What challenges do single Catholic women face as they strive to live chastely while waiting to be married? Maria Spears Mumaugh is a musician and mindset coach and co-founder of The Intentional Single, which helps single Catholic women thrive in the years of dating and single life as they prepare for marriage. She shares with Sarah the struggles single women face regarding porn use, feeling "touch-starved" (and what to do about it), navigating appropriate boundaries while dating--AND not developing rigidity from purity culture.

They chat about fears dating women have about their boyfriends' (or future husband's) porn use, and how to address this likely possibility.

Join in this fun conversation about thriving as a whole woman and laying a great foundation for your married sex life WHILE being single and dating.

The Intentional Single

Maria Spears Mumaugh's book The Mirror

Free Enhancing Marital Intimacy Guide for Catholic Women: 9 Skills for Body, Mind, and Spirit (for married and engaged women)

Do you want to know what is allowed for Catholics in the bedroom? The "What's Allowed List" answers 20+ questions about what is licit and illicit. ($10)

"It's a marvel how resilient we are." This episode cannot take the place of individual therapy, but it CAN educate and encourage you about the possibilities for healing from past sexual trauma in order to enjoy lovemaking in marriage in this conversation rooted in hope and resilience.

Suppose a wife cringes when her husband touches her shoulder in a certain way and suggests they go to bed early that night. She wants to run away. She definitely does NOT want to head upstairs and engage in intimacy, even though she loves her husband. When she was younger, someone abused her sexually, and this whole realm of sexuality still feels terrible for her. If she works with a good therapist, what steps will she learn to take to go from wanting to run away to tolerating that touch on her shoulder... to eventually enjoying it, and even heading upstairs with some enthusiasm? That is what you will learn in this episode.

Sarah is joined by Dr. Mario Sacasa, LMFT, a popular speaker, retreat leader, and course creator. Mario is the host of the Always Hope podcast and has served on the faculty of Notre Dame Seminary, Divine Mercy University, and the Institute for Priestly Formation. He brings an incredible combination of knowledge, spiritual insight, and practical steps to this important conversation.

Sarah and Mario talk about the importance of communication between husband and wife when there is a history of past sexual trauma for one or both of them. In this episode, you'll hear some of the topics that the couple would benefit from addressing, as well as how that communication can help the other spouse understand the patience and gentleness that are needed as the healing spouse goes through their process. Right at the end, Mario asks Sarah a moral theology question about real-life imperfect outcomes that could occur during this process.

Find more great conversations with Dr. Mario Sacasa on dating, marriage, sexuality, and the misunderstood virtue of hope on his Always Hope podcast!

Dr. Mario's Dating Well course takes young adults by the hand and guides
them through the challenges of the modern dating scene.

Dr. Mario's course on Overcoming Stress and Anxiety, produced by Good Catholic Media, offers information and skills to beat anxious thoughts.

Free Enhancing Marital Intimacy Guide for Catholic Women: 9 Skills for Body, Mind, and Spirit (for married and engaged women)

Do you want to know what is allowed for Catholics in the bedroom? The "What's Allowed List" answers 20+ questions about what is licit and illicit. ($10)

As we mourn the death of Pope Francis and reflect on his gifts to the church during his papacy, this is a great moment to recall his (surprisingly traditional!) teachings on sex in marriage from Amoris Laetitia, The Joy of Love.

In this post-synodol apostolic exhortation from 2015 that capped the Synod on the Family, Pope Francis makes four main points about married sex:

1. The church teaches that sex is meant to be a good! It is a gift from God enriching joy in marriage, not just a "necessary evil" to be tolerated because it is the means of procreation.

2. But sex is often distorted and misused. (This ties into porn culture.)

3. Obligation sex is not church teaching. (This relates to a mistaken idea of "marital debt.")

4. Let's not be squeamish and disdainful of the body and sexuality. (This relates to purity culture.)

Read Amoris Laetitia for free on the Vatican website here.

Free Enhancing Marital Intimacy Guide for Catholic Women: 9 Skills for Body, Mind, and Spirit (for married and engaged women)

Do you want to know what is allowed for Catholics in the bedroom? The "What's Allowed List" answers 20+ questions about what is licit and illicit. ($10)