How can using a vibrator help achieve orgasm? Does the G-Spot exist? What about multiple orgasms? What is squirting? How do we improve our communication skills around these types of conversations?
head shot webAimee Heffernan grew up in Salt Lake City in a very open-minded, unorthodox, feminist, Mormon home. She was raised with the beautiful aspects of Mormon theology balanced with the nuance and complicated parts church history. Aimee attended Western Washington University in Bellingham, WA before she went on her mission to Sendai, Japan. She graduated from the University of Utah with a degree in Sociology and with a masters degree from Seattle Pacific University in Marriage and Family Therapy. Aimee has a private practice in Redmond, WA, where she specializes in relationships, infidelity, sexuality, faith/spirituality crisis and transitions, mixed faith marriages, women’s issues, self-esteem and identity. She is a trained educator for the Gottman Bringing Baby Home program. She is currently working towards becoming a certified sex therapist through AASECT. Aimee has presented for the NW Chapter of the Multiple Sclerosis Society, local schools, more church functions than she can count, and enjoys speaking about mental, emotional, and sexual health.
Resources mentioned during the podcast:
My Official Stance on Masturbation blog post by Natasha Helfer Parker
How Can I Go to the Temple if I’m Still Masturbating blog post by Natasha Helfer Parker
Kristin Hodson featured on Episode 1: Porn Addiction: Is It Real?
LDS Female Sexuality with Jennifer Finlayson-Fife on Mormon Mental Health Podcast
OMGYES
Kinsey Institute
Sex + w/ Laci Green
Sexplantions with Dr. Doe
Lovers
Blue Boutique located in Salt Lake City
Sex toy called Double Trouble
Other Resources:
Sex Smart Films: Promoting Sexual Literacy
The Clitoris: A Complete Sex Guide
Babeland
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Please enjoy the episode.
Natasha Helfer Parker interviews Dr. David Ley, author of The Myth of Sex Addiction, regarding the problems with the sex addiction treatment model and the conversations we should be having instead. He states that not only is this type of modality erroneous, but dangerous. They cover such issues as: How do shifting attitudes about sexuality force us to renegotiate how we see and define healthy sexuality? Why is sexual diversity easily pathologized? Why is it that there is not a single published study that sex addiction treatment makes a difference and yet treatment centers are growing in number at an alarming rate? Why are we abandoning people within a moral or social crisis, by focusing on things like a supposed pornography public health crisis? Are we aware that gay and bi men are three times as likely to be called “sex addicts?” Are we aware that the American Psychiatric Association has rejected the language of “sex addiction” for 40 years? Are we talking about the importance of sex education and regular dialogue? How can we help people explore morality in their sexuality as adults? How do we incorporate religious beliefs in ways that allow for normative sexuality?
Ley 72dpi CLRDr. David Ley is a clinical psychologist in practice in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy from Ole Miss, and his Master’s and Doctoral degrees in clinical psychology from the University of New Mexico. Dr. Ley is the Executive Director of New Mexico Solutions, a large outpatient mental health and substance abuse program in Albuquerque, NM. Dr. Ley has been treating sexuality issues throughout his career. He first began treating perpetrators and victims of sexual abuse, but expanded his approach to include the fostering and promotion of healthy sexuality, and awareness of the wide range of normative sexual behaviors. Insatiable Wives: Women Who Stray and the Men Who Love Them is his first book and won a Silver Medal in the Foreword Magazine Book of the Year contest for 2009. Dr. Ley wrote Insatiable Wives following two years of interviews with couples around the country. His controversial second book, The Myth of Sex Addiction was released in March 2012,
*Dr. David Ley will be speaking in Salt Lake City giving an address called Beyond Porn Addiction on May 13 from 5-9 pm
Resources mentioned during the podcast:
Defining “Normophilic” and “Paraphilic” Sexual Fantasies in a Population-Based Sample: On the Importance of Considering Subgroups by Christian Joyal
Jason Winters (2010) published three studies on sex addiction, demonstrating that alleged sex addicts have as much (or as little) sexual self-control as anyone else, and that the identity of sex addict is predicated by a religious upbringing.
Grubbs, Hook, Griffin and Davis (2015) published a review of the paucity of outcome data on sex addiction treatment in Current Addiction Reports.
Work of Dr. Rory Reid
Work of Stulhofer
The Religious Institute
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Please enjoy the episode.
Natasha Helfer Parker interviews Dr. Gina Ogden, PhD, LMFT on one of the most common complaints that get brought to sex therapists: low female sexual desire. Gina shares years of experience where she helps us ask pivotal questions to break this construct apart. What is it that we desire? Do women give themselves permission to experience pleasure? Gina instructs on her 4-dimensional model approach to what she calls the Integrative Wheel of Sexual Experience – where we delve into Body, Mind, Heart and Spirit. Walking through these four dimensions is an approach that allows one to take a holistic approach to such things as libido or erotic differences in partnerships. Gina has agreed to return to Mormon Sex Info for a “part 2” of this in-depth conversation of what it means to delve into the erotic space of desire.
GINA 3x4HighRes JPGGina Ogden is an award-winning sex therapist, family therapist, researcher, teacher, and author. She is founder of the Relational Sexuality Network, an international collaboration of practitioners whose mission is to expand the practice of therapy and sex therapy beyond limiting notions of function and dysfunction to include a wide range of diversity and experience. She conducts retreats and trainings internationally, lectures widely, leads tele-seminars attended by professionals all over the world, and has appeared in the media from talk radio to the Oprah Winfrey Show. She supervises and trains sex therapists, physicians, nurses, social workers, family therapists, and other health providers in the Four-Dimensional Wheel approach, to broaden their understanding of sexual experience. She conducted the only nationwide survey on integrating sexuality and spirituality. She is the author of ten books so far. Her most recent books for a general readership (all published by Trumpeter) are: The Return of Desire (2008) and The Heart & Soul of Sex (2006). The 3rd edition of Women Who Love Sex, was published in 2007. Her books for a professional readership (all published by Routledge) are: Expanding the Practice of Sex Therapy: An Integrative Model for Exploring Desire and Intimacy, (2012) and Extraordinary Sex Therapy: Creative Approaches for Clinician (2015)—an edited collection of innovative and creative approaches from colleagues in the US and the UK. Her 4-D Wheel workbook for clinicians is : Exploring Desire & Intimacy: Innovative Approaches, Practical Applications–due in September, 2016.
Links to resources that are covered during the podcast:
Lessons From Women Who Love Sex – Poster graciously offered by Gina Ogden
The Return of Desire: A Guide to Rediscovering your Sexual Passion by Gina Ogden
Exploring Desire & Intimacy: Innovative Approaches, Practical Applications (due out in September of 2016)
Kristin Hodson of the Healing Group and author of Real Intimacy: A Couples Guide for Genuine, Healthy Sexuality
The Chalice and the Blade: Our History, Our Future by Riane Eisler
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Please enjoy the episode.
Natasha Helfer Parker interviews Alisha Worthington, SSW, a sexual educator, on the topic of providing healthy sexual education to our pre-adolescent children. How do we approach sexuality of children without projecting our own adult sensibilities? What do we teach about sexuality without even realizing it? What are the best ways to respond to things like masturbation/self-touch, pornography viewing, and experiences such as “playing doctor?” How do we talk to our kids about their body parts? How do we teach protective stances and boundaries, especially when it comes to the potential of child sexual abuse? How do we avoid shaming/fear-based sex education and embrace pleasure-based sex education, even when we want to reinforce concepts such as consent, appropriate boundaries and the risks associated with sexuality? And much more….
IMG_3507c-805x1024-1Alisha Worthington is an LDS Sexual Educator and has contributed to many media resources such as: FamilyShare.com and The Deseret News. She has been a regular contributor on the Radio From Hell show on x96 taking live calls on sex and intimacy and has been a guest on KUTV 2 morning news. She is an educator, group facilitator, and coach for The Healing Group, where she offers many workshops and services regarding women’s health and sexuality, and co-author of the book Real Intimacy: A Couple’s Guide to Healthy, Genuine Sexuality. She is also a member of the Mormon Mental Health Association.
Links to resources that are covered during the podcast:
Elizabeth Smart Foundation: Mission focused on preventing and stopping predatory crimes.
Yes! You can talk to your kids about sex by Kristin Hodson and Alisha Worthington
A Parent’s Guide an LDS Manual
Teaching Youths in the 21st Century by Elder M. Russell Ballard
The Naked People in Your iPod by Paul Malan
Where Willie Went by Nicholas Allan
It’s Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex and Sexual Health by Robbie Harris and Michael Emberley
For Goodness Sex by Al Vernacchio
The Case for Teaching Kids ‘Vagina,’ ‘Penis,’ and ‘Vulva’
Why You Should Teach Your Kids Correct Names for Genitals
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Please enjoy the episode.
Natasha Helfer Parker interviews Shannon Hickman, LCSW, CST, an AASECT Certified Sex Therapist, on the topic of understanding premature (or early or rapid) ejaculation. What is the diagnostic criteria for PE? Do people know how long most sexual experiences last? What types of myths and misconceptions abound about sexual expectations and what it means to have a successful sexual encounter that affect people’s perspective about penile performance? What contributes to PE? What types of treatment can be helpful for PE? What role can the spouse play in treatment? What role does physiology play versus psychology?
Shanprofheadshot-1Shannon Hickman is a licensed clinical social worker with 12 years of experience in a variety of disciplines. She has worked in a variety of group and individual settings, including hospitals, clinics, and drug and alcohol treatment facilities, and now runs a private practice in Murray, Utah. Shannon is focused on individual and couples counseling as well as sex therapy. She received her undergraduate degree in 2004 in social work from the University of Utah and went on to receive her masters degree in social work in 2006 from Rutger’s University.
Links to resources that are covered during the podcast:
DSM 5
International Society for Sexual Medicine
She Comes First: The Thinking Man’s Guide to Pleasuring a Woman by Ian Kerner
Guide to Getting It On by Paul Joannides
Stephanie Buehler author of Sex, Love and Mental Illness: A Couple’s Guide to Staying Connected and A Heart-Pounding Guide to Passionate Sex
Sensate Focus
Sensate Focus Exercise: Non-Sexual Intimacy
Flesh Light Product(some may find this site offensive)
Coping with Premature Ejaculation: How to Overcome PE, Please Your Partner and Have Great Sex by Barry McCarthy and Michael Metz
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Please enjoy the episode.
Natasha Helfer Parker interviews Richard and Lawrence Siegel, in the continuing discussion of why the framing of sexual issues as addiction is problematic. What are the neurological/medical explanations currently taking place within the sexual field? What are the diagnostic implications? What is the research that has been happening for the last 20 years on these issues? Is research interpreted and applied correctly? What do many of the terms being thrown around even mean? And can evidence-based/peer-reviewed research truly be found to support the addiction model for treating sexual problems? What happens when we look at our sexual behavior from the lens of it being broken, and even diseased? How does this affect such things as personal and relational trust? What are some of the issues that we should be talking or concerned about when it comes to sexual functioning? How should we treat and address sexual problems if we are not going to use an addiction model?
Richard and Lawrence Siegel will be presenting at the University of Utah on April 22, 2016 for a training hosted by the Mormon Mental Health Association called: Challenging the Sex Addiction Model (meant for mental health practitioners but offering a rate for the general public).
The Siegels often refer to the position the MMHA recently took sharing their concerns for the high frequency of sex addiction treatment being used to treat either unwanted sexual behavior (usually due to religious values) or sexual dysfunction within the Mormon population: Position on "Sex/Porn Addiction."
Richard M. Siegel, LMHC, CST is a Florida-licensed Mental Health Counselor, Director of the Modern Sex Therapy Institutes, a Florida Board Certified Sex Therapist and Qualified Supervisor, and an AASECT Certified Sex Therapist, Supervisor of Sex Therapy, and Provider of Continuing Education. He has a rich experiential background, including over 20 years as a sexuality educator and fifteen years in private sex therapy practice. In addition to his private practice in Boca Raton, Florida, Mr. Siegel is an adjunct faculty member at Palm Beach State College and enjoys a national reputation as a respected trainer, supervisor and conference presenter.
Lawrence Siegel, MA, CSE
Lawrence Siegel, MA is a Clinical Sexologist and sexuality education consultant. He is the founder and serves on the Board of Directors of Sage Institute for Family Development, a non-profit training and counseling center in Florida. Larry sits on the faculties of several colleges, universities and training institutions, and is nationally recognized as a leader in the fields of sexuality, sexual development, sexual pharmacology, and medical sexology.
Links to resources that are covered during the podcast:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eli_Coleman Eli Coleman of the University of Minnesota
Everything You Think You Know About Addiction is Wrong: TED Talk by Johann Hari
Mormon Sex Info Episode 4: From Sex Addiction to Sex Positivity featuring Joe Kort
Marty Klein author of https://www.martyklein.com/products-page/ Sexual Intelligence, America's War on Sex and more
Douglas Braun-Harvey author of Sexual Health in Recovery
https://www.amazon.com/Sexuality-Addiction-Connections-Enhancing-Recovery/dp/0313396353/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1459149033&sr=8-1&keywords=sexuality+and+addiction Raven James author of Sexuality and Addiction: Making Connections, Enhancing Recovery
Russell Stambaugh, author of the blog: https://elephantinthehottub.blogspot.com Elephant in the Hot Tub: Kink in Context
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Please enjoy the episode.
Natasha Helfer Parker interviews Kristin Bennion, CST, LCSW - an AASECT Certified Sex Therapist - on the important topic of understanding and treating female genital pain. What types of genital pain do women generally deal with and why? How do you go about making sure you are getting an accurate diagnosis? What assumptions and myths prevail when it comes to dealing with these types of issues? What role can a spouse play to be part of the solution instead of the problem? How can anatomy education play a role? What role does physiology play vs. psychology when it comes to genital pain (i.e. it's not "all in your head")? What messages do we have within Mormonism that can both help or hinder the ways we deal with and navigate issues such as these? What types of treatment exist to help with genital pain?
Kristin Bennion runs a private practice in Orem, Utah called https://www.intimateconnectionscounseling.com Intimate Connections Counseling. Areas she specializes in include: women’s sexuality, desire discrepancies in couples, intimacy enhancement, intersection of faith and sexuality, out-of-control behavior, body image issues and eating disorder treatment. She has appeared on KSL television and local radio stations, has written a variety of articles for local media sources and has offered many community presentations. She is a graduate from BYU and works primarily with an LDS population.
Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:
mormonsex.info
Please enjoy the episode.
Natasha Helfer Parker interviews Isa Jones, a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist and Clinical Sexologist, on the importance of creating & claiming our sexual identities both as individuals and couples. What does this mean? For example, we often have clear ideas about many roles we play in our lives… who am I as a parent?… as a spouse?… as a business partner? But how many times have we thought about “who am I sexually?” So, how do we go about claiming our own sexuality in ways that hold authenticity and internal authority? What sexual values do we hold - not just from our religious culture - but from the space of pleasure, consent, vulnerability, erotic experience, etc…? And then… how do we communicate these sexual spaces with our partners - especially when sexual tastes and preferences differ? Natasha and Isa discuss all kinds of helpful strategies, exercises and reframes that can help you find your erotic potential, manage libido differences and better negotiate sexual fantasy, desires and interests.
Isa grew up in an LDS home, has a great understanding of Mormon culture and works with a large number of LDS clientele. She is the owner of the Scottsdale Center for Sex and Relationship Therapy in Scottsdale, Arizona. She specializes in EFT (Emotionally Focused Therapy), improving couples communication, creative problem solving, enhancing intimacy and increasing erotic desire. Isa graduated with her BS in Human Development from Brigham Young University and her Masters degree in MFT at Arizona State University. She is the Arizona Section leader for AASECT. Isa has been educating and inspiring women, men and couples to live with more passion, self-confidence and joy for over 20 years. To get in touch with Isa visit www.ScottsdaleSexTherapy.com.
Links to resources that are covered during the podcast:
Esther Perel's Ted Talk https://us.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?hspart=iry&hsimp=yhs-fullyhosted_011&type=mce_sft1_15_27¶m1=yhsbeacon¶m2=f%3D4%26b%3DChrome%26cc%3DUS%26p%3Dmceyahoo%26cd%3D2XzuyEtN2Y1L1QzuyEtBtC0B0C0A0D0CtG0FzzyB0FtGyD0DzzzztG0A0FtAtBtG0DyD0A0CtAyB0BtBtCzyyDyDtN1L1G1B1V1N2Y1L1Qzu2S0B0E0B0D0AtC0AyBtGzy0FzzzztGyEtB0F0FtGzyyC0ByCtGtDyByDyD0DyDtDtAtB0FyBzz2QtN1Q2Zzu0StCtByByDtN1L2XzutAtFyDtFtDtFyEtDtN1L1Czu%26cr%3D1929563656%26a%3Dmce_sft1_15_27&p=esther+perel+ted+talk Mating in Captivity: Reconciling Intimacy and Sexuality & book https://www.amazon.com/dp/0060753641/?tag=mh0b-20&hvadid=3524371619&hvqmt=b&hvbmt=bb&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_2msngsz47d_b Mating in Captivity: Unlocking Sexual Intelligence
Gina Ogden, author of https://www.amazon.com/The-Return-Desire-Rediscovering-Passion/dp/1590303644%3FSubscriptionId%3D0ENGV10E9K9QDNSJ5C82%26tag%3Dflatwave-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D1590303644 The Return of Desire: A Guide to Rediscovering your Sexual Passion, https://www.amazon.com/Women-Who-Love-Sex-Ordinary/dp/1590305035%3FSubscriptionId%3D0ENGV10E9K9QDNSJ5C82%26tag%3Dflatwave-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D1590305035 Women who Love Sex: Ordinary Women Describe their Paths to Pleasure, Intimacy and Ecstasy and more...
Barry McCarthy's book https://www.amazon.com/Discovering-Your-Couple-Sexual-Style/dp/0415994691/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1458016920&sr=1-1&keywords=barry+mccarthy+sexual+style Discovering your Couple Sexual Style: Sharing Desire, Pleasure and Satisfaction
Tammy Nelson, author of https://www.amazon.com/The-New-Monogamy-Redefining-Relationship/dp/1608823156/ref=pd_bxgy_14_img_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=1KNSVSGKFRD2VNFXRPFN The New Monogamy: Redefining your Relationship after Infidelity and https://www.amazon.com/Getting-Sex-You-Want-Inhibitions/dp/1592335268/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1458018088&sr=1-1&keywords=tammy+nelson Getting the Sex You Want: Shed your Inhibitions and Reach New Heights of Passion Together
Janis Abrahms Spring, author of https://www.amazon.com/After-Affair-Healing-Rebuilding-Unfaithful/dp/0062122703/ref=pd_bxgy_14_img_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=035W4KXCSQVJSNBXGDX5 After the Affair and https://www.amazon.com/How-Can-Forgive-You-Courage/dp/0060009314/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1458020448&sr=1-1&keywords=janis+abrahms+spring How Can I Forgive You?: The Courage to Forgive, the Freedom Not To
