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

    • 4.7
    • 4.7
    • 4.7
    • 4.7
    • 4.7

    4.7

    1,032 ratings


    More shows like Conversations with Dr. Jennifer

    View all
    Better Than Happy by Jody Moore

    Better Than Happy

    5,674 Listeners

    BYU Speeches by BYU Speeches

    BYU Speeches

    1,551 Listeners

    Leading Saints Podcast by Leading Saints

    Leading Saints Podcast

    1,234 Listeners

    Faith Matters by Faith Matters Foundation

    Faith Matters

    1,785 Listeners

    All In by LDS Living

    All In

    6,418 Listeners

    The Lisa Show by BYUradio

    The Lisa Show

    413 Listeners

    Don't Miss This Study by Emily Freeman & David Butler

    Don't Miss This Study

    3,717 Listeners

    Unshaken Saints by Jared Halverson

    Unshaken Saints

    2,722 Listeners

    followHIM by Hank Smith & John Bytheway

    followHIM

    11,003 Listeners

    Come Back Podcast by Ashly Stone

    Come Back Podcast

    1,591 Listeners

    Magnify by LDS Living

    Magnify

    458 Listeners

    Inklings with Emily Belle Freeman by Emily Belle Freeman

    Inklings with Emily Belle Freeman

    733 Listeners

    Church History Matters by Scripture Central

    Church History Matters

    2,038 Listeners

    Temples and Covenants by BYU Speeches

    Temples and Covenants

    196 Listeners

    The Lizzy Jensen Show by Lizzy Jensen

    The Lizzy Jensen Show

    196 Listeners