{"podcast":{"title":"Sex For Couples with Heather Shannon","slug":"sex-for-couples-with-heather-shannon-5845078","podcast_index_feed_id":5845078,"rss_url":"https://feeds.captivate.fm/ask-a-sex-therapist-with-heather-shannon/","website_url":"https://heathershannon.co/podcast/","image_url":"https://artwork.captivate.fm/dcbb0239-9ee5-409e-8b0d-71903234ff7d/Sex-For-Couples-Podcast-Tile-2k-Square-Pixels.jpg","author":"Heather Shannon","episode_count":184,"summary":"Sex For Couples is a podcast for committed couples who feel stressed, guilty, or frustrated about their sex life—and want to feel excited, close, and playful again. New episodes are released every Monday. Hosted by Heather Shannon, an AASECT Certified Sex Therapist with 19 years of experience as a counselor and coach, the show breaks down the emotional and psychological reasons intimacy fades and what actually helps couples reconnect. Heather has been featured on BloomTV and quoted in Cosmopolitan, Women’s Health, SELF, Glamour, and more. She is a Gottman-trained couples counselor, an Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapist and has spent 13 years as a practicing Buddhist. Through both solo and guest episodes, Sex For Couples offers approachable advice, open conversations, and helpful tools so couples can communicate better about sex, reduce shame and stigma, and enjoy rediscovering each other. This podcast isn’t about performance or perfection—it’s about helping couples stop overthinking sex and start having fun with it again. For more on Heather's work, visit HeatherShannnon.co. NOTE: This show was formerly called \"Ask A Sex Therapist with Heather Shannon\" and was renamed on Vale…","last_synced_at":"2026-07-13T10:20:21.504059+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/sex-for-couples-with-heather-shannon-5845078"},"episode":{"title":"Why You Keep Getting Told No to Sex (And It’s Not About Attraction)","slug":"why-you-keep-getting-told-no-to-sex-and-it-s-not-about-attraction","published_at":"2026-02-23T05:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/sex-for-couples-with-heather-shannon-5845078/why-you-keep-getting-told-no-to-sex-and-it-s-not-about-attraction","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/sex-for-couples-with-heather-shannon-5845078","url":"https://heathershannon.co/podcast/","audio_url":"https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/episodes.captivate.fm/episode/c532aa3e-7352-4ea8-8d2e-f4daa3f55852.mp3","summary":"Many higher sex drive partners are accidentally reinforcing the cycle of getting told no. This episode will help you break the cycle. Certified Sex Therapist, Heather Shannon, explores the patterns and emotional dynamics behind rejection in relationships, especially when one partner has a higher sex drive. In this episode, we'll break down common behaviors like withdrawal, performance, and story-telling, offering insights into how to shift these patterns for healthier intimacy. Chapters 00:00 The Rejection Loop in Relationships 00:29 Why Rejection Isn't About Attraction 00:56 Understanding the Pattern of Withdrawal 02:17 The Impact of Withdrawal on Emotional Needs 03:08 Attachment to Outcomes and Anxiety 03:54 Introducing Self-Energy and Spaciousness 05:15 Performance and Doing Sex for Your Partner 07:00 Authentic Desire vs. Performing Sex 08:18 The Power of Honest Communication 09:32 Managing Pressure and Expectations 11:37 The Stories We Tell About Rejection 12:52 Facts vs. Stories in Relationships 14:35 Relating to Thoughts and Stories 15:28 Protective and Exiled Parts in Emotional Regulation 17:11 Living at the Mercy of External Factors 17:37 Achieving Emotional Equanimity 18:26 Creating Space for Authentic Desire 19:20 Personalized Healing and Emotional Management Work with Heather Find out more about Heather's Pathway to Passion coaching program and see if it can help you stop stressing about sex and start having fun in the bedroom again! https://HeatherShannon.co Keywords relationship advice, sex drive, emotional mastery, attachment, communication, Heather Shannon, intimacy, relationship patterns, self-energy, emotional regulation This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp","meta_description":"Many higher sex drive partners are accidentally reinforcing the cycle of getting told no. This episode will help you break the cycle. Certified Sex Therap…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":1282,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/sex-for-couples-with-heather-shannon-5845078/episodes/why-you-keep-getting-told-no-to-sex-and-it-s-not-about-attraction/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/sex-for-couples-with-heather-shannon-5845078/why-you-keep-getting-told-no-to-sex-and-it-s-not-about-attraction.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}