In this NEW podcast episode, Dr. Finlayson-Fife joins the hosts of the Bless the Refreshments Podcast to discuss why talking about sex with our kids and spouses can be so difficult and what we can do to reduce our own anxiety about sexuality.

Listen to the full episode to learn more about: 

* Dismantling the myth that sexuality and spirituality are incompatible

* The problems that anxiety and fear of sexuality can create for ourselves and our children

* How to be a good mentor to your kids from birth to adulthood

* Age-appropriate conversations to have with your children about sexuality

* The importance of "seeking first to understand"
	
	If you are interested in learning more and can't attend the webinar series, consider enrolling in Dr. Finlayson-Fife's self-paced How to Talk to Your Kids About Sex online course! You can enroll today by clicking HERE.

How to Talk to Your Kids (and others!) About Sex

Dr. Jennifer Finlayson-Fife is a sex and relationship expert who has been interviewed for hundreds of podcasts.  You can access all the amazing content covering issues of faith, sexuality, integrity, belonging, and more right here on the interview archive! Dr. Finlayson-Fife is an LDS relationship and sexuality coach as well as a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in the state of Illinois. Dr. Finlayson-Fife also has a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology. The advice offered through any and all podcasts in which she is featured is educational and informational in nature and is provided only as general information. It is not meant to establish a therapist-patient relationship or offer therapeutic advice, opinion, diagnosis treatment or to establish a standard of care. The information contained in these communications is not comprehensive and does not include all the potential information regarding the subject matter, but is merely intended to serve as one resource for general and educational purposes.

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Self-Improvement

In this NEW episode, Dr. Finlayson-Finlayson-Fife uses questions from her Facebook Group members to drive an important discussion about emotional infidelity. During the conversation, Dr. Finlayson-Fife explains why emotional affairs are so compelling, the impact they have on relationships, and how those who have experienced emotional infidelity can navigate forward wisely.
	
	Listen to the full episode to learn more about:
	
	 * Intimacy Avoidance

* Self-Deception
	* Intimacy vs Closeness
	* Important considerations post-disclosure
	* Trust vs Trustworthiness
	
	If you are interested in learning more about this topic, consider enrolling in Dr. Finlayson-Fife's newest mini-course Understanding Intimate Deception.

Emotional Infidelity

Meaningful connection with others is what gives us an important network of support and sustenance throughout our lives; however, creating and maintaining this type of connection isn't always easy.

And these days it is easier than ever to avoid the work of connection by distracting ourselves with screens.
	
	Access to the entire world in the palms of our hands has tremendous benefits, of course, but all too often we use technology as a way to escape our lives and relationships. As nice as it sounds to not face difficult realities head-on, when we avoid, we limit our growth and ability to connect with others.

It’s very challenging to find the middle ground—to use technology to enrich and expand our lives, but to not be indulgent with it. And, as difficult as it is to manage this balance for ourselves, it is even more challenging to help our teens achieve a balanced, informed, and beneficial relationship with screens.

In this NEW episode, Dr. Finlayson-Fife discusses with Crystal (@theparenting coach) how parents can help their children navigate the complicated online world. She discusses the key to empowering teens to make wise decisions lies in facilitating our children’s self-authoring – of thinking about the lives they want to create and assessing whether their actions are in line with the person they hope to become.
	
	Listen to the full episode to learn more about:
	
	* The impact of pornography, social media, and screen use on the developing brain, relationships, and self-esteem
	* The importance of normalizing sexual development (especially the draw of sexual imagery)

*  Tools for creating and maintaining healthy screen habits (for teens and parents!)

* How parental coddling limits development

* Tips for approaching difficult conversations without fear and shame.

* Discussing healthy sexuality with teens  in a shame-free and productive way

For a deeper dive on this topic on self-authoring and healthy sexuality, consider enrolling in Dr. Finlayson-Fife’s How to Talk to Your Kids About Sex Course! This powerful course helps parents know how to foster their child’s ability to self-author throughout every age and stage of development!

Teens and Screens

Making mistakes is a fundamental part of human development. 

Many of us were taught that if we followed the rules we could avoid the pain and frustration of making mistakes. And while it is true that leaning on the wisdom of others and making wise decisions can prevent suffering, none of us are exempt from the mistake-making process.

Because making mistakes isn’t an aberration from the plan, it is a process that is foundational to it. Mistakes, by design, are how we learn. 

As with all growth, mistake-making is an uncomfortable process. When our choices result in pain and suffering for ourselves or others, we can use the experience to learn and increase our wisdom or we can stay stuck in unproductive regret or simmering resentment. 

In this powerful discussion, Dr. Finlayson-Fife teases out the difference between regret, resentment, and remorse and offers clarity on what these unpleasant emotions can teach us about ourselves and the way we are showing up in our lives and relationships.
	
	You can watch the recording of conversation HERE.
	
	You can learn more about Room for Two, Dr. Finlayson-Fife's couples' coaching podcast, HERE. 

Regret, Remorse, and Resentment

**Learn more about Dr. Jennifer's How to Talk to Your Kids About Sex Course HERE**


	When we need the validation of our spouse, we severely limit our ability to be collaborative partners and parents.
	
	Growth and collaboration require a willingness to set our egos aside enough to consider differing perspectives and uncomfortable truths about ourselves. When our ego runs the show, we care more about proving we are right than working together to find a shared solution. 
	
	In this NEW conversation with Crystal of The Parenting Coach Podcast, Dr. Finlayson-Fife discusses how we can create healthier, more collaborative partnerships even when our partner is not invested in creating positive change.
	
	Listen to the full episode to learn more about:
	
	* Resentment and what it can teach us
	* The power of gratitude

* Navigating disagreements with wisdom and maturity 

*The problem with validation seeking
	* Improving relationships unilaterally
	* How to talk to children about sexuality / pornography
	
	You can learn more about Crystal HERE. 

Parenting and Partnership

TJ and Ashley’s story is a familiar one for many. 


	Their marriage started out happily enough. They were young college students and enjoyed each other a lot during their first few years together. But things changed when TJ started graduate school during an economic downturn. TJ felt a tremendous amount of anxiety about his financial future, given the dim prospects for most students at the time. Competition was fierce and in TJ’s determination to ensure his family’s economic stability, he dedicated himself to his studies, leaving little time or emotional bandwidth for anything else, including Ashley.
	
	


This period of limited connection was difficult for Ashley, and it persisted long after graduate school and into TJ’s high-demand career. While disappointed at first, eventually Ashley shifted her focus away from the marriage and created a comfortable, happy, and fulfilling life as a friend and mother. 


	


To the outsider, TJ and Ashley’s relationship may look idyllic–TJ excelling professionally, Ashley busily involved with friends and her community, both invested and caring parents– but their marriage is much more brittle than meets the eye. Resentment and hostility have been simmering under the surface for more than a decade with TJ feeling unappreciated and unacknowledged for the sacrifices he has made to provide for his family and Ashley feeling neglected and unnoticed (except when TJ is wanting sexual attention).
	
	


In this episode of Room for Two, Dr. Finlayson-Fife helps the couple think through the long term trajectory of their marriage and how they are undermining their current and future happiness by functioning in such a non-collaborative way. She helps Ashley see the rejection that permeates her interactions with TJ and teaches that the path forward is to stop walling and avoiding and to start looking honestly at herself, her real desires for the relationship, and her role in the lack of intimacy in the marriage.
	
	Be sure to subscribe to Room for Two TODAY to listen to the full episode! 

How to Talk to Your Kids (and others!) About Sex

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