Sexual experiences involve the participation of both our bodies and our minds; and so the relationship that we have with our bodies and how we think and feel about them can hugely influence our experience of sex. Body confidence is something that comes up a huge amount in the therapy room for both men and women. Whilst it may not be explicitly obvious that it’s why we are struggling with sex and intimacy; challenges with body confidence and negative thoughts about our bodies can distract and disconnect us from these experiences. This can then further inhibit desire, arousal and someone's experience of pleasure.

My guest for this episode is someone who has been through real highs and lows with the relationship with her body, and speaks honestly about how that's had a ripple effect into different areas of her life and wellbeing. Lauren Black is a body confidence and fashion influencer and founder of a new brand called Love Glow Heal. I wanted to have this conversation with Lauren as she has been very public about the fact that she has been in anorexia recovery since June 2020, and she has documented her whole recovery journey online. She's been featured on BBC Radio 1, ITV, GMB and 5LIVE and was interviewed on the BBC documentary The Instagram Effect.

Instagram @imlaurenblack

Love Glow Heal @loveglowheal

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This episode focuses on building a healthy and loving relationship with ourselves, learning to love our bodies, and building confidence along the way. And I couldn't have picked a better guest than Lauren Black, whose story is packed with helpful relationship advice and tips on developing strong confidence while staying true to yourself. The award-winning pleasure brand LELO is the sponsor of this episode, with a special treat for all listeners. Use the code KATELELO at lelo.to/KATEMOYLE to pick a luxurious sexy toy and get a gift with every purchase

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The Sexual Wellness Sessions is hosted by Kate Moyle, a Psychosexual & Relationship Therapist and Certified Psycho-Sexologist. Kate believes that so much of what needs normalising when it comes to sex and relationships can be changed through conversation; and this is why the podcast is focused around the idea of hosting informal but informative conversations.

Follow Kate on Instagram at @KateMoyleTherapy