Pleasure Project: Sex and Relationships

Most people think desire should just show up. And when it doesn’t? They assume something’s wrong.
In this episode, Dr. Jenn Kennedy sits down with Sex Therapist Brooke Bralove to challenge one of the biggest myths about sex: that desire is supposed to be spontaneous.
Together, they unpack:
Who actually experiences spontaneous desire (hint: fewer people than you think)
Why long-term sex often becomes predictable—and what to do about it
The role of novelty in keeping desire alive
The patterns couples fall into that quietly shut things down
What it really takes to get out of a sexual rut
Plus, Brooke shares how Accelerated Resolution Therapy can help shift the deeper emotional blocks that keep people stuck.
If your sex life feels a little too quiet, a little too routine, or like something’s missing… this conversation will change how you think about desire and what to do next.

#sexpodcast #relationshippodcast #desire #lowdesire #longtermrelationships #intimacy #couplestherapy #sextherapy #relationshipadvice #emotionalintimacy #sexualwellness #womensdesire #midliferelationships #keepitinteresting #modernrelationships #pleasureproject

Perhaps you’ve questioned if you have a “libido issue,” but really it’s more of a self-abandonment problem.
In this episode, Dr. Jenn Kennedy explores how people pleasing shows up in the bedroom and quietly erodes desire. If your sex life feels tense, mismatched, or confusing… if one partner is always pursuing while the other pulls away… this conversation will challenge the assumption that it’s simply a “desire discrepancy.”

What if it’s not about libido at all?
I unpack:
​The subtle ways you override your body to keep the peace
​Say yes to avoid rejection
​Initiate sex to prevent abandonment
​Perform arousal you don’t genuinely feel
​How chronic adaptation leads to the disappearing self
When you disconnect from your authentic wants and limits, desire doesn’t thrive, it collapses. Adaptation may preserve the relationship in the short term, but it quietly kills erotic vitality.
If you’ve stopped knowing what you want, this episode will help you understand why, and how to begin reclaiming yourself.
🎧 Tune in now.

Other Resources:
⁠FANOS⁠: Couples Sharing Exercise

Related Episodes:
The High Desire Partner | Szn. 4 Ep. 12
Motivations for Sex | Szn. 4 Ep. 9
Wise Effort in the Bedroom w/ Dr. Diana Hill | Szn. 3 Ep. 6

Ready to stop self-abandoning in your relationship and rebuild real desire?
Explore Dr. Jenn’s course designed to help you break people-pleasing patterns and create authentic, connected intimacy.
Buy Now!

#PeoplePleasing #DesireDiscrepancy #SexTherapy #IntimacyIssues #HighDesirePartner #LowDesirePartner #RelationshipDynamics #AttachmentStyles #AuthenticIntimacy #ThePleasureProject

There’s a moment in many relationships that rarely gets named.
It’s when you stop initiating, not because you don’t want intimacy, but because rejection has started to feel predictable. You tell yourself you’ll try again later. You try to be patient. Low pressure. Understanding. But quietly something shifts.
You start wondering: Is it me? Am I asking for too much? Does wanting closeness make me the problem?
In this episode, I’m unpacking the emotional experience of the high desire partner, the one who reaches, initiates, and often equates intimacy with connection. We’ll explore:
What “high desire” actually means (and what it doesn’t)
Why high desire is so often misunderstood in relationships
The subtle traps high desire partners fall into, over-pursuing, self-silencing, resentment building
How to shift from pressure dynamics to deeper understanding
Practical ways to create connection without abandoning yourself
Wanting intimacy isn’t the issue. But how you carry that desire, and what it represents emotionally, changes everything. If you’ve ever felt like you’re “too much,” “too needy,” or constantly calibrating yourself to avoid rejection, this episode is for you.
🎧 Tune in and let’s talk about it.

If this resonates, my course walks you step-by-step through understanding your desire patterns and communicating them clearly, without shame or pressure. 👉 Buy now

✨ Related Podcasts:
Motivations for Sex | Szn. 4 Ep. 9
Initiation: Who's Going to Make the Move? | Szn. 2 Ep. 12
Long-Term Spark w/ Dr. Peggy Kleinplatz | Szn. 1 Ep. 26

#HighDesire #SexTherapy #Relationships #DesireDiscrepancy #EmotionalIntimacy #CouplesTherapy #SecureAttachment #ThePleasureProject

You did everything right. You built the career. The family. The life you were supposed to want. From the outside, it works. So why does it feel like something inside you has gone quiet?
In this episode, Dr. Jenn sits down with executive coach Fernanda Bressan to explore what really happens in midlife, when success no longer feels satisfying, when performance replaces presence, and when the spark you once felt starts to dim.
Together, they unpack:
Why midlife isn’t a breakdown, it’s a reclamation

How high-achieving women lose touch with desire

The connection between leadership, authenticity, and libido

How shame blocks pleasure (in the boardroom and the bedroom)

Why receiving, surrender, and softening are powerful, not passive

This conversation moves beyond productivity and into aliveness. Because erotic energy isn’t just about sex, it’s about presence, truth, courage, and the willingness to want what you want.
If you’ve ever thought, “Nothing is wrong… but nothing feels alive,” this episode is for you.

✨ If you’ve been living on autopilot — productive but not fully alive — my course will help you soften, receive, and reconnect to what truly turns you on. Step out of burnout and into embodied confidence. Buy Now

Reach Fernanda at:
IG: @fesoicher & @foundfully
www.foundfully.com
www.jmfatx.com
Linked In

#ThePleasureProject #MidlifeReclamation #ReclaimYourDesire #EroticAliveness #WomenAndDesire #FemalePleasure #HighAchievingWomen #FromBurnoutToPleasure #AuthenticLeadership #EmbodiedWoman #SexTherapist #CouplesTherapy

In this episode, Dr. Jenn Kennedy interviews Dr. Shreya Hessler, a clinical psychologist, speaker, and founder of The Mindset Center, to discuss how anxiety, perfectionism, and self-worth shape intimacy in young adulthood and how this affects relationships of all structures.

Together, they explore rejection sensitivity, shifting social norms, and how embracing imperfection can deepen connection. If you’ve ever felt anxious about dating, love, or being truly seen, this conversation offers fresh insight into building authentic intimacy in an anxious world.

✨ If you’ve ever felt stuck in old patterns of people-pleasing or self-doubt, ⁠my course⁠ will help you release those wounded dynamics and reconnect to your power. Learn to set clear boundaries, cultivate self-trust, and create relationships that actually feel safe and nourishing. ⁠Buy Now!⁠

Reach Dr. Shreya at:
IG: dr.shreyahessler 
website: drhessler.com
TEDx

#anxiety #relationships #genz #youngadults #mentalhealth #selfworth #intimacy #datinganxiety #pleasureproject #drjennkennedy