Hello! Welcome back to another episode of the Owning Your Sexual Self podcast! This week I'm joined by Dr Jaime Knopman, a board certified reproductive endocrinologist and one of the leading voices in fertility preservation today. Jaime brings clarity, honesty, and real world perspective to conversations that are often filled with fear, confusion, and pressure. We're talking all about infertility and her upcoming book Own Your Fertility: From Egg Freezing to Surrogacy, How to Take Charge of Your Body and Your Future. This conversation is empowering, grounding, and full of information every woman deserves to have.

In this episode:

• How fertility works and why egg supply changes with age
• When people should start thinking about fertility health
• Common fertility myths and misunderstandings
• What it means to be proactive rather than reactive with fertility care
• What egg freezing is and who may want to consider it
• When surrogacy becomes part of the fertility conversation
• The importance of emotional support, self compassion, and staying grounded through fertility decisions

Thank you so much for listening!  Don't forget to share on your social media and tag me if you loved this episode!

Resources
Own Your Fertility: From Egg Freezing to Surrogacy, How to Take Charge of Your Body and Your Future
Colorado Center for Reproductive Medicine
The Chick Mission

Connect with Jaime
Instagram - @DrJaimeKnopman
Website - DrJaimeKnopman.com

Support the show

Connect with Rachel!
Instagram: @The_Rachel_Maine
Website: https://linktr.ee/WellnessSexpertise
YouTube: YouTube.com/@OwningYourSexualSelf
Facebook: Rachel Maine
Email: [email protected]

Hey hey! Thank you so much for coming back to another episode of the Owning Your Sexual Self podcast! This week we have Danie Bergstrom on the show! Danie is a queer somatic sexologist and a trauma specialist working with the sapphic community. Her work focuses on transforming trauma and intimacy blocks into deeper connection and pleasure through experimental learning. We're talking about how purity culture can disconnect us from our bodies and the gentle practices that help you rebuild safety, trust, and a sense of ownership over your pleasure again.

In this episode:

• What purity culture and religious trauma are
• How high control religious environments shape sexuality
• Why shame can make it hard to enjoy pleasure
• How somatic practices help the body relearn safety and agency
• Why curiosity and voice matter when reclaiming desire
• A reminder that pleasure is deserved and healing has no timeline

Thank you so much for listening!  Don't forget to share on your social media and tag me if you loved this episode!

Resources
Want By Gillian Anderson
The Intimacy Block Quiz

Connect with Danie
YouTube - @SapphicSexologist
Website - SapphicSexologist.com

Support the show

Connect with Rachel!
Instagram: @The_Rachel_Maine
Website: https://linktr.ee/WellnessSexpertise
YouTube: YouTube.com/@OwningYourSexualSelf
Facebook: Rachel Maine
Email: [email protected]

Hello! Welcome back for another episode of the Owning Your Sexual Self podcast! I am so excited for you to hear from Devin Scott today! Devin is a therapist and coach who helps people reconnect with their own inner wisdom and move through life in a way that feels real and authentic. He blends body based coaching, mindfulness, and psychological insight in a way that feels supportive without being overwhelming, and he works with so many people who are tired of playing "the game" and ready for something deeper. His perspective is thoughtful, fresh, and so needed. You're going to love him! 

In this episode:

• What Leela is and how it uses emotional states to reflect the ups and downs of life
• How cultural messages and expectations can create conflicting pressures
• Why so many people end up performing instead of living as themselves
• How shame and identity struggles show up in the nervous system
• Why everyday pleasure matters and how it helps people move through heavy emotions
• Why pleasure can feel uncomfortable or selfish during painful or uncertain times
• How to get back to your own meaning, agency, and self trust

Connect with Devin
Website: FindYourMeaning.coach

Support the show

Connect with Rachel!
Instagram: @The_Rachel_Maine
Website: https://linktr.ee/WellnessSexpertise
YouTube: YouTube.com/@OwningYourSexualSelf
Facebook: Rachel Maine
Email: [email protected]

Today I am joined by the incredible Dr Maria Sophocles and I could not be more excited. She is a nationally recognized menopause expert an author a sought after public speaker and a fierce advocate for womens sexual health. Her new book The Bedroom Gap is coming soon and her work has supported thousands of women in understanding their bodies with more confidence and care. I am so ready to share this conversation with you!

In this episode:

• Why so many women feel pressure around sex
• What begins to shift in perimenopause
• How desire can change at any age
• Why pain with sex is common but never normal
• The role of hormones in vaginal comfort
• Guidance on hormone therapy choices
• The difference between bioidentical and non bioidentical hormones
• How to talk to a partner with curiosity instead of shame
• Simple first steps for anyone wanting better midlife sexual health

Thank you so much for listening!  Don't forget to share on your social media and tag me if you loved this episode!

Connect with Maria
Website: MariaSophoclesmd.com
Instagram: @MariaSophoclesmd

Support the show

Connect with Rachel!
Instagram: @The_Rachel_Maine
Website: https://linktr.ee/WellnessSexpertise
YouTube: YouTube.com/@OwningYourSexualSelf
Facebook: Rachel Maine
Email: [email protected]

Welcome back to the Owning Your Sexual Self podcast! I am so excited to have Dr. Aly Ash back on the show today! Aly is a Stanford lecturer, an author, and the founder of TurnON Love, and she has such a natural way of bringing clarity and compassion to topics that people often feel confused or ashamed about. In this episode we are talking about anorgasmia. What it actually is, why it shows up, and how much more is possible when we shift the focus toward pleasure and safety instead of pressure. 

In this episode:

• What anorgasmia is and why it is more common than people think
• How orgasm works in the body and why it is a full body experience
• Some factors that can affect orgasm
• The nervous system’s role in pleasure and why safety matters
• Ways to build more pleasure, comfort, and sensitivity in the body
• When it might be time to seek professional support
• A fun lightning round answering common orgasm questions

Thank you so much for listening!  Don't forget to share on your social media and tag me if you loved this episode! 

Connect with Dr. Aly
Instagram, Tiktok, & Facebook: @TurnOn.Love
Website: www.turnon.love

S3xual and Emotional Intimacy Skills online course on Tues, Jan 27th-Mar 17th

We all receive messages about who we are supposed to be, how we ought to feel, and how we should express ourselves, often enforced through shame and disconnection. Featuring 8 classes with a woven balance of science-based data, embodied exploration, and skills development designed to support you in creating, deepening, and sustaining s3xual and emotional intim@cy in your relationship(s). Recordings available for those who can't attend live or want extra review. Super early bird tickets available now for $200-$400 off!

Last but not least, reach out to Dr. Aly for individual, couples, and ENM coaching support! 

Support the show

Connect with Rachel!
Instagram: @The_Rachel_Maine
Website: https://linktr.ee/WellnessSexpertise
YouTube: YouTube.com/@OwningYourSexualSelf
Facebook: Rachel Maine
Email: [email protected]

Hello! Welcome back to the Owning Your Sexual Self podcast!  This week I am joined by the amazing Tugce Balik! Tugce is an ABS certified sexologist Authentic Tantra® practitioner, and advisor to the AI empowered intimacy concierge Arya.  Tugce bridges eastern wisdom with western science in a way that makes pleasure feel accessible, exciting, and deeply human. Her belief that pleasure is medicine is contagious in the best way, and this conversation is full of those moments that remind you what becomes possible when you reconnect with your body and your desire. 

In this episode:

• How disconnection from ourselves impacts our relationships
• The difference between authentic tantra and mainstream tantra 
• Pleasure as a vehicle for nervous system healing
• Simple ways to begin reconnecting with pleasure in every day life
• How Arya supports couples in exploring intimacy and novelty together
• Reframing sex as play, curiosity, and shared experience rather than pressure or performance
• Why prioritizing pleasure is a radical act of self and relationship care 

Thank you so much for listening!  Don't forget to share on your social media and tag me if you loved this episode! 

Resources
Arya

Connect with Tugce
Instagram: @IAmTugceBalik

Support the show

Connect with Rachel!
Instagram: @The_Rachel_Maine
Website: https://linktr.ee/WellnessSexpertise
YouTube: YouTube.com/@OwningYourSexualSelf
Facebook: Rachel Maine
Email: [email protected]

Hey, hey! Welcome back to the Owning Your Sexual Self podcast! I am so thrilled to welcome back Dr Aly Ash! She’s a Stanford lecturer, author, and the founder of TurnON Love, and she has such a gift for turning life’s hardest moments into opportunities for growth. In this episode we’re talking about breakups; how to handle them with grace, how to process the grief without getting stuck in it, and how to reconnect to yourself and your pleasure after a relationship ends.

In this episode:

• Why breakups can feel so intense on both a physiological and emotional level
• How to know when a relationship is no longer serving you
• Why clarity about your needs and values matters before and during relationships
• What to focus on in the early stages of healing instead of rushing the process
• Ways to reconnect to pleasure and your body after a breakup
• What healthy no contact can look like and when staying friends is realistic
• Why ending a relationship can sometimes be the most loving thing you do for yourself and your partner

Thank you so much for listening!  Don't forget to share on your social media and tag me if you loved this episode! 

Connect with Dr. Aly
Instagram, Tiktok, & Facebook: @TurnOn.Love
Website: www.turnon.love

S3xual and Emotional Intimacy Skills online course on Tues, Jan 27th-Mar 17th

We all receive messages about who we are supposed to be, how we ought to feel, and how we should express ourselves, often enforced through shame and disconnection. Featuring 8 classes with a woven balance of science-based data, embodied exploration, and skills development designed to support you in creating, deepening, and sustaining s3xual and emotional intim@cy in your relationship(s). Recordings available for those who can't attend live or want extra review. Super early bird tickets available now for $200-$400 off!

Last but not least, reach out to Dr. Aly for individual, couples, and ENM coaching support! 

Support the show

Connect with Rachel!
Instagram: @The_Rachel_Maine
Website: https://linktr.ee/WellnessSexpertise
YouTube: YouTube.com/@OwningYourSexualSelf
Facebook: Rachel Maine
Email: [email protected]

Hello party people! We're back with another episode of the Owning Your Sexual Self podcast! What is it about vacation sex that feels so good? Maybe it’s the sunshine, maybe it’s the lack of stress, or maybe it’s just that “no responsibilities, no problem” energy. In this episode, I’m talking about why intimacy hits different when you’re away and how to bring that same spark home with you.

In this episode:

• Why sex feels different when you’re on vacation
• The freedom that comes from leaving responsibilities behind
• Being fully present instead of rushing through connection
• Simple ways to bring that carefree energy home
• Creating your own version of a “vacation vibe” day-to-day
• Adding more play and flirtation into your relationship
• How to keep that sense of adventure alive long after the trip

Thank you so much for listening!  Don't forget to share on your social media and tag me if you loved this episode! 

Resources
My Merch - wellnesssexpertise.com/shop
121. Sex, Love & Travel with Jazmin Cornejo
20. How to Plan a Sexy Staycation  

Support the show

Connect with Rachel!
Instagram: @The_Rachel_Maine
Website: https://linktr.ee/WellnessSexpertise
YouTube: YouTube.com/@OwningYourSexualSelf
Facebook: Rachel Maine
Email: [email protected]

Hello everyone! This week I’m joined by the incredible Dr. Diane, a clinical psychologist and relationship expert who helps couples keep long-term love and libido thriving. Her work focuses on keeping connection and libido alive through honest communication, curiosity, and care. Dr. Diane has a gift for making complex topics feel approachable and real, and her insights on desire, intimacy, and partnership are ones every couple can learn from.

In this episode:

• How desire naturally shifts in long-term relationships
• Why communication is key to keeping intimacy alive
• How curiosity can reignite attraction and connection
• How to approach low libido without blame or shame
• Practical ways to bring novelty back into a long-term relationship
• How to talk about sex when it feels awkward or vulnerable
• Dr. Diane’s advice for couples who feel disconnected but want to rebuild intimacy

Thank you so much for listening!  Don't forget to share on your social media and tag me if you loved this episode! 

Resources
Libido Quiz:  libidoquiz.com
Novelty Checklist: mysexdoc.com
For more freebies and discounts on paid products: havehotsex.com
Her Book: Want to Want It: How to Want Sex, Be Better At It and Get More Of It: WantToWantIt.com

Connect with Dr. Diane
Instagram & YouTube: @mylibidodoc

Support the show

Connect with Rachel!
Instagram: @The_Rachel_Maine
Website: https://linktr.ee/WellnessSexpertise
YouTube: YouTube.com/@OwningYourSexualSelf
Facebook: Rachel Maine
Email: [email protected]

Hey hey! Welcome back to the Owning Your Sexual Self podcast! This week I am so thrilled to welcome back the incredible Darshana Avila. You might recognize her from Netflix’s Sex, Love & Goop, where she helped bring real conversations about pleasure and embodiment into the mainstream. Darshana is a renowned somatic sex and intimacy coach and the creator of Erotic Wholeness, a body of work that helps people reconnect to their pleasure, power, and purpose. Every time she speaks, she drops wisdom that makes you see sexuality in a whole new way, and I cannot wait for you to hear this conversation!

In this episode:

•  How somatic practices create deeper healing and connection
•  The body’s protective patterns and how to shift them
•  What happens when relaxation and arousal meet
•  How eroticism connects to creativity and life force
•  What wholeness really means and how to access it
•  Clearing blocks to reconnect with authentic power and purpose
•  The link between personal and collective liberation
•  Pleasure as a radical act of resistance and truth
•  Simple ways to explore erotic wholeness through the senses

Thank you so much for listening!  Don't forget to share on your social media and tag me if you loved this episode! 

Connect with Darshana
Website: DarshanaAvila.com
Instagram: @Darshana_Avila
YouTube: @Darshana-Avila

Support the show

Connect with Rachel!
Instagram: @The_Rachel_Maine
Website: https://linktr.ee/WellnessSexpertise
YouTube: YouTube.com/@OwningYourSexualSelf
Facebook: Rachel Maine
Email: [email protected]