Pleasure Bound

Kelsey Peterson, Kate Steele
  • 4.7 (12)
  • Self-Improvement
  • Updated Biweekly

Pleasure. Power. Peace. In every body. Pleasure Bound is a juicy, honest podcast about reclaiming joy, desire, and embodiment—especially in bodies shaped by disability, marginalization, trauma, grief, and profound change. Hosted by disabled storytellers Kelsey Peterson and Kate Steele, this show blends vulnerable storytelling, cultural truth-telling, laughter, and lived wisdom to explore what pleasure really means—and how to access more of it on your own terms. We talk sex, yes—but also sensuality, nervous systems, self-advocacy, embodiment, and the radical act of loving your body as it is. Each episode offers real conversations, practical tools, pleasure practices, and experiments in joy. We unpack shame, ableism, toxic cultural narratives, and the stories we’ve been handed about whose bodies get to feel good—and then we rewrite them together. Pleasure Bound is a space for curiosity, collective care, softness, and spice. A place to say the quiet parts out loud, celebrate our differences, and remember that pleasure is your birthright. New episodes weekly. Come curious. Leave more turned on to life.

  1. 1d ago

    Episode 17 Motherhood in ANY BODY: Kate's Journey with Birth & Motherhood as a Paralyzed Woman

    Episode Description In this deeply personal episode, Kate opens up about motherhood as a quadriplegic woman — from a miscarriage that reframed her entire relationship with her body, to a grueling pregnancy that left her feeling like her body was no longer her own. She shares her harrowing birth story involving autonomic dysreflexia, aspiration pneumonia, and a 14-day NICU stay. Along the way, Kelsey shares her own story of abortion, the grief of losing her brother Nathan, and the complicated truth of always wanting to be a mom but likely never having kids. Together they explore how pleasure extends far beyond sex — into rest, boundaries, safety, and the sacred, messy work of raising empathetic humans in a patriarchal world. It's a raw conversation about loss, resilience, the village it takes to mother in a disabled body, and the childlike wonder our kids return to us. ⚠️Content Warning (See Resources & Support after the Timestamps) This episode includes personal conversations about miscarriage, high-risk pregnancy, abortion, childbirth complications, grief, and the loss of a loved one. Some of these stories may be tender or difficult to hear. Please take care of yourself while listening. You’re welcome to pause, skip, or return to this conversation whenever it feels right for you. The experiences shared in this episode are personal and are not intended to replace medical, mental health, or professional advice. If you’re navigating a pregnancy complication, reproductive loss, or emotional distress, please consider reaching out to a qualified healthcare or mental health professional.   Timestamps (0:00) — Cold Open: Childlike Wonder & Imagination (1:41) — Welcome Back - Diving Into Kate’s Motherhood Journey (3:17) — Being Pregnant as a Quadriplegic: Where to Start (4:42) — Pregnancy in a Paralyzed body = Hard (6:50) —  Navigating Partner Problems, Paralysis & Pregnancy (8:41) — "My Body Was No Longer Mine" (11:35) — From My Survival to His (14:19) — Kelsey's Grief: Losing Brother Nathan (19:54) — Loving Deeper Because of Loss (23:20) — Pleasure & Exquisite Pain After Grief (25:11) — Miscarriage: The Loss That's Minimized (26:20) — Different Paths to Motherhood (27:55) — Kelsey's Abortion Story (31:23) — The Worry That Never Stops (33:50) — Birth Story: Autonomic Dysreflexia vs. Labor (36:30) — 27 Hours Without Her Baby & the NICU experience (41:18) — The Physical Toll, Mom Guilt & the Baclofen Dilemma (44:00) — Redefining Pleasure: It's Not Just About Sex (47:42) — Finding Your Way Back: Rest, Boundaries & Safety (52:21) — It Takes a Village - Compound Dreams (54:30) — Raising Boys as a Disabled Woman (55:46) — Divine Feminine & the Elevated Masculine (58:00) — Kids Who Grow Up Around Disability (1:01:28) — Reclaiming Childlike Wonder & Play (1:03:25) — Closing & Outro   Resources & Support - National Maternal Mental Health Hotline: Free, confidential, 24/7 support. Call or text 1-833-TLC-MAMA (1-833-852-6262). - All-Options Talkline: Judgment-free peer support for pregnancy, abortion, adoption, parenting, infertility, and pregnancy loss. 1-888-493-0092. - Miscarriage + Abortion Hotline: Confidential medical information and support from experienced doctors and nurses. Call or text 1-833-246-2632. - Postpartum Support International: Support and referrals for perinatal mental health concerns. - 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988 for immediate crisis support in the U.S. You do not have to navigate these experiences alone.   Episode Resources-  The Afterlife of Billy Fingers: https://www.afterlifeofbillyfingers.com/

  2. Sep 3

    Episode 16 - Deliciously Disabled: Andrew Gurza on Sex, Care, and Self-Worth

    Description In this episode of Pleasure Bound, we sit down with Andrew Gurza — host of Disability After Dark and a trailblazer in disability and sexuality advocacy. Andrew opens up about the origins of their podcast, hosting a world famous disability-led play party, navigating self-worth and self-doubt, the complicated realities of sex work and caregiving, and what it really means to long for genuine intimacy as a disabled person. This is a bold, funny, and deeply vulnerable conversation about desire, access, and reclaiming pleasure on your own terms   Timestamps (0:00) — Cold Opening Clip (1:23) — Music Intro: Meet Andrew Gurza, host of Disability After Dark (2:30) — Andrew joins the show (with Jeremy the mannequin) (6:08) — Disability After Dark Journey  (09:17) — Expression barriers and the Podcast path to release (11:15) — Pleasure & Pride filled moments in Andrew’s work (12:32) — Hosting a world famous disability-led play party (14:56) — Privilege of Platform and gratitude for all of it (16:11) — Self-worth, self-doubt, and putting on a "work face" (17:59) — Fighting self-doubt by being Authenticly ourselves (20:23) — What really lit the fire: wanting to get laid and be noticed (24:12) — Getting provocative to be taken seriously, going viral (27:36) — Why it's okay to grieve what you can't do (30:19) — Finding joy as a disabled kid vs. as a queer teen (32:53) — Feeling excluded from queer male spaces (34:33) — Public reactions, ableism, and "the face" (36:24) — The baby at the park: unlearning ableism (40:39) — Andrew's sex life today and a scary health scare (44:05) — Tying self-worth to desirability (47:31) — Aging gracefully and shifting desires (48:35) — Time limit on acceptance & receiving less than our worth (47:30) — Shifting desires from sex to intimacy (50:03) — Coming back to the body & the cost of intimacy (52:02) — Disassociation in a Disabled Body (53:30) —  Sacred sexuality, hollowness, and care work (55:30) — The emotional toll and privilege of receiving care (56:51) — Bureaucracy, benefits, and losing autonomy (1:01:27) — What Andrew truly longs for: genuine intimacy (1:04:23) — Spinster Desires (1:07:49) — Closing thoughts and where to find Andrew

  3. Aug 20

    Episode 15: Coming back to life: Sex after profound change

    Content Disclaimer: This episode contains candid discussion of sexual assault, rape, and trauma. Please take care while listening, and feel free to skip ahead if these topics are difficult for you. If you or someone you know needs support, help is available RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network): 1-800-656-4673 (24/7, confidential) — rainn.org National Sexual Assault Hotline (online chat): hotline.rainn.org Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988 You are not alone, we see you and support is available whenever you're ready. Episode Description In this raw and vulnerable episode, The Pleasure Bound hosts dive into a topic they've never tackled before: what it was like to have sex for the first time after acquiring disabilities. Kate & Kelsey share deeply personal stories of disconnect, fear, trauma, and eventual reclamation of pleasure — from years of celibacy and to the empowering, and tender moments of reconnecting with their sexuality. Along the way, they explore consent and assault, redefining "promiscuous," navigating trauma responses, self-touch and mirror work, ableism within families, the importance of invitation and inclusion for disabled people, and finding a sense of divine self-worth through intimacy. It's a conversation about grief, patience, connection, and the radical act of choosing pleasure and yourself again. Timestamps (0:00) – Opening music and “hello’s” (1:18) – Intro topic: losing our "quadginity" (2:13) – How long were you celibate after injury? (3:00) – Kate’s First relationship, sexual assault, and open conversations about sex (5:10) – What’s behind the drive for sex, and shifting from celibacy to sexploration (7:20) – Trauma, caregivers, and disconnection from sexuality (9:00) – Discovering community: Pure Romance Party (10:15) – Getting back into online dating (12:26) – Kate’s first post-injury hookup (14:20) – The beast awakened — wanting more (15:50) – Kelsey’s accident story & 5 years of disconnection post injury (17:35) – Grief, "what's the point," and reintroducing a vibrator (20:37) – Finally deciding "I'm gonna do this" – navigating confidence and feeling sexy again (22:50) – How do we hold “Top” energy in physically submissive bodies (25:20) – Kelsey on Losing her "quadginity" (27:43) – The word promiscuous vs. reclaiming "slut" (29:30) – First time back: sparks, satisfaction, and validation (33:03) – Squashing internalized ableism through intimacy (35:30) – Feeling like your "most divine self" during sex (36:50) – Being a tool/resource vs. shared connection (37:50) – Bathroom talk, Late-night talks, catheters, care & connection (40:38) – The power of touch and physical closeness (41:16) – The importance of being invited, not assuming exclusion is easier (46:22) – Navigating ableism within family relationships (49:53) – Stepping back into Sex after trauma - Reintegration, patience, and reconnecting with the body (52:20) – navigating blocks with Mirror work, self-touch, and feeling safe again (56:35) – Motherhood, magnetism, and future partners (57:51) – Looking ahead: Kate’s paralyzed pregnancy, birth story and more conversations to come (58:48) – Closing thoughts and outro

  4. Aug 6

    Episode 14 - From Mud to Lava: Gabriel Rodriek on grief, sex, and sound

    Gabriel Rodreick “Freaque” — musician, dancer, & creator behind A Cripple's Dance — joins the show for an unfiltered conversation about pleasure, disability, and creative reinvention. He traces his journey from a piano-playing, barefoot Minneapolis kid to a 33-year-old artist living with a C5 spinal cord injury, sharing how he rebuilt his singing voice, found his sound again and turned grief into art. The conversation moves through the vulnerability of A Cripple's Dance, the shame tangled up in songs like "Drip For Me" and "Mudstick," and how his creative inspiration is shifting from "the mud" of grief toward fire, heat, and sensuality. Gabe opens up about exploring kink and polyamory as a disabled person, the courage it takes to be playful and imperfect in intimacy, and why "no" never has to kill the vibe. It's a raw, funny, and moving look at pleasure, art, and the magic that can be created when you follow what feels good.   Resources:  Freaque (Gabriel Rodreick) - https://gabrielrodreick.com/freaque Instagram - Freaquedom Minnesota Arts High School - Perpich -  https://share.google/ueZHjgki7kw9nM5gb Ray Lamontagne https://share.google/uquQoz5qzS6nJaQQp move me documentary - Kelsey Peterson https://share.google/2njGLQJx2jicGpJ7T Young Dance – Transforming Lives Through Movement https://share.google/FQOArXa8XZwmjjaJe   Episode Timestamps (0:00) – Intro (1:08) – Welcome, Gabriel “Freaque” Rodreick  (2:14) – Pleasure and joy in childhood (3:40) – Early song writing, first album and the Accident (5:12) – Attending Art School shortly after his injury (6:37) – Finding his voice through Ray LaMontagne (7:48) – Starting the band Treading North (9:15) – Founding Freaque and A Cripple's Dance (14:26) – Living in a Disabled Body (17:19) – Art as activism & the healing in Truth- Telling (21:08) – Teaching and supporting others' stories (23:34) – A Cripple's Dance (27:50) – Pain, pleasure, and shifting inspiration (29:39) – From Mud to Fire - Creative Evolution (32:39) – Writing "Drip For Me" and confronting shame (37:50) – Finding pleasure today (40:14) – Exploring kink and polyamory (41:29) – Play as his North Star (44:59) – Courage, bravery, and being a goofball (48:20) – Consent and "no" in play  (51:01) – Sound, voice, and sensuality (55:07) – Closing thoughts, hopes, and advice (57:03) – Music send-off “Drip For Me” by, Freaque

  5. Jul 23

    13. Don't be a Lady. Be a Legend - Reflections on the Pleasure Bound Journey

    Episode Description: Kate and Kelsey reunite for episode 13 of Pleasure Bound, reflecting on how far they've come since starting this journey together. They dive deep into the dance between pleasure and pain — from grief and chronic pain to redefining safety, boundaries, and self-worth. The conversation moves through vulnerability, disability and community, radical self-acceptance, and the courage it takes to share your truth publicly. They also open up about care, autonomy, and what it means to reclaim joy as the engine behind everything they do — before teasing an upcoming episode with musician Freaque (Gabriel Rodreick), creator of their theme song "Drip For Me." A raw, funny, and moving conversation about pleasure as a practice, not a destination. Timestamps 00:00 – Reunion & catching up  00:28 – Reflecting on 13 episodes of growth 01:13 – Awareness + Pleasure practice = Radical Self-love 02:23 – Pain and pleasure as an art process  4:52 – Finding intimacy with pain- the exquisite heartache 5:30 – Redirecting pain into sensation 7:57 – How the podcast has gifted autonomy and freedom 9:23 – Unapologetic truth-telling as "Stevie Nicks energy" 11:32 – Sharing your truth as a spiritual exercise 13:10– Moving through life with Joy & reclaiming peace 15:44 – Why "Pleasure Bound" is the perfect name 17:25 – Kate on trauma, safety, and self-worth 19:51 – Being selective with your energy 21:30 – Sovereignty as a disabled woman 23:20 – Security! Self-Advocacy v Sacrifice in Home Care 24:53 – Being grateful without spiritually bypassing hard truths 26:10 – The realities of being quadriplegic 26:57 – Community with disabled peers (callback to the Jim episode) 28:50 – Radical self-love (Sonya Renee Taylor) 29:20 – "This is a call for love. Are we gonna show up for it?" 32:48 – Kelsey’s Major highlight of the journey 36:37 – Teaser: Freaque (Gabriel Rodrick) joining soon 37:34 – Artistic spaces and creative freedom 38:57 – Letting your freak flag fly 40:12 – Vulnerable caregiver/mirror story 41:53 – Closing reflections and gratitude 42:43 – Sign-off   References: Freaque (Gabriel Rodreick) - https://gabrielrodreick.com/freaque A Course in Miracles - https://acim.org/acim/en

  6. Jul 9

    12. Where Shame Dies: Disability, Desire & the Radical Power of Being Fully Seen (feat. Trista Marie)

    12.Where Shame Dies: Disability, Desire & the Radical Power of Being Fully Seen (feat. Trista Marie) In this deeply moving episode of Pleasure Bound, Kelsey & Kate sit with author, model, and disability advocate Trista Marie to explore what it means to embody pleasure, sexuality, and self-acceptance in a body the world often refuses to see as desirable. Trista opens up about the origins of her book "Where Shame Dies," living with scoliosis and chronic respiratory failure, and the years of desensitization it took to stop internalizing ableism as her own problem. The conversation moves through modeling and vulnerability, the healing power of queer and non-monogamous friendships ("kissing the homies"), navigating intimacy and rejection in dating, and the radical joy of claiming her own bossiness and pleasure on her own terms. It's a raw, funny, and profound conversation about resistance, desire, and what a more accessible, loving future could look like.   Timestamps (0:00) — “Let’s talk about sex” clip  (1:30) — Intro (3:35) — Introducing Trista, disability & sexuality advocacy work (6:30) — Naming her disabilities (8:14) — Current creative projects & the weight of Pioneering (13:20) — The meaning behind "Where Shame Dies" (15:24) — Where the accumulation of shame came from (16:30) — Unlearning internalized ableism (24:21) — Modeling, boudoir & seeing herself as beautiful (27:50) — Desensitization as armor & self-preservation (29:55) — Filtration systems & who you let in (33:24) — Pleasure & Friendship – fluid relationship opportunities (38:00) — Queerness- an invitation for more love (40:55) — "I don't want to tell you" — physical intimacy & being truly seen (44:33) — The "dark magic" of being seen but not seen (50:03) — Fantasizing about the future of pleasure (54:52) — Are humans evolving toward greater acceptance? (59:39) — What Kelsey & Kate have learned from doing this work (1:02:00) — Redefining pleasure with no limits or normalization (1:04:37) — Talking about sex and owning bossiness in the bedroom (1:06:20) — Closing thoughts & goodbyes   Resources:  https://www.tristamarie.com/ Where Shame Dies - https://www.tristamarie.com/disability-x-sexuality

  7. Jun 25

    11. The Scenic Route: Pleasure & the Erotic as a way of Life

    In Episode 11 Kelsey and Kate talk about what happens when you stop ignoring the agitation — and actually listen. From stalled pleasure practices and overcommitted calendars to the unexpected joy of missing out (JOMO), this episode is a raw, honest, and heart-felt conversation about integration, presence, and redefining what pleasure actually looks like in daily life. They dig into the pressure to perform, the exhaustion of chasing outcomes (in the bedroom and beyond), and how detaching from the destination opens up a whole new sensual landscape. Plus: friendship love languages, the power of tending your ecosystem, and why sometimes you just need to give someone a dildo and tell them they're pretty. Kelsey shares her deep dive into a more integrated, moment-to-moment pleasure practice — and the grief, horniness, and hard-won agency that got her there. Kate opens up about survival mode, solo time she can't seem to carve out, and what it means to close a chapter while standing at the edge of a new one. This episode is about making pleasure a way of being, not a box to check. Resources: Kate's Quad friendly cl!t stimulator - The Satisfyer Kelsey's Quad friendly cl!t stimulator - The Womanizer Dipsea app - https://www.dipseastories.com/ Adrianne Marie Brown  Gabriel Rodreick - Freaque The Four Agreements – don Miguel Ruiz   Timestamps: (0:00) — Intro – What’s Coming Up (2:16) — Integration & Pleasure (4:12) — Kate on being out of Practice & Self-judgment  (5:20) — JOMO Over FOMO: Honoring Your Body (9:09) — Kelsey on Analysis of Agitation, Horniness, and Taking back Agency (13:12)— Self-Pleasure & Gifting Joy in the Shape of a Vibrator (14:25) — Prioritizing Female Pleasure Through the Ages (16:30) — Exploring a new Toys & Brain Plasticity in real time (19:02) — The Scenic Route: Non-Linear Self-Pleasure (21:31) — Detachment from Outcome in Pleasure & Life (24:10) — Eroticism of loving on YOU  (29:28) — Trusting the process, Gratitude, Enough-ness (32:25) — Comparison culture, Speak with Love - your cells are listening (35:23) — Integration, Grief & Living a Sensuous life (38:19) — Resistance to Hustle Culture & Marketing (42:06) — Reframing Currency & Reimagining Society (44:55) — Kate on turning 37, closing chapters, and gifts that don't come with credentials (48:15) — Kelsey on her gift & new offering (49:15) — The Snails Journey – Maintaining a Healthy Ecosystem (54:04) — We Are the Fish (a ChatGPT poem that absolutely slaps) (56:35) — Body Grief, Living Fully, Movement & Surrender (59:55) — Power of Visualization & Holistic Pleasure (1:02:44) — No Regrets – Reflections on our Able-bodied bodies (1:05:40) — Outro: The best is yet to come

  8. Jun 11

    10. No Apologies: Intimacy, Disability & Bringing your Whole Self to the Party (ft. Jim LeBrecht)

    Episode Description: In this episode, we're joined by the incomparable Jim LeBrecht — filmmaker, disability rights activist, Oscar-nominated co-director of Crip Camp, sound design legend, and all-around beautiful human. What unfolds is a raw, honest, and super fun conversation about pleasure, disability, intimacy, and what it means to show up as your full, unapologetic self. Jim opens up publicly for the first time since his film about the intimate aspects of his life — from navigating sex and connection with spina bifida, to discovering new erogenous zones, redefining what getting off looks like, and learning to receive without apology. Together we talk about the body as a site of curiosity rather than shame, the erotic power of paying attention, and why disability can actually invite a deeper, more intentional kind of intimacy. We also dig into the power of humor, the magic of Camp Jened &  similar connections with our community, and why "not overcoming, but becoming" might be the most radical thing any of us can do. This one is tender, sexy, joyful, and genuinely moving. We are so honored Jim trusted us with his story. TimeStamps: (0:00) — GoFundMe ask (0:28) — Intro & episode framing: loving your evolving body & your own brand of weird (3:44) — Welcome Jim LeBrecht (5:15) — Crip Camp & The power of Representation (7:35) — Sound as pleasure: how Jim's love of sound began (9:01) — Spina bifida, early hospitalization & heightened listening (11:09) — Disability, neurodivergence & being accepted as you are (12:50) — Setting limits & comfort in crip community (15:23) — Not expecting to get this old — real talk on aging disabled bodies (16:09) — Camp Jened, Judy Heumann & developing disability pride (19:36) — Inviting in the weird — how we approach new lovers (the "reveal") (22:09) — "No apologies for your body" — reframing the conversation (25:11) — Rejection & Protection — accepting your truths through dropping your baggage (27:55) — The Sensation game we all love to play (29:04) — Defining the weird with playful curiosity (30:39) — Jim's honest breakdown of pleasure, sensation & what gets him off (32:36) — Leaning into new erogenous zones & exploring new paths to arousal (33:45) — Pleasure from Giving Pleasure (35:49) — Expanding erogenous zones & sensual experiences = orgasmic newness (37:42) — Discovering hands-free orgasms, Dipsea, and erotic audio (38:59) — ASMR, whispering, and sound as an erogenous zone (40:15) — Jim as a paraplegic — what his body does and doesn't feel (42:07) — The evolution of Pleasure, sensation lines, mental arousal & Jim's version of coming (46:29) — Disability as an invitation to intentional, curious intimacy (49:18) — The Disabled Desires We Deserve to experience (53:29) — The mirror on the ceiling (it's not what you think... or is it) (55:40) — You have to truly see yourself before you can be fully seen (56:55) — Camp Jened, crabs, and Jim's first girlfriend (58:49) — "The Body Is Not An Apology" & Sonya Renee Taylor (1:00:09) — Disability pride, self-acceptance & the days you still don't feel it (1:01:20) — Not overcoming — Becoming (1:04:11) — The weight that lifts when you ask for help (1:07:14) — Closing: love, gratitude & Jim coming back for part two   References: Pleasure Bound GoFundMe - Donate Here Crip Camp - A Disability Revolution (2020) - https://cripcamp.com/ Move Me Documentary (2022) - https://www.movemedoc.com/ The Body Is Not An Apology by Sonya Renee Taylor https://www.sonyareneetaylor.com/the-body-is-not-an-apology/ Dipsea app - https://www.dipseastories.com/

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About

Pleasure. Power. Peace. In every body. Pleasure Bound is a juicy, honest podcast about reclaiming joy, desire, and embodiment—especially in bodies shaped by disability, marginalization, trauma, grief, and profound change. Hosted by disabled storytellers Kelsey Peterson and Kate Steele, this show blends vulnerable storytelling, cultural truth-telling, laughter, and lived wisdom to explore what pleasure really means—and how to access more of it on your own terms. We talk sex, yes—but also sensuality, nervous systems, self-advocacy, embodiment, and the radical act of loving your body as it is. Each episode offers real conversations, practical tools, pleasure practices, and experiments in joy. We unpack shame, ableism, toxic cultural narratives, and the stories we’ve been handed about whose bodies get to feel good—and then we rewrite them together. Pleasure Bound is a space for curiosity, collective care, softness, and spice. A place to say the quiet parts out loud, celebrate our differences, and remember that pleasure is your birthright. New episodes weekly. Come curious. Leave more turned on to life.

Information

  • Creator
    Kelsey Peterson, Kate Steele
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    18
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Pleasure Bound
  • Show Website
    Pleasure Bound

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