Reclaiming Catholic Intimacy

Sign up for Want it and Enjoy it right here!

Enrollment is open through May 1.

In this bonus episode, Ellen shares some responses from women in the most recent cohort of Want it and Enjoy it. There are wins, things they loved about the course, and encouragement for women trying to decide if they want to join the program. 

Take a listen to this episode if you are on the fence about joining. 

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Ready to increase your desire and experience pleasure? Join the next round of Want it and Enjoy it

Did we mention a book on this week's episode? Click here for our recommended books!

Reach out at instagram.com/ellenholloway_/ or email us at [email protected]

Sign up for Want it and Enjoy it right here! Enrollment is open through May 1 at 11:59 pm PT

 In this episode of Reclaiming Catholic Intimacy, Ellen Holloway talks about why a “fine” sex life is actually keeping you stuck and slowly disconnecting you from your husband. She challenges all those thoughts like “this is just how it is” and explains why desire, pleasure, and excitement are things you can actually build.  It might make you rethink what you’ve been calling “fine.” 

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Ready to increase your desire and experience pleasure? Join the next round of Want it and Enjoy it

Did we mention a book on this week's episode? Click here for our recommended books!

Reach out at instagram.com/ellenholloway_/ or email us at [email protected]

Download your free copy of What the Church Actually Says About Sex and Marriage right here

In this episode of Reclaiming Catholic Intimacy, Ellen Holloway and Kathleen Chovanes talk about a hard truth most of us don’t want to hear: your sex life isn’t going to magically fix itself. They share why waiting for a different “season of life,” blaming your husband, or blaming hormones usually keeps you stuck. If things aren’t where you want them, this episode is a loving but honest push to take responsibility, make some changes, and start doing the work that actually makes sex better. 

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Ready to increase your desire and experience pleasure? Join the next round of Want it and Enjoy it

Did we mention a book on this week's episode? Click here for our recommended books!

Reach out at instagram.com/ellenholloway_/ or email us at [email protected]

Download your free copy of What the Church Actually Says About Sex and Marriage right here

In this episode of Reclaiming Catholic Intimacy, Ellen Holloway talks about what to do when you and your husband want sex at totally different levels. She explains why desire often comes from how rewarding sex feels and why many women struggle to want it if it hasn’t been very enjoyable. Ellen also shares simple ideas like building an intimacy “menu” and scheduling connection time so you can grow closer without all the pressure around sex. 

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Ready to increase your desire and experience pleasure? Join the next round of Want it and Enjoy it

Did we mention a book on this week's episode? Click here for our recommended books!

Reach out at instagram.com/ellenholloway_/ or email us at [email protected]

Download your free copy of What the Church Actually Says About Sex and Marriage right here

In this episode of Reclaiming Catholic Intimacy, Ellen Holloway shares what it was like six months into her marriage when she honestly thought she might never like sex and could live without it. She talks about the purity culture messages that made sex feel bad and dirty, and the slow journey that helped her see it as something good, holy, and actually enjoyable. If you’ve ever wondered “what if I just never like sex,” this episode will feel very familiar and really hopeful. 

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Ready to increase your desire and experience pleasure? Join the next round of Want it and Enjoy it

Did we mention a book on this week's episode? Click here for our recommended books!

Reach out at instagram.com/ellenholloway_/ or email us at [email protected]

Download your free copy of What the Church Actually Says About Sex and Marriage right here

In this episode Ellen Holloway explains the concept of “spectatoring,” the mental habit of monitoring yourself during sex instead of being present in the experience. She explores why this is so common among women, including influences like purity culture, performance pressure, body image concerns, and anxiety about doing sex “correctly.” Ellen also shares practical tools to interrupt spectatoring, including sensory grounding techniques and mindset shifts that help you stay present with your husband. 

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Ready to increase your desire and experience pleasure? Join the next round of Want it and Enjoy it

Did we mention a book on this week's episode? Click here for our recommended books!

Reach out at instagram.com/ellenholloway_/ or email us at [email protected]

Download your free copy of What the Church Actually Says About Sex and Marriage right here

In this episode of Reclaiming Catholic Intimacy, Ellen Holloway and Kathleen Chovanes talk about what purity culture actually got right and where it really hurt us. They share how all those fear-based messages about sex can stick with you into marriage and make it hard to relax and actually enjoy intimacy. Honestly, it’s one of those episodes where you’re like, oh…that’s why this still feels weird for me. 

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Ready to increase your desire and experience pleasure? Join the next round of Want it and Enjoy it

Did we mention a book on this week's episode? Click here for our recommended books!

Reach out at instagram.com/ellenholloway_/ or email us at [email protected]

Download your free copy of What the Church Actually Says About Sex and Marriage right here

In this episode of Charting Toward Intimacy, Ellen Holloway explains the difference between spontaneous desire and responsive desire and why misunderstanding these patterns often causes frustration in marriage. She walks through simple questions that help women identify their primary desire style and explains why many wives struggle when they wait to feel “in the mood” before engaging. Ellen also shares how responsive desire actually grows in the right context and how shifting one key question during initiation can transform a couple’s sexual connection. This episode helps Catholic wives better understand their desire and approach intimacy with greater confidence and freedom. 

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Ready to increase your desire and experience pleasure? Join the next round of Want it and Enjoy it

Did we mention a book on this week's episode? Click here for our recommended books!

Reach out at instagram.com/ellenholloway_/ or email us at [email protected]

In this episode of Charting Toward Intimacy, Ellen Holloway and Kathleen Chovanes discuss the impact of romance novels, story based erotica, and popular television dramas on female arousal and marital intimacy. They explain how anticipation and imagination shape women’s desire, and why directing those dynamics toward fictional characters can undermine connection with your husband. The conversation explores the concept of emotional pornography, the differences between male and female arousal patterns, and practical ways to cultivate healthy sexual anticipation within marriage. 

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Ready to increase your desire and experience pleasure? Join the next round of Want it and Enjoy it

Did we mention a book on this week's episode? Click here for our recommended books!

Reach out at instagram.com/ellenholloway_/ or email us at [email protected]

In this episode of Charting Toward Intimacy, Ellen Holloway discusses the connection between sleep and sexual desire for women. She explains how chronic exhaustion puts the body into survival mode, lowering both libido and enjoyment of sex, and why pushing through fatigue often backfires. Ellen offers practical guidance on how much sleep women truly need, especially during pregnancy and postpartum, and how to reprioritize responsibilities to support a healthier sex life. 

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Ready to increase your desire and experience pleasure? Join the next round of Want it and Enjoy it

Did we mention a book on this week's episode? Click here for our recommended books!

Reach out at instagram.com/ellenholloway_/ or email us at [email protected]