Ever wished you could quiet your mind long enough to actually feel turned on, without fixing yourself, forcing desire, or pretending your body is something it’s not?

 

In this episode, Allison sits down with bestselling romance author Kelsie Hoss for a playful, deeply validating conversation about desire, body image, libido, and the surprising role smut can play in reconnecting with your body. From purity culture and shame to postpartum numbness and mental overload, Kelsie shares how romance novels, especially body-positive, inclusive ones, can offer a low-pressure way back to arousal, imagination, and pleasure.

 

Together, they unpack why so many women struggle to “get in the mood,” how responsibility and survival mode disconnect us from desire, and why reading spicy fiction can feel safer (and more effective) than visual stimulation for many women. This conversation blends humor, honesty, and pelvic-floor-meets-real-life insight, while reminding listeners that arousal isn’t something you earn, it’s something you’re allowed to experience.

 

You’ll hear a refreshing take on how imagination fuels libido, why discomfort around smut often points to deeper conditioning, and how seeing real, imperfect bodies being desired can literally shift how you feel in your own skin. This episode is equal parts permission slip, laugh-out-loud girlfriend chat, and gentle invitation to explore pleasure on your terms.

 

Tune in to hear:

• Why so many women struggle to feel aroused once life gets overwhelming
• How romance novels can help bypass mental overload and reconnect you to your body
• The impact of purity culture and shame on desire and imagination
• Why body-positive smut can feel safer than porn for many women
• How reading spicy fiction can normalize pleasure without pressure
• What discomfort around smut often reveals about conditioning and belief systems
• Why seeing curvy, imperfect women being deeply desired matters
• How desire doesn’t require fixing your libido — just space to feel

 

Connect with Kelsie:

Website: https://kelsiehoss.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kelsiehoss/

Resources & Connect:

• Discover Your Pleasure Type Quiz: https://allisongermundson.com/discover-your-pleasure-type/
• Subscribe & Watch the episodes on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@onestrongwomantherapy
• Follow Allison on Instagram: @onestrongwomantherapy