Conversations with Dr. Jennifer

Understanding Sexual Shame


Listen Later

Many of us carry sexual shame that began long before adulthood. The tone of our childhood homes, the way our parents handled emotion and mistakes, and the silence or anxiety surrounding the body all shaped how acceptable our desires—and our imperfections—felt to us. Those early messages often linger, coloring how we see ourselves and even how we imagine God sees us.

In this NEW episode, Dr. Finlayson-Fife joins Chris Rich of The Mixed-Faith Relationship Podcast to unpack where sexual shame comes from and how it shows up in adulthood. She explains how shame turns toxic when it convinces us that our flaws make us unworthy, and she offers a clearer, kinder way forward—one that helps us accept our embodied nature, integrate our sexuality, and relate to ourselves with more honesty and compassion.



Listen to the full episode to learn more about:

  • What sexual shame actually is—and how it develops

  • How childhood experiences shape comfort with desire

  • Why many of us confuse anxiety with “God’s judgment”

  • The difference between healthy inhibition and toxic shame

  • How both repression and indulgence keep us stuck

  • What genuine sexual integration looks like

  • How to foster healthier, shame-free conversations with our children


    JOIN OUR MAILING LIST HERE and you'll get the link to join us for an online screening of "The Mormon Sex Therapist" on Thursday! 

    ...more
    View all episodesView all episodes
    Download on the App Store

    Conversations with Dr. JenniferBy Dr. Jennifer Finlayson-Fife

    • 5
    • 5
    • 5
    • 5
    • 5

    5

    2 ratings


    More shows like Conversations with Dr. Jennifer

    View all
    Better Than Happy by Jody Moore

    Better Than Happy

    5,681 Listeners

    The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett by DOAC

    The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett

    8,575 Listeners

    Faith Matters by Faith Matters Foundation

    Faith Matters

    1,749 Listeners

    The Peter Attia Drive by Peter Attia, MD

    The Peter Attia Drive

    8,708 Listeners

    All In by LDS Living

    All In

    6,520 Listeners

    Conversations with Dr. Jennifer by Dr. Jennifer Finlayson-Fife

    Conversations with Dr. Jennifer

    41 Listeners

    Unshaken Saints by Jared Halverson

    Unshaken Saints

    2,615 Listeners

    followHIM by Hank Smith & John Bytheway

    followHIM

    10,651 Listeners

    The Mel Robbins Podcast by Mel Robbins

    The Mel Robbins Podcast

    19,831 Listeners

    Church History Matters by Scripture Central

    Church History Matters

    2,107 Listeners