All Things Love and Intimacy with Katie Ziskind Katie Ziskind, Relationship Coaching, Sex and Intimacy Specialist, BS, MFT, LMFT, CSTIP, RYT500

Do you want a fulfilling love and sex life, but find yourself in never ending fights and avoiding intimacy altogether? This is episode goes over crucial conversations you need to get your sex and love life back on track. 
Welcome to episode, "63: Creating A Fulfilling, Satisfying Sex Life: Emotional Security and Sexual Intimacy," with Katie Ziskind and Paige Bond.
In this episode, Katie Ziskind was a guest on the "Stubborn Love" podcast.
Key takeaways from this episode:
How important communication is in enhancing sexual intimacy between partners
What role foreplay has in a fulfilling sexual experience and how time can vary for a partner’s needs
What aftercare is and why it’s just as important as foreplay
How couples can address and overcome mismatches in their need for physical touch

"Sometimes we grow up in a strict conservative and religious upbringing, where we get no education on sex, and then we also get misinformation. Like sometimes we learn that like sex toys are bad or masturbation is bad and it's like none of those things are inherently bad. We just don't learn about how they can be tools to learn about ourselves or to build desire."
"We're very groomed in society to like, You know, pay the bills or like go grocery shopping and you know, take the kids to soccer practice and those are beautiful things that are publicly socially acceptable but you know, we're not taught from a young age: hey, like, let's talk about what areas on your partner's body that they really like touched or what areas do you like touched and how can you vocalize that."
"Porn also doesn't show aftercare. So, aftercare is just as important as foreplay. It's, a time for bonding and connection and taking care of each other and nurturing each other after a sexual experience that really helps with balancing the elevated chemicals of dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin in the brain."


Paige Bond hosts the Stubborn Love podcast, is a Licensed Marriage Therapist, and a Polyamory Relationship Coach. Her mission is to help people-pleasing millennials navigate non-monogamy so they can tame their jealousy and love with ease. Her own journey from feeling lonely, insecure, and jealous to feeling empowered and reassured is what fuels her passion to help other people-pleasers to conquer jealousy and embrace love.
Katie Ziskind specializes in helping disconnected couples who want to work together after high conflict fights, affairs, sexual avoidance, and sexual rejection to develop a foundation of emotional connection, trust, love, and gain sex positive skills to understand foreplay, sexual pleasure, rebuild sexual desire, connect to their sexual, erotic playful side. 
Katie helps couples feel safe and excited emotionally and sexually about growing together. She gives you a safe place to talk about how your strict, conservative, religious upbringing has lead to feelings of shame, guilt, fear, avoidance, lack of satisfaction, and anxiety around sex and shift into reconnecting to sexual pleasure. She helps couples get familiar and comfortable talking about sex and gain sex positive education. 



Katie Ziskind is a sex positive, LGBTQIA+, queer affirming relationship coach, certified sex therapy informed professional, and Gottman level two trained marriage specialist. Her mission is to help you feel more comfortable talking about emotional expression, gain emotional intimacy skills, and feel confident talking about your sexual needs, sexual expectations, erotic desires, and fantasies with your partner or partners. Katie Ziskind loves helping couples break cycles of emotional distance and sexual avoidance, and develop emotional connection and rebuild sexual desire and sexual intimacy. 
You can build an emotionally secure, loving, playful, and passionate bond and healthy sex life by working with her at WisdomWithinCt.com. This episode is no replacement for seeking professional help.

In episode, "62: Attachment Injuries Unveiled: Healing Emotional Wounds in Relationships," of "All Things Love and Intimacy," we delve deep into the intricate world of attachment injuries within romantic relationships and explore how relationship coaching can help address and heal these emotional wounds.
Join Katie Ziskind, relationship coach, certified sex therapy informed professional, Gottman level two trained marriage specialist, as she navigates through the complexities of attachment theory and discover practical strategies for fostering healthier, more secure connections with your partner.
Katie Ziskind, a seasoned relationship coach with years of experience in guiding couples through challenging times, shares invaluable insights into identifying and understanding attachment injuries. She unravels the various forms these injuries can take, from trust issues and betrayal to emotional neglect and unresolved conflicts, shedding light on their profound impact on the dynamics of a relationship.
Through real-life examples, she illustrates the detrimental effects of attachment injuries on intimacy, trust, and overall relationship satisfaction. Drawing from evidence-based techniques and therapeutic approaches, she offers actionable advice on how relationship coaching can facilitate healing and repair within the context of a partnership.
Listeners will learn:
That in a long-term marriage, hurt is part of the experience, and so is emotional repair Examples of relational and attachment injuries that negatively impact a secure, close bond in romantic relationships.How the partner, who caused hurt, needs to take ownership and show emotional validation to the hurt partner
Practical strategies for addressing and repairing attachment injuries that support emotional expression and emotional intimacy The role of empathy, communication, and vulnerability in fostering a secure attachment bondHow to cultivate a resilient and fulfilling relationship built on trust, mutual respect, and emotional connection.
If you're a couple facing challenges in your relationship and wanting to deepen your understanding of attachment dynamics, this episode provides invaluable guidance and inspiration for navigating the complexities of human connection.
Embark on a transformative journey towards healing emotional wounds and building stronger, more resilient relationships. Don't miss out on this enlightening conversation that promises to empower you to create the love and connection you deserve.
Katie Ziskind is a sex positive, LGBTQIA+, queer affirming relationship coach, certified sex therapy informed professional, and Gottman level two trained marriage specialist.
Her mission is to help you feel more comfortable talking about emotional expression, gain emotional intimacy skills, and feel confident talking about your sexual needs, sexual expectations, erotic desires, and fantasies with your partner or partners.
Katie Ziskind loves helping couples break cycles of emotional distance and sexual avoidance, and develop emotional connection and rebuild sexual desire and sexual intimacy.
You can build an emotionally secure, loving, playful, and passionate bond and healthy sex life by working with her at WisdomWithinCt.com.
This episode is no replacement for seeking professional help.

Welcome to episode, "61: What Is Emotional Intimacy? Unlocking the Depths of Human Connection For A Happy, Long-Lasting Marriage," of the "All Things Love and Intimacy," podcast with Katie Ziskind. She discusses the value and importance of emotional intimacy and how we are set up from childhood to avoid emotional intimacy. When we look at building emotional intimacy and emotional vulnerability for a happy marriage, often times we don't learn this essential skill growing up. Growing up with parents who are emotionally neglectful, dismissive of your emotional experiences, didn't show interest in your emotions, told you to, and "stop crying and suck it up," leads to emotional wounds. If you had a parent or caregiver who made you to care take for them and put your emotional needs last, they didn't support you in feeling safe or learning emotional intimacy skills. In childhood, we are taught to stuff away emotions, put on a happy mask, be perfect, and we never learn how to be emotionally vulnerable. In this episode, you can learn tools and techniques for being emotionally vulnerable and how emotional intimacy is a foundational building block for building a healthy sex life, feeling sexually safe, and exploring sexually. Emotional intimacy means learning how to identify your own emotions such as using an emotion wheel. Every day, we are having emotional experiences, but more often than not, we look at these as simply behaviors and facts. Learning how to talk about emotions with your partner and show curiosity about your partner's feelings supports building a deep and connected relationship. You don't have to fix your partner's emotions, but you can learn to show curiosity. Marriage is without emotional intimacy ends in separation, infidelity, and affairs because emotional intimacy is a deep, core need that every human has.
Katie Ziskind delves deep into the intricate landscape of emotional intimacy, unraveling its profound significance in married life. Join us as we navigate the nuances of vulnerability, trust, and empathy, exploring how they intertwine to cultivate genuine connections. Katie Ziskind gives practical strategies to nurture and enhance this essential aspect of married life. Whether you're seeking to deepen your existing romantic relationship or embark on a journey of self-discovery, this episode offers invaluable insights into the profound beauty of emotional intimacy.
Katie Ziskind is a certified sex therapy informed professional, Gottman level two marriage specialist, relationship coach. She specializes in helping couples in relationship coaching who are emotionally disconnected and sexually distant. She teaches emotional expression skills, tools for emotional intimacy, and how to rebuild sexual desire and sexual connection.
You and your partner(s) can work with Katie Ziskind at www.WisdomWithinCt.com
This podcast is no replacement for seeking professional help.

In episode, "60: Linking Fights To Childhood Feelings and Unmet Childhood Needs - Breaking The Cycle of Conflict," you and your partner(s) can join Katie Ziskind, a Gottman trained marriage specialist, relationship coach for sexually avoidant couples, and certified sex therapy informed professional, as she delves into the complex interplay between childhood experiences, unmet needs, and patterns of conflict in adult relationships. When fighting, your partner(s), who you love, know exactly how to ruffle your feather, get under your skin, and trigger you to a state of yelling, anger, dysregulation, and extreme, intense emotions.
Growing up with parents or caregivers that made you feel inadequate, inferior, ignored, shamed for crying or showing emotion, is emotionally traumatic. Often, these emotions get stuffed away and re-triggered in marital conflict. Understanding the link between current triggers, anger, and the negative fight cycle, and childhood trauma experiences is a key part in creating a secure, safe, and emotionally in tune bond. Emotional intimacy is the foundation for sexual desire.
Drawing from her extensive expertise in couples therapy and sex focused marriage therapy, Katie Ziskind explores how unresolved childhood feelings and unmet needs can manifest in the way couples argue and relate to each other, shaping the dynamics of their relationship. When you are triggered, yelling, and wanting to get away from conflict, it can be hard to see the underlying unmet childhood needs and deeper emotional experiences.
Throughout the episode, Katie Ziskind guides listeners through the process of identifying and understanding the connection between past experiences and present conflicts within the context of romantic relationships. She highlights common themes and patterns that emerge when couples engage in arguments, providing listeners with valuable insights into the underlying emotions and triggers fueling the conflict. By linking fights to childhood feelings and unmet needs, Katie Ziskind empowers couples to break free from destructive patterns and cultivate healthier ways of relating to each other.
Using a combination of evidence-based techniques from Gottman Method Couples Therapy and sex focused therapy, Katie Ziskind offers practical strategies and tools for couples to navigate conflict more effectively and strengthen their emotional connection. From understanding how you and your partner(s) are triggered unmet childhood needs, you can learn to work together and turn conflicts around to foster greater intimacy and understanding.
Moreover, Katie Ziskind emphasizes the importance of self-awareness and reflection in the journey towards breaking the cycle of conflict. By encouraging listeners to explore their own childhood experiences and unmet needs, she invites them to deepen their understanding of themselves and their relationship dynamics. Through introspection and empathy, couples can cultivate greater compassion and empathy towards each other, paving the way for healing and growth.
Whether you're navigating disagreements with your partner or seeking to enhance the emotional intimacy in your relationship, episode 60 of "All Things Love and Intimacy" offers invaluable insights and guidance to help you break free from the cycle of conflict and create a more harmonious, trauma-focused, and fulfilling partnership. Tune in now to embark on a journey towards deeper understanding, connection, and love in your relationship.
Katie Ziskind specializes in relationship coaching to help couples who experience emotional disconnection, high conflict fights, and sexual avoidance issues rebuild playfulness, express emotions in vulnerable ways, talk about sexual needs, sexual urges, and co-create an erotic connection.
You and your partner(s) can work with Katie Ziskind to break the cycle of sexual avoidance and improve emotional intimacy at www.WisdomWithinCt.com
This podcast is no replacement for seeking professional help.

In episode, "59: Navigating Rough Waters In Long-Term Relationships and Effective Ways To Stay Strong Together," of "All Things Love and Intimacy," Katie Ziskind, relationship coach, Gottman level two trained marriage specialist, certified sex therapy informed professional, delves deep into the heart of long-term relationships and explores the journey of reigniting passion and intimacy. Whether you've been together for decades or are navigating the challenges of maintaining connection in a committed partnership, this episode offers valuable insights and practical tips for revitalizing the flame of passion. We go over unhealthy relationship dynamics that can sometimes come up in low moments. Rough waters can include, but are not limited to handling conflict in unhealthy ways, being avoidant, stonewalling, yelling, name calling, going through unexpected losses, traumas, going through a career change, going back to school, or financial stress, family issues and family stressors and challenges.


Join Katie Ziskind as we navigate the complexities of long-term love and discover effective strategies for rebuilding emotional intimacy and reigniting sexual passion. From exploring the importance of vulnerability and mindful connection to embracing erotic adventures and prioritizing pleasure, we uncover the keys to fostering a deeper, more fulfilling connection with your partner.


Tune in to gain valuable insights and learn actionable steps you can take to cultivate lasting passion and intimacy in your own relationship. Don't miss out on this empowering journey towards a more vibrant and passionate love life.


Work with Katie Ziskind, Gottman level two trained marriage specialist, sex and intimacy specialist, relationship coach, at www.WisdomWithinCt.com.
This episode is no replacement for seeking professional help.

Welcome to episode, "58: Revitalize Passion By Holistically Understanding Low Desire in Relationship Coaching," on the "All Things Love and Intimacy," podcast where we delve deep into the complexities of human connection and the pursuit of lasting love. From a holistic perspective, Katie Ziskind addresses the root causes contributing to sexual avoidance and low desire. Being in a sexless marriage, in a cycle of sexual avoidance, constantly facing rejection, and feeling sexual anxiety can lead to disconnection, loneliness, insecurity, and emotional tension. She shares identifying signs that you may be in a sexless marriage and helps couples empathetically understand the key ingredients to foster pleasure-oriented physical touch. She also speaks to relaxation being a precursor for sexual arousal and sexual desire and ways to support more relaxation.
Join us as Katie Ziskind navigates the intricacies of these common yet often overlooked issues, unpacking the underlying factors that contribute to diminished intimacy and passion in relationships. She uncovers strategies you can start doing today, techniques, and mindset shifts necessary to break free from cycles of avoidance and rekindle the flames of desire. From holistically unpacking root causes to fostering open communication and rekindling desire, Katie Ziskind aims to make sex a comfortable, safe conversation topic.
From fostering open and honest communication to addressing religious traumas and insecurities, relationship coaching with Katie Ziskind offers a holistic approach to revitalizing passion, your sex life, and intimacy. By creating a safe and supportive environment for couples to explore their desires, fears, and vulnerabilities, Katie Ziskind empowers you to embrace your authentic, erotic, and sexual self and reignite the spark of passion in your long-term relationships.
Katie Ziskind provides expert advice on navigating the complexities of sexual avoidance and low desire, offering hope and playfulness. Whether you're struggling to reconnect with your partner or seeking to deepen the intimacy in your relationship, this episode offers valuable insights and practical tools to help you break through barriers and cultivate a more fulfilling and passionate connection.
Don't miss out on this empowering journey towards a happier, healthier, and more intimate relationship. Join us as we explore the transformative potential of relationship coaching in revitalizing passion and intimacy, and reclaiming the love and connection you deserve.
Work with Katie Ziskind, relationship coach, Gottman level two marriage specialist and sex therapy informed professional at www.WisdomWithinCt.com
This episode is no replacement for seeking professional help.