Pleasure, Intimacy & Relationships Advice
Up to date insight, tips and ideas for modern lives and relationships. From vulnerability to climax, pleasure and intimacy. From exploring complex emotions to better, more meaningful communication. From connection, real-world sex and empathy, to online dating and shame resilience, it’s all here.
Deepening Connection With Your Partner
Deepening Connection With Your PartnerNot a week goes by in my practice without meeting a couple who have lost connection. What was once a flurry of feelings and giggles has become little more than ‘meh’.I get it.Life gets in the way – everything else becomes a priority, then all of a sudden you find yourself…
Rekindling The Flame
Rekindling The Flame …when life gets in the way Date nights are great. They can remind you of why you fell in love way back in the beginning, but not if you just sit there staring at each other, or worse still, anxiously waiting for terror to strike in the form of a text…
How to Touch Like You Mean It!
How to Touch Your Lover(Like You Mean It!)One of the most basic forms of human connection is touch. For so many of us it’s hard to imagine life without it. From erotic passion to profound love, there is no deeper expression of affection, emotion and eroticism. Sadly, so many of us are touch-starved, not only…
Less Sex, Bad Sex & Sex Tech
Less Sex, Bad Sex & Sex Tech Recent stats show that young people are having less sex than any generation before them. Despite the so called ‘sex recession’ there is no evidence to suggest that other adult generations are also hit by this decline in carnal activities. In fact to the contrary, those over 55…
Is everything we believe about monogamy wrong?
Is everything we believe about monogamy wrong? Last night I attended Open Love NY’s panel / discussion event with Wednesday Martin (author of Untrue and Primates of Park Avenue) and Christopher Ryan (Sex At Dawn) discussing their respective books and the data that suggests humans are hardwired for non-monogamy. TL;DR – Looking at the history…
Getting Triggered in Relationships
Getting Triggered in Relationships The word ‘triggered’ occurs frequently on social media. Originally the word was used in clinical contexts to describe responses arising from complex trauma and PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) such as complicated behavior, chronic anxiety or panic. While its clinical meaning hasn’t changed, it’s used more colloquially to describe emotional…
How to Make Sex Last Longer
How to Make Sex Last Longer One of the most common questions I am asked is how to make sex last longer. For many of you, especially cis men, sex becomes challenging when you have to slow down and allow the encounter to lead you. After all, you long to be in control. You want…
How We Unlearn Pleasure
How We Unlearn PleasureObserve children playing outdoors. Whether together or alone, they are totally engaged and at-one with the moment they are experiencing. They let their emotions flow through them without filter. They are never thinking “This pleasure isn’t good enough” then spend the rest of playtime moping about it. They simply indulge whole-heartedly in the experience; the…
The (short) History of the Penis
The (short) history of the PenisThe penis has been enormously influential in shaping our beliefs and the cultural history of the world. Revered and feared in societies across the world, its name ‘penis’ comes from the Latin, meaning ‘tail’ and is the ultimate symbol of masculinity worldwide. Temples in India were once erected (no pun intended) in their honor,…
On Wanting...and Being Wanted
On Wanting & Being Wanted In disconnected relationships, partners treat each other as a burden, an obligation, a chore or errand. They cease to see each other as the individuals that caught their attention and once-upon-a-time, dazzled them with excitement and possibility. Over time, that excitement turns to disconnect; boredom, frustration, loneliness and even resentment.…
Where did my sex drive go?
I’ve Lost My LibidoHi Cyndi, I am 23 years old and I’m facing a difficult moment sexually because I have lost my libido. I have no interest in sex and the worst is that I don’t enjoy it anymore. What are some ways I can get my libido back? (Ps: I’ve been on the pill…
Sex, Death and Erotic Values
Sex, Death & Erotic Values“When we first got together I really enjoyed sex with my partner, but over time it started to change. I didn’t hate it, not at all, I just wanted it less often than him. There were other ways of connecting that I got more from and we just cruised along for…
Understanding Your Erotic Values
UNDERSTANDING YOUR EROTIC VALUESMany relationships counselors will talk about ‘relationship values’. Relationship values are what motivates us to find fulfillment in a relationship. For example, security is often a strong value people hold about intimate relationships. Without this, the relationship feels unfulfilling because it’s a value that matters to us. Others say connection, companionship or…
When Love Hurts...
When Love Hurts…My post just before the holidays late last year was a reflection on the struggles of having unresolved feelings during ‘happy’ times. When we don’t join in with the ‘happy-happy-joy-joy’ we can feel we are the odd one out. Significant cultural celebrations like the afore mentioned holidays and the upcoming Valentine’s day can be…
Women & That 'Orgasm' Problem
Women & That ‘Orgasm’ ProblemOne of the most frequently asked questions I get from women in my practice is about their ability to orgasm.Orgasm is the main outcome or goal many of us focus on when discussing sex. In terms of both language and culture it’s the default used determine whether or not sex has been…
5 Communication Problems That Erode Relationships
5 Communication Problems That Erode RelationshipsRelationships are complex. Whether at work, home, family or friends – our relationships make up so much of what is important in our lives. Despite this, relationships are also a source of struggle for many of us, if not all of us at one time or another. This is because…
How to Have Spontaneous Sex
How to Have Spontaneous SexAhhh – spontaneous sex. Even the phrase alone conjures images of youth, tropical holidays, cocktails by the beach and random acts of lust in the back of cars. The longing many of us have for spontaneous sex is not so much the idea that we’re just walking down the street and…
Why Speaking About Sex Is Important!
Why Speaking About Sex Is Important! With the volume of sexually explicit material available to us online these days not to mention easy access to it all, it would be very simple to think that we as a species have become very comfortable with talking about sex. You can find information about all kinds of sex and…
I don't like sex. What's wrong with me?
I don’t like sex. What’s wrong with me? Hi Cyndi, I don’t like sex. I would like to want to have to have sex but as soon as I start I can’t think about anything else but stopping. I am not in a relationship but have dated a few guys in the last year.…
Why Don't I Have Great Sex?
Why Don’t I Have Great Sex?Dear Cyndi,I am writing because I have been struggling for many years with my sex life. I have had several sexual experiences (all with men), but most of the time I end up feeling like sex has no meaning or purpose for me. I just can’t get into it and…
Porndemonium
PorndemoniumI am part of several online groups for sex professionals, which are a great source of inspiration and also discussion. Recently, a discussion erupted into a slagging match in which one member criticised some of the senior educators in our global community for not doing ‘enough’ about the ‘crisis’. Crisis? I thought. What crisis were…
