Pleasure Project: Sex and Relationships

Dr. Jenn Kennedy, PhD, LMFT
  • 4.8 (28)
  • SEXUALITY
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

Exploration of all topics related to relationships and sexual pleasure: anatomy, psychology, toys, aging, communication, media, history. As a Marriage and Family Therapist specializing in couples and sexuality, I will also sometimes discuss adjacent topics such as attachment, dating, couples goals, communication, sex addiction and relational dynamics.

  1. 1D AGO

    Stop Waiting to Want It w/ Brooke Bralove | Szn. 4 Ep. 14

    Most people think desire should just show up. And when it doesn’t? They assume something’s wrong. In this episode, Dr. Jenn Kennedy sits down with Sex Therapist Brooke Bralove to challenge one of the biggest myths about sex: that desire is supposed to be spontaneous. Together, they unpack: Who actually experiences spontaneous desire (hint: fewer people than you think)Why long-term sex often becomes predictable—and what to do about itThe role of novelty in keeping desire aliveThe patterns couples fall into that quietly shut things downWhat it really takes to get out of a sexual rutPlus, Brooke shares how Accelerated Resolution Therapy can help shift the deeper emotional blocks that keep people stuck. If your sex life feels a little too quiet, a little too routine, or like something’s missing… this conversation will change how you think about desire and what to do next. #sexpodcast #relationshippodcast #desire #lowdesire #longtermrelationships #intimacy #couplestherapy #sextherapy #relationshipadvice #emotionalintimacy #sexualwellness #womensdesire #midliferelationships #keepitinteresting #modernrelationships #pleasureproject

    54 min

  2. MAR 22

    People Pleasing In Bed | Szn. 4 Ep. 13

    Perhaps you’ve questioned if you have a “libido issue,” but really it’s more of a self-abandonment problem. In this episode, Dr. Jenn Kennedy explores how people pleasing shows up in the bedroom and quietly erodes desire. If your sex life feels tense, mismatched, or confusing… if one partner is always pursuing while the other pulls away… this conversation will challenge the assumption that it’s simply a “desire discrepancy.” What if it’s not about libido at all? I unpack: ​The subtle ways you override your body to keep the peace​Say yes to avoid rejection​Initiate sex to prevent abandonment​Perform arousal you don’t genuinely feel​How chronic adaptation leads to the disappearing selfWhen you disconnect from your authentic wants and limits, desire doesn’t thrive, it collapses. Adaptation may preserve the relationship in the short term, but it quietly kills erotic vitality. If you’ve stopped knowing what you want, this episode will help you understand why, and how to begin reclaiming yourself. 🎧 Tune in now. Other Resources: ⁠FANOS⁠: Couples Sharing Exercise Related Episodes: The High Desire Partner | Szn. 4 Ep. 12 Motivations for Sex | Szn. 4 Ep. 9 Wise Effort in the Bedroom w/ Dr. Diana Hill | Szn. 3 Ep. 6 Ready to stop self-abandoning in your relationship and rebuild real desire? Explore Dr. Jenn’s course designed to help you break people-pleasing patterns and create authentic, connected intimacy. Buy Now! #PeoplePleasing #DesireDiscrepancy #SexTherapy #IntimacyIssues #HighDesirePartner #LowDesirePartner #RelationshipDynamics #AttachmentStyles #AuthenticIntimacy #ThePleasureProject

    23 min

  3. MAR 1

    The High Desire Partner | Szn. 4 Ep. 12

    There’s a moment in many relationships that rarely gets named. It’s when you stop initiating, not because you don’t want intimacy, but because rejection has started to feel predictable. You tell yourself you’ll try again later. You try to be patient. Low pressure. Understanding. But quietly something shifts. You start wondering: Is it me? Am I asking for too much? Does wanting closeness make me the problem? In this episode, I’m unpacking the emotional experience of the high desire partner, the one who reaches, initiates, and often equates intimacy with connection. We’ll explore: What “high desire” actually means (and what it doesn’t)Why high desire is so often misunderstood in relationshipsThe subtle traps high desire partners fall into, over-pursuing, self-silencing, resentment buildingHow to shift from pressure dynamics to deeper understandingPractical ways to create connection without abandoning yourselfWanting intimacy isn’t the issue. But how you carry that desire, and what it represents emotionally, changes everything. If you’ve ever felt like you’re “too much,” “too needy,” or constantly calibrating yourself to avoid rejection, this episode is for you. 🎧 Tune in and let’s talk about it. If this resonates, my course walks you step-by-step through understanding your desire patterns and communicating them clearly, without shame or pressure. 👉 Buy now ✨ Related Podcasts: Motivations for Sex | Szn. 4 Ep. 9Initiation: Who's Going to Make the Move? | Szn. 2 Ep. 12Long-Term Spark w/ Dr. Peggy Kleinplatz | Szn. 1 Ep. 26 #HighDesire #SexTherapy #Relationships #DesireDiscrepancy #EmotionalIntimacy #CouplesTherapy #SecureAttachment #ThePleasureProject

    25 min

  4. FEB 15

    From Burnt Out to Turned On w/ Fernanda Bressan | Szn. 4 Ep. 11

    You did everything right. You built the career. The family. The life you were supposed to want. From the outside, it works. So why does it feel like something inside you has gone quiet? In this episode, Dr. Jenn sits down with executive coach Fernanda Bressan to explore what really happens in midlife, when success no longer feels satisfying, when performance replaces presence, and when the spark you once felt starts to dim. Together, they unpack: Why midlife isn’t a breakdown, it’s a reclamation How high-achieving women lose touch with desire The connection between leadership, authenticity, and libido How shame blocks pleasure (in the boardroom and the bedroom) Why receiving, surrender, and softening are powerful, not passive This conversation moves beyond productivity and into aliveness. Because erotic energy isn’t just about sex, it’s about presence, truth, courage, and the willingness to want what you want. If you’ve ever thought, “Nothing is wrong… but nothing feels alive,” this episode is for you. ✨ If you’ve been living on autopilot — productive but not fully alive — my course will help you soften, receive, and reconnect to what truly turns you on. Step out of burnout and into embodied confidence. Buy Now Reach Fernanda at: IG: @fesoicher & @foundfully www.foundfully.com www.jmfatx.com Linked In #ThePleasureProject #MidlifeReclamation #ReclaimYourDesire #EroticAliveness #WomenAndDesire #FemalePleasure #HighAchievingWomen #FromBurnoutToPleasure #AuthenticLeadership #EmbodiedWoman #SexTherapist #CouplesTherapy

    59 min

  5. FEB 1

    Anxiety & Intimacy w/ Dr. Shreya Hessler | Szn. 4 Ep. 10

    In this episode, Dr. Jenn Kennedy interviews Dr. Shreya Hessler, a clinical psychologist, speaker, and founder of The Mindset Center, to discuss how anxiety, perfectionism, and self-worth shape intimacy in young adulthood and how this affects relationships of all structures. Together, they explore rejection sensitivity, shifting social norms, and how embracing imperfection can deepen connection. If you’ve ever felt anxious about dating, love, or being truly seen, this conversation offers fresh insight into building authentic intimacy in an anxious world. ✨ If you’ve ever felt stuck in old patterns of people-pleasing or self-doubt, ⁠my course⁠ will help you release those wounded dynamics and reconnect to your power. Learn to set clear boundaries, cultivate self-trust, and create relationships that actually feel safe and nourishing. ⁠Buy Now!⁠ Reach Dr. Shreya at: IG: dr.shreyahessler  website: drhessler.com TEDx #anxiety #relationships #genz #youngadults #mentalhealth #selfworth #intimacy #datinganxiety #pleasureproject #drjennkennedy

    47 min

  6. JAN 18

    Motivations for Sex | Szn. 4 Ep. 9

    We all assume we know why people have sex, pleasure, love, connection. But when you actually ask people, the answers are far more nuanced and, at times, surprising. Some people have sex to feel close. Others to avoid conflict, boost their ego, satisfy curiosity, reclaim power, or even get revenge. In this episode, Dr. Jenn Kennedy pulls back the covers on the real motivations behind why humans have sex and why understanding your personal “why” can fundamentally change how you experience intimacy. This conversation isn’t just about sex, it’s about what drives us, shapes our choices, and influences how we connect. When you can name your motivations, you gain more agency, clarity, and pleasure in your relationships. Listen now and start seeing your desires, and yourself, more clearly. Ready to go deeper?If you want help unpacking your sexual motivations, expanding your erotic self-understanding, and creating more intentional intimacy, join Dr. Jenn's Pleasure Circle course. This is where insight turns into practice. and start building a sex life that actually fits you. #MotivationsForSex #SexTherapy #SexPositive #Desire #Intimacy #Relationships #Pleasure #EroticSelf #SexAndPsychology #ThePleasureProject #DrJennKennedy

    28 min

  7. 12/29/2025

    Tantric Transformation w/ Emma Galland | Szn. 4 Ep. 8

    What if better sex isn’t about more tricks—but more presence? 💫 In this episode, Dr. Jenn Kennedy sits down with tantric holistic sex coach Emma Galland to explore how slowing down, tuning in, and connecting to your body can reignite desire and deepen intimacy. They unpack what it means for men to be embodied lovers, how to elongate pleasure and performance without pressure, and even how to access multiple orgasms. Discover how ancient tantric wisdom can transform modern relationships—and keep your erotic energy alive for a lifetime. ✨ If you’ve ever felt stuck in old patterns of pushing, pleasing, or losing yourself in relationships, you’re not alone. My course is designed to help you recognize these wounded dynamics and shift into your most powerful, integrated self. You’ll learn how to set boundaries with clarity, nurture without depletion, and create deeper, healthier connections—completely on your own terms. Buy Now! Reach Emma at: Instagram: @tantricawakenings  website: tantric-awakenings.com #tantra #sexualenergy #menshealth #embodiedmasculinity #tantricsex #intimacy #relationships #eroticenergy #pleasureproject #drjennkennedy

    54 min

  8. 12/14/2025

    Pursue & Distance Dance | Szn. 4 Ep. 7

    Are you the one chasing closeness… or the one hiding in the bathroom for “just five more minutes”? In today’s episode, I break down one of the most common, and most misunderstood relationship dynamics: the pursuer–distancer pattern. Whether it's about sex, money, conflict, or parenting, many couples find themselves stuck in this painful loop of one partner reaching while the other retreats. I dive into where these patterns come from, how attachment plays a role, why both partners actually want the same things (connection, safety, significance), and how this cycle quietly kills eroticism and intimacy. You’ll learn exactly what each style needs, what helps, and what absolutely doesn’t, and how to shift the pattern without blame. If you’ve ever felt “rejected,” “pressured,” “suffocated,” or “abandoned,” this episode will help you understand what's really happening underneath the surface… and how to move toward each other differently. Listen in to turn conflict into clarity, distance into desire, and pursuit into genuine connection. Subscribe now so you are first to know about new episodes. This also helps Dr. Jenn get recommended to others. ✨ If you keep finding yourself chasing connection… or pulling away the moment things feel too close, you're not broken — you’re running a pattern. My course is designed to help you understand these pursuer–distancer dynamics, regulate your nervous system, and create connection without pressure or shutdown. You’ll learn how to communicate your needs clearly, stay grounded during conflict, and build the kind of intimacy that feels safe, spacious, and genuinely mutual.Ready to break the cycle and relate from your most secure, empowered self? ⁠ Buy Now! #Relationships #SexTherapy #AttachmentStyles #PursuerDistancer #CouplesTherapy #Desire #Intimacy #EroticBlueprints #LoveBetter #ThePleasureProject

    27 min
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4.8
out of 5
28 Ratings

About

Exploration of all topics related to relationships and sexual pleasure: anatomy, psychology, toys, aging, communication, media, history. As a Marriage and Family Therapist specializing in couples and sexuality, I will also sometimes discuss adjacent topics such as attachment, dating, couples goals, communication, sex addiction and relational dynamics.

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