Today’s episode is a real DOOZY for someone like me, who would just prefer to never ever ever ever speak about sex publicly. But, as I’ve been working on this mind/body connection topic, human sexuality is something that comes up a lot. It’s a big part of life, and as sexual beings, it’s a big part of the mind/body connection.
Still, in our culture we rarely discuss sex in a realistic way. There are too often moral implications surrounding our conversations about sex, and what actually brings sexual pleasure and fulfillment to our bodies and spirits gets lost in all of our complicated feelings. In my discussion with Dr. Chaves, I tried to set aside all judgement and ingrained moral reactions to this topic. I may have been blushing wildly, but what was important to share here was the concept of finding what brings us pleasure in the bedroom. Unashamedly making that specific mind and body connection spills out into our whole lives. Sexual gratification improves relationship, moods, and overall health.
My guest is Dr. Hernando Chaves. Dr. Chaves holds a B.A. in psychology from University of California Santa Barbara, a M.A. in marital and family therapy from University of San Diego, and a D.H.S. doctorate in human sexuality from the Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Sexuality. He is a licensed marriage and family therapist specializing in working with sexual minorities, individuals and couples with intimacy/relational difficulties and sexual concerns/dysfunctions. Dr. Chaves is a psychology and sexuality professor at Orange Coast College and Pepperdine University, has written and consulted for 14 instructional sex education projects, including BaDoinkVR's virtual reality sex therapy instructional video and co-host for Penthouse's Sex Academy instructional series, and a Western Region past president for the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality.
In this episode, we discuss a number of books and resources for exploring your sexuality, including:
Mating in Captivity by Esther Perel
Sex at Dawn by Christopher Ryan and Cecilia Jetha
Coping with Erectile Dysfunction by Michael E. Metz and Barry W. McCarthy
SM101 by Jay Wiseman
The Erotic Mind by Jack Morin
Dr. Chaves's pick for a book that made a great impact on his life is:
Mind Over Medicine by Lissa Rankin
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