Sex in long-term relationships can change — especially for women navigating motherhood, work, and the mental load.

If sex feels pressured, inconsistent, or harder to access than it used to, this episode is for you.

In this conversation, Landy Peek sits down with SkyeBlu Cutchie, Empowered Intimacy Mentor and Certified Relationship, Intimacy, and Sex Therapist, to explore why desire shifts over time — and how couples can rebuild intimacy, safety, and pleasure without forcing it.

This episode unpacks the difference between spontaneous desire and responsive desire, how pressure impacts arousal, and why emotional and nervous system safety are essential for fulfilling sex in long-term relationships.

Why sex can start to feel like an obligation in marriage

The difference between spontaneous desire and responsive desire (and why most women experience responsive desire)

How pressure and expectation quietly reduce sexual desire

What “non-demand touch” is and how it restores connection

How to talk about sex without triggering defensiveness

Why consent with yourself matters just as much as consent with your partner

How to create safety so intimacy feels playful again

Why sex is about connection and pleasure — not performance or obligation

This episode is especially relevant for:

Women in long-term relationships or marriage

Moms navigating mental load and emotional labor

Couples struggling with mismatched libido

Women who feel disconnected from sexual desire

Anyone wanting healthier communication around sex and intimacy

The Pleasure Posse – SkyeBlu Cutchie’s intimacy membership for women
👉 Join Here

Connect with SkyeBlu Cutchie
@skyebluc on FB
@intimacy.with.blu on IG
www.intimacywithblu.com

SkyeBlu Cutchie is an Empowered Intimacy Mentor and Certified Relationship, Intimacy, and Sex Therapist with over eight years of experience helping couples and women reclaim sexual confidence, pleasure, and communication in long-term relationships.

Her work focuses on responsive desire, consent, non-demand touch, and building intimacy that feels safe and mutually fulfilling.

If this episode resonated, share it with a partner or friend. Conversations about sex, desire, and intimacy become powerful when we normalize them.

Stress, Rewritten – A private audio experience designed to shift your body’s response to stress so connection doesn’t feel like pressure
👉 Join Here

In this episode of The Landy Peek Podcast, Landy sits down with Jessica O’Sickey, a nurse practitioner, double-certified nutrition coach, and mom of two young kids, to talk about what so many women experience in midlife—but rarely feel fully supported through: perimenopause symptoms, medical dismissal, and the exhausting process of advocating for yourself until someone finally listens.

Jessica shares her personal journey of being repeatedly brushed off by multiple providers—even with nearly two decades of healthcare experience—while navigating symptoms like extreme fatigue, mood shifts, brain fog, changes in cycle, midsection weight gain, and libido changes. Together, Landy and Jessica unpack the difference between “normal” labs and what actually feels optimal, why symptom-based care matters, and how women can begin making practical, sustainable shifts in nutrition and lifestyle without falling into the all-or-nothing cycle.

The conversation also explores why what worked in your 20s and 30s may not work the same way now—and how to adjust with grace, strategy, and small changes that fit real life.

What it feels like to be told you’re “too young” for perimenopause—and why that’s not accurate for many women

Common perimenopause symptoms that are often dismissed or misattributed

Why “normal” lab work doesn’t always mean you’re fine—and the key distinction between normal vs. optimal

How functional testing (including cycle-timed testing) can offer clarity and validation

Practical lifestyle adjustments that can make a real difference (sleep, training intensity, alcohol, recovery)

Why “pushing harder” often backfires in midlife—and what to do instead

A more supportive approach to nutrition: adding what you need vs. restricting what you love

Macro-based nutrition as a framework for balance (without cutting entire food groups)

How blood sugar swings can impact energy, cravings, and weight changes in perimenopause

The mindset shift that helps women stop spiraling after “one off-plan meal”

Jessica’s coaching style and why human support matters more than just a set of numbers

If you feel like something is off, keep advocating. You know your body. And while it can be exhausting to keep pushing for answers, you deserve care that listens, validates, and supports you—especially in a season of life where you’re still showing up for everyone else.

Instagram: @TheMacro_NP

Email: [email protected]

Join Stress, Rewritten 

If school regularly turns into tension, tears, shutdown, or power struggles at home, this episode offers a clean reframe: it’s often not a motivation problem. It’s a navigation problem.

Landy Peek is joined by Jessyka Coulter, founder of Ace Cookie Tutoring, to talk about what many kids are expected to figure out without being taught: how to manage school itself. Not the content—the system.

Multiple teachers. Multiple platforms. Different expectations. Different rules. Different ways to turn things in. And on top of that, the social pressure of not wanting to look confused or “behind.” When kids don’t have a framework to organize it, make sense of what matters, and ask for help without feeling exposed, the stress shows up fast.

That’s when you hear things like:
“I’m dumb.” “This is stupid.” “Stop asking me.” “I hate this.”
Not because they don’t care—but because they don’t know how to move through the demands in a way that works for their brain.

This conversation isn’t about pushing harder or “fixing” your kid. It’s about naming the real gap, understanding what’s missing underneath the behavior, and why things can change quickly when the right skills and supports are in place.

You’ll walk away with a clearer lens for what’s happening after school—and a more effective next step than another round of nagging, bribing, or late-night homework battles.

Jessyka Coulter — Founder, Ace Cookie Tutoring
Jessyka helps students build the learning systems and study skills that make school feel manageable and confidence feel earned.

Jessyka + Ace Cookie Tutoring
Website: www.acecookietutoring.com 
Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/asforstudents 
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoDL_P08NEyLFdfIH7IEgsQ 

Love to Learn Summit (VIP):
https://landyp--studywithjessy.thrivecart.com/ltol5vip/ 

Stress Rewritten is my private audio experience for real-life moments—when homework is melting down, your body is tight, and you’re about to snap. Quick, listen-and-shift tools you can use in minutes.
https://www.landypeek.com/offers/zFP4CosR/checkout

What happens when the life you’ve been powering through stops working—and there’s no clear pause button to figure out what’s next?

In this conversation, Landy Peek sits down with Emily Capuria—licensed therapist turned coach and author—to explore the reality so many women are living: overwhelm, over-functioning, and the quiet sense that your life doesn’t fit anymore, even if it looks “fine” from the outside.

Together, they unpack how meaningful change actually happens when your calendar is full, your family still needs you, and you’re tired of being the one who carries it all. This episode focuses on micro-shifts that create real relief—without adding one more thing to your plate.

Why life sometimes forces the pause—and why that pause can feel deeply uncomfortable

The overlooked starting point: getting curious about what you actually want, moment to moment

The “Gilmore Girls Pop-Tart” question—and why it matters more than it sounds

How to stop over-functioning at home without everything falling apart

Why delegating isn’t just practical—it changes your emotional load

The permission most women need: time (especially for creative projects)

Emily’s “magic” framework: strengths, what lights you up, and lived experience

A powerful reframe for parenting: prioritizing strengths—not just fixing weaknesses

Why missing “Crazy Sock Day” isn’t a catastrophe—and what that reveals about pressure and self-worth

Emily’s books: Happiness Happens and Riley’s Remarkable Roller Coaster Ride

The “Roller Coaster Breath,” a calming strategy designed for kids

Emily shares her work, resources, and ways to continue the conversation on Instagram.

Emily Capuria – Website https://www.emilycapuria.com/

Emily Capuria – Instagram https://www.instagram.com/emily.capuria/

Emily’s Books & Resources  https://www.emilycapuria.com/books-resources

If stress has been hijacking your day, Stress, Rewritten is a private audio experience designed to change how stress shows up in the moment—so it stops repeating on autopilot.

Join: Stress, Rewritten

Your life doesn’t need a complete overhaul to feel different. Sometimes the shift begins with one quiet question:
 

What do I want—right now?
And then letting that answer matter

If you’ve been feeling stretched thin, snappy, or quietly resentful—this conversation will land.

Because the problem usually isn’t your life. It’s the language running underneath it.

In this episode, Landy sits down with Cheryl Dillon—life coach and divorce coach with 15 years of experience helping people navigate high-stress seasons without burning everything down. Now, Cheryl’s focused on something just as powerful: helping midlife women reclaim joy, confidence, and emotional freedom by becoming their own best friend.

You’ll hear why so many women are living on autopilot, why your brain offers you a narrow set of “options” when you’re stressed, and how the smallest words—have to, should, need, I’m sorry—quietly train your nervous system to feel trapped.

This is not about becoming calm all the time. It’s about becoming grounded in yourself—so you stop outsourcing your peace to other people’s moods, expectations, or approval.

Why your relationship with yourself is the foundation for everything else (including friendships, joy, and confidence)

How “blame” keeps you stuck—and how radical responsibility gives you your power back

The real reason your brain “doesn’t give you options” when you’re stressed (and how to widen your lens)

How people-pleasing pulls you away from yourself—and how to stop making other people’s emotions your job

The language pattern that quietly drains you: have to / should / need

Simple replacements that instantly create more agency: I choose to / I intend to / I’m willing to

Why you don’t need a massive overhaul—just one small change you can repeat

A practical tracking tool (yes, it involves pebbles) that builds awareness without shame

Cheryl breaks down the “inner voice” most women live with—the critical, protective narrator that says you’re not enough—and explains how to interrupt it without turning self-growth into another performance.

And Landy shares a real-life example that every woman will recognize: how one belief (“being late means I’m a bad mom”) can hijack the entire morning—and how shifting the story changes everything.

Start small. Don’t make this a personality renovation.

Just notice the moment you start a sentence with “I’m sorry.”
Notice the moment you say “I have to.”
And try it one less time.

That’s how change sticks.

Coastal North County San Diego (in-person): Cheryl’s Connected Hearts membership community is designed for women who want more connection, joy, and real-life support in midlife.

Outside San Diego (anywhere): Subscribe to Cheryl’s free weekly newsletter, The Uplift—a Thursday email that shares relatable stories and coaching-based insights in real-world language, plus reflections and small action steps you can use immediately.

www.funderfulexperiences.com   Making Midlife Funderful: Curated gatherings, coaching & community for women shaping a midlife that's joyful, vibrant and intentional.

Get The Uplift, our weekly dose of connection, inspiration & Funderful updates - subscribe here.

Discover Connected Hearts - Our monthly membership community in North County San Diego, where women gather for laughter, learning, and genuine connection.

Pick one phrase you’re ready to interrupt this week:

“I’m sorry…”

“I have to…”

“I should…”

Then set an intention: say it one less time.
That’s it. That’s the work.

If this episode landed, Stress, Rewritten goes deeper.

It’s a private audio experience designed to change how stress runs your day—not by managing it better, but by changing the patterns underneath it.

Join the Stress, Rewritten waitlist to be the first to know when doors open, get early access, and receive any bonuses offered to waitlist members.

Join Stress, Rewritten Here

If you’ve ever said “I’m easy—whatever you want” while your body is silently bracing… this episode is for you.

In this conversation, Landy Peek sits down with coach Helen Bryer to unpack what people-pleasing actually looks like in real life—especially in parenting—why “just set boundaries” often doesn’t work, and how to shift patterns without going too big too fast.

This isn’t about becoming someone who’s harsh, selfish, or “bad at being kind.” It’s about learning the truth: people-pleasing isn’t your personality—it’s a safety strategy your nervous system learned. And what you learned, you can unlearn.

Together, Landy and Helen explore the overlooked bridge between head knowledge and real-world change: building safety in the body, practicing micro-steps, and restoring self-trust through tiny promises you actually keep.

Why people-pleasing often shows up as freezing, not just “being nice”

The surprisingly common fear underneath it all: “What if I get it wrong?”

How people-pleasing can intensify once you become a parent—especially when you’re trying not to pass it on

The difference between being kind and being compliant—and why it’s not “either/or”

The most practical starting point Helen teaches: the pause

Why nervous system tools work best when you’re already okay (not only in crisis)

How small self-promises (yes, even drinking water) rebuild self-trust and boundary capacity

The cycle-breaking conversation nobody wants to have: how society trains “good girls/good boys” to comply—and how to parent differently with grace

People-pleasing is learned. It made sense at the time. It helped you stay safe.

Boundaries aren’t a script problem—they’re a safety problem. If your body doesn’t feel safe, your mouth won’t cooperate.

Start smaller than you think. “Two minutes” can be a revolution.

You can be a generous, supportive person without abandoning yourself.

The pause is power. You don’t owe an immediate yes—by text, email, phone, or in person.

Before you respond to a request—an invite, a favor, an email—take a 2-minute pause.
Not to force a “no.” Just to check in: What do I want? What do I need? What’s true for me?
Then respond from that place.

Helen Bryer is a coach who supports people-pleasers—especially women and parents—who are ready to stop centering everyone else and start building safety, self-trust, and sustainable boundaries.

Website: https://www.helenbryer.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/helen.bryer/

Free guided audio journey: The Soft No — a gentle starting point if boundaries feel too scary

Tapping bundle: Five EFT routines for common people-pleasing scenarios—especially helpful during guilt spirals, overwhelm, or the “I can’t say no” moment

Share it with the friend who’s always “fine,” always helpful, always holding it all together.
And if you’re listening thinking, “This is me, and I’m ready to shift,” start with one tiny promise today—and keep it.

If you’ve ever hired help… and somehow ended up with more work, this episode is for you.

Because most women don’t struggle with delegation because they’re “bad at leadership.” They struggle because they’re unknowingly trying to hire a clone of themselves, holding a perfectionistic standard no one can meet, and carrying the mental load even after the task is “off” their plate.

In this conversation, Landy Peek sits down with Rachael Davila, owner of Extra Hands Virtual Assistance and author of Hey, Do I Need a VA?, to unpack the real reason support doesn’t feel supportive—and the shift that turns hiring help into actual freedom.

You’ll hear Rachael’s personal story of hitting a breaking point (the “success” that nearly took her out), what it forced her to face about control and perfectionism, and how learning to receive help changed everything—from business growth to home life.

Most importantly, Rachael breaks down a distinction every business owner needs to understand:

A doer executes tasks you clearly hand off.
A collaborator thinks with you—asks questions, sees the big picture, and helps pull you back on track when you veer off course.

If you keep hiring the wrong type for the season you’re in, delegation will always feel like friction.

Why “I’ll just do it myself” is often a control pattern—not a time-management issue

The hidden reason hiring help can feel like more mental energy at first

How to tell if you need a doer, a doer-leaning-collaborator, or a true collaborator

What to look for in interviews beyond the task list (communication style, leadership style, systems readiness, and more)

How to start delegating without risking your business—what to hand off first and why

The “good enough” mindset shift that makes support actually work

Why asking for help at home (and letting go of outcome control) is the same skill as delegating in business

How one delegation shift created enough space for Rachael to write and publish a book

Rachael shares the line that changes everything:
“Yes, I can do it… but I don’t want to.”
And why telling the truth about that is often the beginning of sustainable growth.

Rachael’s links (book, podcast, and ways to work with her):
https://linktr.ee/extrahandsva 

If this episode hit you, send it to the friend who keeps saying, “I just need to get more organized,” when what she actually needs is the right support.

Perimenopause can feel like someone changed the rules on your body overnight.
You’re still doing “the right things”—moving, eating well, showing up—and yet you feel more tired, more puffy, more reactive, and less like yourself.

This episode is the new rulebook.

I’m sitting down with strength and nutrition coach Ami Patrick to explain what’s actually happening in midlife (hint: it’s not that you’re doing it wrong), why your stress tolerance can shrink, and how to rebuild energy and confidence with a strategy that fits a real life.

If you’ve been thinking, “Why can’t I push through like I used to?”—press play.

In this episode, we cover nervous system support that’s practical (not performative), strength training that actually works for women 40+, and a nutrition approach that’s about nourishment—not restriction.

Why perimenopause can feel like a sudden system shift: fatigue, inflammation, mood changes, sleep disruption, brain fog

The “stress bucket” concept: why what used to feel manageable suddenly isn’t

Nervous system support as daily structure (not “calm all day” and not time-consuming)

The regulation framework most women miss: before / during / after—especially the “after”

Why intensity-first workouts often stop working—and what to do instead

What progressive overload actually means (and why it matters in midlife)

Why “random workouts” create random results—and how a plan builds confidence fast

Why the scale isn’t the goal—and what to track instead (strength, body composition, how you feel)

A simplified nutrition approach: protein basics, quality carbs, fiber, and micronutrients without restriction

Lifestyle alignment without shame: alcohol, recovery, boundaries, and prioritizing yourself in a high-responsibility season

This isn’t a motivation problem. It’s a physiology shift. The old plan often stops working because your body’s inputs changed.

Nervous system work isn’t about being zen. It’s about capacity. More range. More clarity. More resilience.

Strength training is the midlife cornerstone. Muscle supports metabolism, joints, bone density, brain health, and confidence.

Strategy beats intensity now. Planned training + recovery outperforms “go harder” every time.

Nourishment is leverage. Protein, fiber, minerals, and micronutrients matter more than perfection.

“Perimenopause didn’t break you. It changed the rules.”

“Your stress tolerance isn’t a character flaw—it’s physiology.”

“Nervous system work isn’t about calm. It’s about capacity.”

“Random workouts create random results. Midlife requires strategy.”

00:06 Meet Ami Patrick + the perimenopause wake-up call
03:21 The exhaustion and shame high-performing women don’t talk about
04:16 The “stress bucket” shrinks: why resilience changes
07:28 Pausing strategically (without checking out of life)
08:28 Energetic hygiene + why rest didn’t feel safe
15:49 Nervous system tools that work in real life
23:20 Midlife fitness: what changed and what works now
31:18 Body composition over scale obsession
33:34 How to start: coaching, form, home vs gym
40:30 Why two days a week can be enough (and why that feels hard)
43:56 Nutrition simplified: protein, carbs, fiber, micronutrients
53:46 The real shift: consistent dial movers, not total overhaul
59:12 Self-permission: prioritizing yourself without guilt
1:01:38 Where to find Ami + how to work with her
1:04:31 Closing + follow Ami (@midlifemusclementor)

Ami Patrick

Strength + nutrition coach helping women in midlife build muscle, confidence, and sustainable energy.
Instagram: @midlifemusclementor
Offers: Virtual + in-person coaching; programs including Lifted and membership options.

Occasional explicit language.

If you’re ending the year feeling exhausted but wired—grateful but resentful—this episode is for you. Instead of a typical recap, Landy guides you through a nervous-system-based reflection to understand what the last year cost your body, what moments your body still remembers, and what it’s time to stop sacrificing in the name of being “the one who holds it all.”

You’ll take a simple body check-in, reflect on your year through three powerful “body snapshots,” and name one clear shift you’re no longer willing to negotiate away. This is not about optimizing or “doing more next year.” It’s about telling the truth, honoring how you got here, and choosing one nervous-system-supportive practice that makes next year feel livable.

Why end-of-year reflection often fails the “strong one” (and what to do instead)

How to tell the truth about your year through your body—not your performance

The three snapshots your nervous system remembers most

Why survival can quietly become an identity—and how to update it

How self-gaslighting shows up as gratitude, discipline, and “pushing through”

A simple year-close ritual: one sentence, one cost, one boundary, one support

The real goal: not being perfectly regulated—believing your own signals

If you’re ending the year exhausted-but-wired—carrying the mental load, pushing through, and wondering why “more discipline” never fixes it—this is your next step.

I created The Stress Math Method because stress is just math: when what’s being asked of you is greater than the resources you have to meet it, your nervous system covers the gap. That’s why you can look fine and still feel maxed out.

Inside The Stress Math Method, we change the inputs—fast—by identifying the biggest hidden drains, cutting unnecessary demand (without blowing up your life), and rebuilding real resources into your real week so you can feel the difference.

Get The Stress Math Method here

If you’re carrying the mental load, the emotional load, and a thousand micro-decisions—and you can feel it in your body—this episode is your reset.

Landy Peek is interviewed by Cheryl Dillon, founder of Thunderful Experiences and the midlife women’s community Connected Hearts, for a real conversation about why midlife feels so busy and isolating, how constant information keeps your nervous system on alert, and what to do about it—right now.

You’ll learn simple, body-based tools you can use in the moment (even in public), plus the mindset shift that changes everything: regulation isn’t about being calm—it’s about capacity.

Why midlife feels more scheduled and disconnected than earlier chapters

How phones, work creep, and constant input keep your system “on”

The difference between being the thermometer (reading everyone) and the thermostat (setting your baseline)

A smarter approach to change: micro-moments of safety, repeated daily

The most overlooked lever: what you do after stress (that’s when your body learns)

Two fast, discreet tools to downshift without needing perfect conditions

Put your thumb just inside your ear canal and gently pinch/hold the small inner bump near the canal. Rest your hand along your cheek so it looks natural.
Use it until you feel the exhale/sigh. That’s the downshift.

Slowly trace around your lips with chapstick (or your fingertip).
Your mouth is a built-in self-soothing pathway. This signals safety fast—and it’s socially invisible.

Don’t guess. Measure it in your body.

Before and after a tool, test:

Neck rotation: look right, look left—notice your range

Cactus arms: elbows at 90°, rotate fingertips up/down—notice your range

If your range improves after a tool, your system is telling you: this is resourcing you.
If it doesn’t? Drop it. Choose something else.

Capacity is your nervous system’s range to meet your life without your body taking the hit.

When you resource yourself after stress, you teach your system: “It’s over. I’m safe now.”
That’s how patterns change over time.

Most women were trained to track everyone else’s mood, needs, and reactions.
This episode gives you language—and tools—to come back to your baseline.

Cheryl Dillon is a longtime divorce coach who supports clients through major life transitions. She’s also the founder of Funderful Experiences and creator of Connected Hearts, a community for midlife women who refuse to treat this chapter like a decline—and instead make it a turning point for joy, meaning, and real connection. Cheryl is exploring an online version of Connected Hearts while keeping the heart of the work: real-time gathering and honest conversation.

Connect with Cheryl:

Stress is just math.
When what’s being asked of you (decisions, logistics, emotional load, constant switching) is greater than the resources you have (time, support, recovery, systems), your body covers the gap.

Inside The Stress Math Method, you’ll:

Identify hidden drains

Reduce unnecessary demand without burning your life down

Build real resources back into your week

Cut decision fatigue so life feels lighter—fast

Details: The Stress Math Method Link