Is it wrong to want a regular, mutually enjoyable sex life with your spouse? In this team episode we talk honestly about why wanting sex in marriage is a healthy desire, what happens when it’s met with resistance, resentment or cold withdrawal, and what couples can actually do to bring the warmth back.

👉 Book online sessions with Zac or Marijke: https://laurahow.com/online-therapists/

Somewhere along the way our culture became cynical about sex, so asking for it can feel shameful and hearing the request can feel like pressure. We explore why emotional safety and desire are so closely linked, how old hurts quietly freeze a marriage, and why the first place to start is often yourself.

👉 Book a session with Zac: https://laurahow.com/therapists-zac-fine/

👉 Book a session with Marijke: https://laurahow.com/therapists-marijke-roberts/

In this episode, we discuss:

✔️ Why wanting a good sex life with your partner is healthy, not selfish

✔️ How cynicism about sex crept into our culture

✔️ “He just wants to get his end away” — how the request gets misheard

✔️ Sexual maturity, and why it rarely arrives before later life

✔️ Why emotional safety and communication sit underneath desire

✔️ How unresolved arguments affect desire — for men as well as women

✔️ Changing your marriage by changing yourself

✔️ Health, menopause and “not tonight” — where does intimacy end and sex begin?

✔️ Marital sadism, cold rage and harmful withdrawal

✔️ “Emptying the trash” — how to raise old hurts so resentment melts

We record this monthly — we’d love to hear from you.

👉 Leave your questions in the comments for the next episode.

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🔔 Subscribe for monthly conversations about: sexless marriages, intimacy after children, responsive desire, resentment and repair, and what it really takes to keep a marriage alive long-term.

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🧠 Need support? Work with me or one of the therapists on my team: https://laurahow.com/online-therapists/

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💎 More ways to connect and grow:

💠 Therapists — Work with me: https://laurahow.com/work-for-me/

💠 Join my newsletter: https://laurahow.com/newsletter-signup/

💠 Support my work: https://laurahow.com/support/

📲 Follow me:

Instagram → / laurahow

Facebook → / laurahowcounsellor

Twitter (X) → / laurahow

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⌚️ Timestamps:

00:00 Is wanting sex in marriage healthy?

00:58 Sex as sacred, not suspect

02:28 “He just wants to get his end away”

04:04 What we teach kids about sex

04:31 Marijke: 30 years, people-pleasing and resentment

06:04 Why it can take women longer

06:48 Is it different for men? Desire vs disgust

08:35 When your partner won’t talk about it

10:23 “What about my health problems?”

11:43 Marital sadism

12:45 Too ill for a cuddle?

14:09 Laura: the capacity for cruelty, and taking inventory

16:18 Cold rage and harmful withdrawal

17:35 Emptying the trash

19:41 Thanks and goodbye

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📌 Hashtags #SexlessMarriage #LauraHow #LoveAndCherishPodcast

If you've noticed your sex life decline after having children, you're not alone. In this team episode we talk honestly about why intimacy after baby is one of the biggest threats to a marriage, what drives resentment between partners in the newborn phase, and what couples can actually do to reconnect sexually before distance becomes the default.👉 Book online sessions with Zac or Marijke: https://laurahow.com/online-therapists/

Having a baby is one of the most beautiful things a couple can do together, and one of the most threatening to their sexual bond. We explore why the arrival of children so often becomes the beginning of the end for intimacy, and what it actually takes to choose each other through it.

👉 Book a session with Zac: https://laurahow.com/therapists-zac-fine/

👉 Book a session with Marijke: https://laurahow.com/therapists-marijke-roberts/

In this episode, we discuss:

✔️ Why new parenthood can become the beginning of the end for intimacy

✔️ The resentment trap — and why both partners fall into it

✔️ How porn fills the gap when men check out instead of leaning in

✔️ The "crucible" — why crisis is the perfect ingredient for transformation

✔️ Why reclaiming your sexuality after babies is an act of courage

✔️ How Russ made Laura his muse and what that looked like in practice

✔️ The danger of anti-marriage messaging and the friends who normalise it

✔️ Why a sexy, stable marriage is the greatest gift you can give your children

✔️ Maturity, choice, and why parenthood removes every excuse not to show up

We record this monthly — we'd love to hear from you.

👉 Leave your questions in the comments for the next episode.

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🔔 Subscribe for monthly conversations about: sexless marriages, intimacy after children, responsive desire, resentment and repair, and what it really takes to keep a marriage alive long-term.

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🧠 Need support? Work with me or one of the therapists on my team: https://laurahow.com/online-therapists/

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💎 More ways to connect and grow:

💠 Therapists — Work with me: https://laurahow.com/work-for-me/

💠 Join my newsletter: https://laurahow.com/newsletter-signup/

💠 Support my work: https://laurahow.com/support/

📲 Follow me:

Instagram → / laurahow

Facebook → / laurahowcounsellor

Twitter (X) → / laurahow

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⌚️ Timestamps:

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📌 Hashtags #SexlessMarriage #IntimacyAfterBaby #MarriageAdvice #CouplesTherapy #RelationshipAdvice #MarriageCounselling #IntimacyInMarriage #LauraHow #ParenthoodAndSex #LoveAndCherishPodcast

“Feminism has always been a force for good and equality.” Is that really the full story? In this conversation with philosopher and author Carrie Gress, we explore how feminist ideas have shaped modern relationships, and why many men and women are now questioning the narrative they were raised to believe. 👉 Book an online session: https://laurahow.com/online-therapists/

Carrie Gress, Catholic philosopher, author of The End of Woman and co-creator of Theology of Home, joins me for a direct and thoughtful discussion about the deeper impact of feminist ideology on marriage, family life, and how men and women now relate to each other.

We talk about the growing divide between the sexes, the loss of trust, and the quiet confusion many people feel but struggle to name. From rising mental health concerns to the breakdown of shared meaning in relationships, this conversation looks at what’s changed, and what it’s costing us.

We also explore ideas that are rarely spoken about openly, including the concept of “toxic femininity,” the devaluing of motherhood, and why conversations about men’s needs are often met with resistance.

This is not about blaming one side. It’s about understanding what has gone wrong, and what needs to be rebuilt.

In this episode:

✔️ Why many people are starting to question feminism’s impact on relationships

✔️ The growing mistrust between men and women

✔️ Mental health struggles in both sexes, and what’s driving them

✔️ Why “toxic femininity” is rarely discussed

✔️ The devaluing of motherhood and its wider consequences

✔️ Why talking about men’s needs creates backlash

✔️ The impact on children and future family life

✔️ How modern culture shapes how we see each other

✔️ Why restoring trust between men and women matters

✔️ What a more grounded, family-centred life could look like

👉 Find Carrie Gress:

• Website: https://www.carriegress.com/

• Theology of Home: https://theologyofhome.com/

• Bio: https://www.carriegress.com/about

💬 Let me know in the comments: Do you think feminism has helped or harmed modern relationships? What are you seeing in your own life?

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🔔 Subscribe for conversations that challenge mainstream narratives about marriage, men, women, and what really creates lasting connection:

👉 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCE_Fs1wPifrghIGdSzsbrKg?sub_confirmation=1

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🧠 Need support? Work with me or a therapist on my team:

https://laurahow.com/online-therapists/

One-Day Couples Intensive (crisis support):

https://laurahow.com/1-day-couples-intensive/

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💎 More ways to connect & grow

Therapists, work with me → https://laurahow.com/work-for-me/

Join my newsletter → https://laurahow.com/newsletter-signup/

Support my work → https://laurahow.com/support/

Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/laurahow/

Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/laurahowcounsellor

X (Twitter) → https://twitter.com/laurahow

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⌚ Timestamps

[Add after editing]

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📌 Hashtags

#Feminism #MarriageAdvice #MensIssues #CouplesTherapy #RelationshipAdvice #CarrieGress #MarriageCounselling #IntimacyInMarriage #LauraHow #TheologyOfHome #

"The Future is Female." But where does that leave our sons? In this conversation with George from The Tin Men, we examine the silent crisis facing men and boys, the institutional bias in our schools and courts, and why society seems to have lost its compassion for male suffering.👉 Book an online session: https://laurahow.com/online-therapists/

George, the creator behind The Tin Men, joins me for a critical look at how modern narratives are failing a generation of young men. From classrooms where boys are subjected to "misogyny training" and viewed as potential threats, to family courts that presume fathers are second-class parents, we explore how these systemic biases are destroying lives.

We discuss the devastating data on male suicide, the widening education gap, and why standing up for boys has become a revolutionary act.

In this episode:

✔️ The "War on Boys" in education: Why boys are falling behind

✔️ "Misogyny Training": How schools are teaching boys self-loathing

✔️ The "Violent Male" Myth and its impact on Family Court

✔️ Why society struggles to feel empathy for men

✔️ The link between relationship breakdown and male suicide

✔️ Institutional bias: Is the system rigged against fathers?

✔️ How to protect your sons from toxic narratives

✔️ Why "The Future is Female" is a dangerous slogan

✔️ The importance of male advocates like The Tin Men

✔️ How we can build a future that values both sexes

👉 Find The Tin Men:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetinmen/

Blog: https://thetinmen.blog/

💬 Let me know in the comments: Do you think schools and society are biased against boys? What changes have you noticed?

🔔 Subscribe for conversations that challenge mainstream narratives about marriage, men, women, and what really creates lasting connection:

👉 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCE_Fs1wPifrghIGdSzsbrKg?sub_confirmation=1

🧠 Need support? Work with me or a therapist on my team: https://laurahow.com/online-therapists/

One-Day Couples Intensive (crisis support): https://laurahow.com/1-day-couples-intensive/

💎 More ways to connect & grow

Therapists, work with me → https://laurahow.com/work-for-me/

Join my newsletter → https://laurahow.com/newsletter-signup/

Support my work → https://laurahow.com/support/

Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/laurahow/

Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/laurahowcounsellor

X (Twitter) → https://twitter.com/laurahow

⌚ Timestamps

📌 Hashtags #TheTinMen #MensMentalHealth #WarOnBoys #FamilyCourt #Feminism #LauraHow #EducationGap #MensRights #FathersRights #Masculinity #SystemicBias #BoysCrisis

I'm joined by two therapists from my practice, Zac Fine and Marijke Roberts, for the second episode of our monthly series exploring how to restore sacred connection in long-term relationships.👉 Book online sessions with Zac or Marijke: https://laurahow.com/online-therapists/

When intimacy becomes mechanical or disappears entirely, couples lose more than just sex, they lose sacred space together. We discuss how to move beyond "getting the deed done" and rediscover intimacy as a profound, connected experience that honours both partners.

👉 Book a session with Zac: https://laurahow.com/therapists-zac-fine/

👉 Book a session with Marijke: https://laurahow.com/therapists-marijke-roberts/

In this episode, we discuss:

✔️ Why sacred intimacy matters more than mechanical sex

✔️ Creating liminal space—ritual moments outside everyday life

✔️ Moving from "I want sex" to "I want connection with you"

✔️ Simple practices: eye contact, attuned breathing, mindful touch

✔️ The "Kings and Queens" exercise for asking and receiving

✔️ How porn culture has replaced sacred sexuality with performance

✔️ Responsive desire and why women often need different pathways to arousal

✔️ Attachment wounds that block intimacy and how to heal them

✔️ Turning conflict into curiosity when one partner withdraws

✔️ Why recovery is slow, human-paced work, not a quick fix

We'll be recording this podcast monthly, and we'd love to hear from you.

👉 Leave your questions in the comments for the next episode.

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🔔 Subscribe for monthly conversations about:

Sacred intimacy, sexless marriages, creating connection, responsive desire, attachment healing, and rediscovering meaningful sex in long-term relationships.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

🧠 Need support? Work with me or one of the therapists on my team:

https://laurahow.com/online-therapists/

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

💎 More ways to connect and grow:

💠 Therapists — Work with me: https://laurahow.com/work-for-me/

💠 Join my newsletter: https://laurahow.com/newsletter-signup/

💠 Support my work: https://laurahow.com/support/

📲 Follow me:

Instagram → / laurahow

Facebook → / laurahowcounsellor

Twitter (X) → / laurahow

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

⌚️ Timestamps:

0:00 - Introduction: Welcome to Love and Cherish Podcast

0:23 - Why Men Want Enthusiastic Partners: The Deep Need to Feel Wanted

1:57 - Creating Sacred Spaces for Intimacy: Moving Beyond Mechanical Sex

6:22 - Practical Connection Exercises: Eye Contact, Breathing, and Touch

10:48 - Learning to Listen to Your Body Instead of External Advice

13:56 - Kings and Queens Exercise: Taking Turns Asking for What You Want

16:32 - Getting Curious About Resistance: Why Intimacy Feels Hard

19:29 - Personal Story: Understanding Shame and Childhood Wounds in Relationships

24:26 - Attachment Theory and Healing: Moving Toward Secure Relationships

26:05 - Closing Thoughts: Embracing the Slow Process of Growth

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📌 Hashtags:

#SacredIntimacy #SexlessMarriage #IntimacyInMarriage #MakingLove #ResponsiveDesire #LiminalSpace #AttachmentHealing #MarriageTherapy #LoveAndCherishPodcast #ConnectionOverSex #MindfulIntimacy