Real Relationships with Cindra Banks

Have you ever wondered what’s wrong with your libido?

Maybe you used to feel desire more easily. Maybe getting turned on feels harder than it used to. Or perhaps you’ve found yourself wondering if something is broken, missing, or wrong with you.

In this episode, we’re unpacking one of the biggest misconceptions about female desire: that hormones are always the problem.

While hormones can absolutely play a role, they’re often only one piece of a much bigger picture. We’ll explore the hidden factors that can impact libido, including stress, mental load, emotional disconnection, resentment, body image, exhaustion, pressure, and the pace of modern life.

I’ll also share why many women haven’t actually lost their libido at all. They’ve simply lost access to the conditions that allow desire to emerge.

If you’ve ever felt frustrated by your lack of desire, worried that you’ll never get your spark back, or wondered why sex feels different than it used to, this episode is for you.

Follow me on Instagram at @realcindra and if you’re enjoying the podcast, I’d be so grateful if you’d follow, rate, and review the show. It helps more people discover these conversations and create healthier, happier relationships ❤️

Most people think the hardest part of a FIFO, military, or long-distance relationship is being apart.

But what if it’s actually the coming back together?

In this episode, I unpack one of the biggest challenges I’ve noticed in relationships where partners regularly spend time apart: the transition. And I am someone who is doing FIFO right now so you are hearing this first hand!

From saying goodbye and settling into separate routines, to navigating expectations, reconnecting, and finding your rhythm again when you’re reunited.

Whether you’re in a FIFO relationship, your partner travels for work, serves in the military, or you’re navigating long distance, this episode is packed with insights to help you create more connection, understanding, and ease in your relationship.

If you’ve ever wondered why things can feel a little off, even when you’re excited to see each other again, this one’s for you.

Follow me on Instagram at @realcindra and if you’re enjoying the podcast, I’d be so grateful if you’d follow, rate, and review the show. It helps more people discover these conversations and build healthier, happier relationships ❤️

Email me with subject line “FIFO waitlist” to be the first to access the FIFO Relationship Survival Guide!

What happens when you don’t want to have sex with your partner?

It’s one of the most common experiences in long-term relationships, yet it’s something so many couples struggle to talk about openly.

In this episode, I’m diving into the truth about changing desire, why not wanting sex doesn’t automatically mean your relationship is broken, and the stories we tell ourselves when intimacy starts to feel different - AND how I can relate to all of this and have worked through it too recently. You are not alone!

We explore the impact of stress, mental load, emotional connection, attraction versus desire, the pressure that often kills intimacy, and why honest conversations matter long before things reach crisis point.

Whether you’re the partner with less desire, the partner wanting more connection, or simply curious about how intimacy evolves over time, this episode will help you approach the conversation with more compassion, understanding, and curiosity.

Thanks for listening 💜

If you enjoyed this episode, I’d love for you to rate and review the podcast, share it with someone who might need to hear it, and come say hello on Instagram at @realcindra

Part two of this conversation explores some of the biggest relationship lessons I learned through the lens of kink/BDSM culture, consent, and intentional intimacy.

We talk about:

• Why play is essential in long-term relationships

• How safety creates deeper surrender and connection

• Boundaries, check-ins, and the power of saying no honestly

• Consent beyond the bedroom

• Presence, nervous systems, and why feeling safe matters

• Why many couples don’t have an intimacy problem…they have a disconnection problem

This episode is ultimately about emotional safety, communication, curiosity, and creating relationships where people feel seen, respected, and free to fully arrive in intimacy.

Thoughtful, grounded, a little spicy and probably not what you expect from the title!

Thanks so much for listening 💌

If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review, share it with someone who’d love it, and come say hi over on Instagram at @realcindra.

This episode might sound a little spicy from the title…but the biggest lessons I learned from dating a professional dom had very little to do with kink, and everything to do with intentional intimacy.

In part one, we dive into:

• Why intentionality matters more than spontaneity

• Creating space, anticipation, and emotional presence

• The difference between passive intimacy and conscious connection

• Honest feedback before, during, and after intimacy

• Why great intimacy isn’t mind-reading, it’s responsiveness

• Communication, emotional safety, and actually learning your partner

This conversation is less “50 Shades” and more: How do we create deeper connection, presence, play, and honesty in modern relationships?

A thoughtful, nuanced chat about intimacy, communication, and what many couples are missing!

Thanks so much for listening 💌

If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review, share it with someone who’d love it, and come say hi over on Instagram at @realcindra.

Everyone says “just communicate” like it’s the ultimate relationship fix…but what if communication alone actually isn’t enough?

In this episode of Real Relationships, I’m diving into why some couples talk constantly and still feel disconnected, misunderstood, or stuck in the same patterns over and over again.

We’re talking emotional safety, nervous systems, over-processing, speaking at each other instead of to each other, avoidant attachment, presence, and the kinds of conversations that actually create connection.

If you’ve ever walked away from a three-hour relationship conversation somehow feeling worse…this one’s for you.

Find me on Instagram @realcindra 💖

In the very first episode of Real Relationships, I’m sharing the story behind the mic.

I talk about my journey through sexuality, long-term relationships, divorce, coaching, couples counselling, self-discovery, sex camp, and the messy, beautiful experiences that shaped me into the intimacy and relationship coach I am today.

This episode is an honest introduction to who I am, what this podcast is about, and why I’m so passionate about helping modern couples build deeper, healthier, more connected relationships that survive real life.

Find me on Instagram @realcindra 💖

Thank you so much for listening xx