Michelle was about to interview the author of an unpublished book — until she actually read it. In this solo episode, she unpacks why she canceled, taking on the "prioritize sex twice a week no matter what" model of marriage, the quiet harm of duty sex, and what gets lost when desire becomes an obligation. Along the way: her own asexuality and responsive desire, a critique of medicalizing low libido, a Wheel of Consent plug, and one very spicy "We're Not Really Strangers" cards story.

Links to note:

Wheel of Consent free videos: https://www.wheelofconsent.org/free-videos

The Art of Receiving and Giving: The Wheel of Consent by Betty Martin and Robyn Dalzen: https://amzn.to/4ajCRTo

Like a Pro: Wheel of Consent for Professionals: https://www.schoolofconsent.org/like-a-pro

We're Not Really Strangers XXX edition: https://amzn.to/4aTaA68

A note for clients and anyone who knows me personally: This episode contains explicit sexual content and detailed personal disclosure. If you aren't sure whether to listen, don't. If you can listen with curiosity and take good care of yourself along the way, please do. You're always welcome to bring whatever comes up into our next session.

Michelle sits down with Jake Apton, a porn performer, stripper, cosplayer, and self-described "big fucking nerd" she briefly met at the AVN Expo in January but never really got to know. What starts as a tour of Jake's deeply personal tattoo collection quickly opens into a wide-ranging conversation about building a life and career in sex work, navigating identity and attraction as a gay man who "doesn't read gay," the surprising overlap between anime convention culture and adult entertainment, and what it means to reclaim your relationship with your own libido. They play a few rounds of We're Not Really Strangers, swap stories about armpits (yes, really), and land in unexpectedly tender territory about friend breakups, depression, and the people in your life who aren't "people." Those are the ones you can just sit on a couch with and not say a word. A warm, unscripted, delightfully wide-open conversation with someone Michelle barely knew before hitting record and now kind of feels like she does.

Jake Apton is a porn performer, exotic dancer, cosplayer, and content creator based in New York City. You can find all his links at https://lnk.bio/jcapwolf.

Michelle Renee (she/her) is a therapeutic intimacy specialist, trained as both a Cuddle Therapist and Surrogate Partner, and a co-owner at https://Cuddlist.com. She practices a trauma-informed, consent-based approach that helps folks of all genders rebuild trust with touch, set clear boundaries, and access authentic pleasure ... at their own pace. She serves clients nationwide as a holistic intimacy coach and partners with therapists to integrate somatic, consent-based healing. Michelle's websites are ⁠https://meetmichellerenee.com⁠⁠ and ⁠https://humanconnectionlab.com⁠ and she can be found on social media at ⁠https://instagram.com/meetmichellerenee⁠.

If you’d like to ask a question for Michelle to answer on an episode, or you’d like to join her for an Intimacy Lab Experience, visit https://intimacylabpodcast.com.

To grab your own set of We’re Not Really Strangers https://amzn.to/47XJjvm

Become a Cuddlist Certified Touch Practitioner and save 10%: https://Cuddlist.com Use code MEETMICHELLERENEE for 10% off