This week on Real Talk with Rachael I chatted with Nancy Houston. Nancy is an Executive Leadership Coach, a Licensed Professional Counselor, a Certified Sex Therapist, and author of “Love and Sex: A Christian Guide to Healthy Intimacy" and "Then God Made a Woman: Unwrapping Female Sexuality.” Nancy developed and leads Next Level Leadership Groups which is a relational approach to leadership. She is also a former adjunct at DBU and Concordia University and a fellow at the Townsend Institute at Concordia University.

Key Points from Our Conversation:

• If you've experienced sexual trauma, the beginning of healing is understanding that what happened wasn't your fault and you don't need to carry shame.
• If you’ve survived a trauma, show yourself some gratitude for enduring something hard. Then address the effects of that trauma. It’s hard work, but God is asking you to press in.
• God designed us to be sexual creatures. We can experience so much freedom if we have the courage to have great conversations around the topic of sex.
• When speaking to our children about sex, using proper medical terms for genitalia creates a sense of authority on the topic. 
• Women are just as sexual, if not more sexual, than men but the process of arousal is different. Women tend to feel guilty about taking time to get aroused, but receiving pleasure guilt-free is good for you.
• We have to own our bodies as women, therefore we have to know our own bodies. Take time to explore. God created sex to be both extremely pleasurable and bonding.
• If you're struggling with shame, stop hating yourself. You are so worth loving. Be kind to yourself.

Let’s Get Real Practical:

Ask God if there is any area of your sexuality that needs to be restored.

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