The RISE to Intimacy Podcast
If intimacy feels like pressure instead of pleasure, you're not alone - and there's a reason why.
Licensed sex and couples therapist Valerie McDonnell breaks down the real barriers to connection that most people don't even know exist. From performance anxiety and sexless relationships to attachment wounds and nervous system dysregulation, each episode teaches the same tools Valerie uses with private clients.
You'll learn how to regulate your body when sex feels triggering, how to communicate without fighting, how to rebuild desire when it's been gone for months or years, and how to stop abandoning yourself in relationships.
Whether you're struggling with low desire, erectile dysfunction, people-pleasing in the bedroom, or feeling completely disconnected from your partner, this podcast will help you understand what's really happening and what you can do about it.
Tune in for new episodes every Tuesday because trauma doesn't get the last word, and sex therapy isn't for people who are broken - it's for people brave enough to look beneath the surface.
Episodes
Why People Pleasers Lose Desire and How to Reclaim It
How the RISE Model Moves You from Roommates to Teammates
How PTSD Affects Romantic Relationships and What Actually Helps
Fixing a Sexless Relationship Starts with Emotional Regulation
What Actually Happens in Sex Therapy?
Why Sex Feels Like Pressure Instead of Pleasure