Joy and Sex w/ MaryCatherine McDonald

Women's Journey from Pain to Pleasure

Suzannah Weiss MA, MPS, AMFT, CSE is a writer and psychotherapist focused on sexuality, relationships, and women's empowerment. She's the author of Subjectified, a memoir/manifesto on ending objectification through playful dances with language, and Eve's Blessing, a personal, political, and spiritual story of overcoming Eve's curse by embracing pleasure where women once accepted pain. From The New York Times wedding section to Glamour's sex guides, her writing is all over the internet, with 9,000 articles published. She has edited for Teen Vogue, Vice, and Complex and contributed to The Washington Post, New York Magazine, and more. Twitter: @suzannahweiss, TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sexistentialtherapy [https://www.tiktok.com/@sexistentialtherapy], LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suzannahweiss/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/suzannahweiss/] Suzannah on Psychology Today: psychologytoday.com/profile/1549106 [http://psychologytoday.com/profile/1549106] To work with Suzannah or find out more informations: www.suzannahweiss.com [http://www.suzannahweiss.com/] Suzannah's books: Subjectified [https://bookshop.org/a/7172/9781509560196]Eve's Blessing [https://bookshop.org/a/7172/9781509566174] MENTIONED ON THE SHOW: BOOKS The Ladies Handbook for Her Mysterious Illness by Sara Ramey [https://bookshop.org/a/7172/9780307741943] ACCESSORIES: Vuvatech Magnetic Dilator - www.vuvatech.com [http://www.vuvatech.com/]Oh Nut - https://thepelvicpeople.com/collections/all-products/products/good-vibrations-bundle [https://thepelvicpeople.com/collections/all-products/products/good-vibrations-bundle] TO WATCH: Peggy Ornstein's TEDx Talk [https://youtu.be/a-BrIRTWnFQ?si=FgO2YatVcWY0c0wp] S*X ED RESOURCES/CLASSES Scarleteen [https://www.scarleteen.com/read/sex-sexuality/drivers-ed-sexual-superhighway-navigating-consent]OSchool [https://www.o.school/] BEducated [https://beducated.com/] EDSE [http://www.everyonedeservessexed.com/]: Everyone Deserves Sex Ed [https://everyonedeservessexed.com/?srsltid=AfmBOoo5VlSiR5pCHYlf_8Rm7ZQ-RKE2_HF2geg1-hm2XpYLkQS955h9]OWL: Our Whole Lives [https://www.uua.org/lifespan/owl]OrgasmicBirth.com [http://orgasmicbirth.com/] SophieLua.com [http://sophelua.com/] Josephina Bashout [https://www.josefinabashout.com/] If this episode stirred something in you, I'd love to hear about it. You can join the conversation at ellechase.com [http://ellechase.com/] or share your thoughts on the Instagram page @thereveal_podcast [http://www.instagram.com/thereveal_podcast] with the hashtag #TheRevealPodcast. And if you want to go deeper into these kinds of questions, make sure you're subscribed [https://www.ellechase.com/mailing-list-sign-up]. There's so much more to explore. Podcast Page: www.ellechase.com/podcast [http://www.ellechase.com/podcast]Email: therevealmail@gmail.com Mailing List: https://www.ellechase.com/mailing-list-sign-up [https://www.ellechase.com/mailing-list-sign-up]Instagram: @thereveal_podcast [http://www.instagram.com/thereveal_podcast] and @theellechase [http://www.instagram.com/theellechase] #TheRevealPodcast THE REVEAL PODCAST WITH ELLE CHASE IS PRODUCED BY: Jonathan David at Track Cult [http://www.trackcult.com/] and Emma Chasin at Elle Chase [http://www.ellechase.com/] WEBSITE: www.ellechase.com/podcast [http://www.ellechase.com/podcast] EMAIL: therevealmail@gmail.com [therevealmail@gmail.com] ALL SOCIAL: @theellechase Copyright©Elle Chase LLC

Alternative Relationships with Yana Tallon-Hicks

We're told there's one version of love — two people, forever, exclusive. But what if that's not the whole story? What if love could stretch? What if commitment didn't mean containment? And what if jealousy wasn't a failure, but a teacher? Across the world, people are quietly — and not so quietly — reimagining what relationships can look like. Polyamory, open partnerships, relationship anarchy… words that used to sound radical are now part of a growing conversation about honesty, freedom, and the limits of traditional love. But breaking the rules doesn't mean it gets easier. It means you have to write your own — from communication, to boundaries, to what "faithfulness" even means when no one's following the script. This episode is about that rewrite — the courage to question what we were taught, and the vulnerability it takes to build something entirely new. GUEST: YANA TALLON-HICKS Yana Tallon-Hicks, LMFT, is a couples and relationships therapist and a consent, sex, and sexuality writer and educator living in Western Massachusetts. Her book Hot and Unbothered: How to think about, talk about, and have the sex you really want is available wherever you buy books and her next book Redefine the Relationship will be out next year. Find out more about Yana and her work on Instagram @the_vspot and at yanatallonhicks.com [http://yanatallonhicks.com/] Her book: Hot and Unbothered: How to Think About, Talk About, and Have the Sex You Really Want [https://bookshop.org/a/7172/9780063075511] Her upcoming book: https://yanatallonhicks.com/preorder/ [https://yanatallonhicks.com/preorder/] Therapy & Coaching: https://yanatallonhicks.com/therapy/ [https://yanatallonhicks.com/therapy/] IG @the_vspot Website: yanatallonhicks.com [http://yanatallonhicks.com/] RESOURCES BOOKS Sex at Dawn [https://bookshop.org/a/7172/9780061707810] by Christopher Ryan and Jacilda Jetha Mating in Captivity [https://bookshop.org/a/7172/9780060753641] by Esther Perel Opening Up [https://bookshop.org/a/7172/9781573442954] by Tristan Taormino Polysecure [https://bookshop.org/a/7172/9781944934989] by Jessica Fern Love's Not Color Blind [https://bookshop.org/a/7172/9781944934460]by Kevin A. Patterson If this episode stirred something in you, I'd love to hear about it. You can join the conversation at ellechase.com [http://ellechase.com/] or share your thoughts on the Instagram page @thereveal_podcast [http://www.instagram.com/thereveal_podcast] with the hashtag #TheRevealPodcast. And if you want to go deeper into these kinds of questions, make sure you're subscribed [https://www.ellechase.com/mailing-list-sign-up]. There's so much more to explore. Podcast Page: www.ellechase.com/podcast [http://www.ellechase.com/podcast]Email: therevealmail@gmail.com Mailing List: https://www.ellechase.com/mailing-list-sign-up [https://www.ellechase.com/mailing-list-sign-up]Instagram: @thereveal_podcast [http://www.instagram.com/thereveal_podcast] and @theellechase [http://www.instagram.com/theellechase] #TheRevealPodcast THE REVEAL PODCAST WITH ELLE CHASE IS PRODUCED BY: Jonathan David at Track Cult [http://www.trackcult.com/] and Emma Chasin at Elle Chase [http://www.ellechase.com/] WEBSITE: www.ellechase.com/podcast [http://www.ellechase.com/podcast] EMAIL: therevealmail@gmail.com [therevealmail@gmail.com] ALL SOCIAL: @theellechase Copyright©Elle Chase LLC

Erica Smith

Today, we're pulling back the curtain on one of the most powerful—and damaging—forces shaping our sexuality: shame. Sexual shame isn't just about feeling embarrassed in the bedroom. It's a cultural architecture. It's been handed down through religion, medicine, media, and family systems as a way to regulate bodies, desires, and identities. And even when we think we've left those systems behind, shame has a way of living on inside us—quietly shaping how we experience pleasure, intimacy, and even our own worth. To unpack this, I'm joined by sex educator Erica Smith. Through her work dismantling purity culture and helping people reclaim their erotic selves, Erica has become a leading voice in showing us that shame isn't a personal failing—it's a social inheritance we can question, challenge, and ultimately move beyond. In this episode, we'll talk about where sexual shame comes from, how it lodges itself in our bodies and relationships, and what it really takes to create a life where pleasure is not just possible, but central. This isn't just about sex—it's about freedom, resilience, and the radical act of joy. BIO Erica Smith is an award winning sexuality educator and consultant with 25 years of experience. Throughout her career, she has provided comprehensive sex education and advocacy to young women and LGBTQ+ youth in Philadelphia's juvenile justice system, worked in abortion care, and supported HIV+ and transgender adolescents and their families. In 2019, she developed the Purity Culture Dropout™️ Program to help people learn all of the sex education that they missed growing up in purity culture- sex ed that is accurate, queer inclusive, trauma informed, compassionate, and comprehensive. She has since worked with hundreds of people to help them learn about healthy sexuality after high control religion. Erica lives in Philadelphia with her partner and house full of rescue animals. Where to find Erica: Website: http://www.purityculturedropout.com [http://www.purityculturedropout.com/] Instagram and Threads: @ericasmith.educates Twitter: @ericasmithsexed LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erica-smith-sexeducator/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/erica-smith-sexeducator/] Her book The Purity Culture Recovery Guide: The Shame-Free Sex Ed You Deserve [https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/purity-culture-recovery-guide-9798881858032] is coming in February 2026. You can preorder it now from Bloomsbury Publications: https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/purity-culture-recovery-guide-9798881858032/ [https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/purity-culture-recovery-guide-9798881858032/] * Purity Culture Dropout™ School- a new group program launching later in September 2025 * Purity Culture Dropout™ Divorce Support Groups- launching later this fall 2025 RESOURCES: Pure White Podcast with Dr. Sara Moslener - https://saramoslener.com/media/ [https://saramoslener.com/media/] If this episode stirred something in you, I'd love to hear about it. You can join the conversation at ellechase.com [http://ellechase.com/] or share your thoughts on the Instagram page @thereveal_podcast [http://www.instagram.com/thereveal_podcast] with the hashtag #TheRevealPodcast. And if you want to go deeper into these kinds of questions, make sure you're subscribed [https://www.ellechase.com/mailing-list-sign-up]. There's so much more to explore. Podcast Page: www.ellechase.com/podcast [http://www.ellechase.com/podcast]Email: therevealmail@gmail.com Mailing List: https://www.ellechase.com/mailing-list-sign-up [https://www.ellechase.com/mailing-list-sign-up]Instagram: @thereveal_podcast [http://www.instagram.com/thereveal_podcast] and @theellechase [http://www.instagram.com/theellechase] #TheRevealPodcast THE REVEAL: The Reveal Podcast with Elle Chase is produced by Jonathan David at Track Cult [http://www.trackcult.com/]and Emma Chasin at Elle Chase [http://www.ellechase.com/] Email: therevealmail@gmail.com [therevealmail@gmail.com] Website: www/ellechase.com/podcast [http://ellechase.com/podcast] PR/Media Requests: brian@bsgpr.com [brian@bsgpr.com] ALL SOCIAL: @theellechase Copyright©Elle Chase LLC

Joy and Sex w/ MaryCatherine McDonald

Today we're diving into a topic that feels both radical and beautifully simple: the connection between joy and sex. We often think of sex as physical, and joy as emotional — but what if the two are inseparable? What if cultivating a practice of pleasure could actually enhance joy in every corner of our lives? This conversation is about reclaiming sex as something more than performance or expectation. It's about presence, healing, play, and the radical act of choosing joy. To explore this, I'm joined by Dr. MaryCatherine McDonald — researcher, and the voice behind The Joy Reset: 6 Ways Trauma Steals Your Happiness and How to Win It Back Today, she's here to help us unpack why joy isn't just a fleeting feeling, but a practice — and how pleasure, especially sexual pleasure, can be one of its most powerful pathways. So let's get into it. Dr. MaryCatherine McDonald is a PhD researcher, author, and trauma specialist with over 15 years of experience. She has written extensively about trauma, grief, and the power of the human spirit to heal. Through her writing, courses, and coaching, she helps people reframe trauma from a strength-based perspective and reclaim joy after hardship. Her latest book, The Joy Reset, explores barriers that prevent us from accessing joy and how to recalibrate in order to welcome positive emotions back in. When she's not working, she can be found dancing in the kitchen, walking in nature, or helping others rediscover their inner light. WHERE TO FIND MARYCATHERINE MCDONALD: Website: https://www.drmcmcdonald.com/ [https://www.drmcmcdonald.com/] Instagram & TikTok: @mc.phd BOOKS: The Joy Reset: Six Ways Trauma Steals Happiness and How to Win It Back [https://bookshop.org/a/7172/9780306836268] Unbroken: The Trauma Response Is Never Wrong And Other Things You Need to Know to Take Back Your Life [https://bookshop.org/a/7172/9781683648840] If this episode stirred something in you, I'd love to hear about it. You can join the conversation at ellechase.com [http://ellechase.com/] or share your thoughts on the Instagram page @thereveal_podcast [http://www.instagram.com/thereveal_podcast] with the hashtag #TheRevealPodcast. And if you want to go deeper into these kinds of questions, make sure you're subscribed [https://www.ellechase.com/mailing-list-sign-up]. There's so much more to explore. Podcast Page: www.ellechase.com/podcast [http://www.ellechase.com/podcast]Email: therevealmail@gmail.com Mailing List: https://www.ellechase.com/mailing-list-sign-up [https://www.ellechase.com/mailing-list-sign-up]Instagram: @thereveal_podcast [http://www.instagram.com/thereveal_podcast] and @theellechase [http://www.instagram.com/theellechase] #TheRevealPodcast THE REVEAL PODCAST WITH ELLE CHASE IS PRODUCED BY: Jonathan David at Track Cult [http://www.trackcult.com/] and Emma Chasin at Elle Chase [http://www.ellechase.com/] WEBSITE: www.ellechase.com/podcast [http://www.ellechase.com/podcast] EMAIL: therevealmail@gmail.com [therevealmail@gmail.com] ALL SOCIAL: @theellechase Copyright©Elle Chase LLC

Why Does Dating Suck Right Now? w/Myisha Battle

Today, we're asking a question so many of us whisper to our friends after another awkward coffee date, a half-hearted swipe session, or a ghosting that stings more than we'd like to admit: why does dating suck right now? Dating apps promise endless possibilities, but often deliver exhaustion. Communication feels harder than ever, expectations feel higher, and somehow, even with more options at our fingertips, true connection feels rarer. In this episode, we'll explore what's making modern dating feel so bleak — from technology to capitalism, shame to vulnerability — and, importantly, how we can begin to shift our approach so that dating doesn't just drain us, but becomes a space for curiosity, joy, and genuine connection. So, if you've ever thought, "It can't just be me… dating really is harder these days," this conversation is for you. ABOUT MYISHA BATTLE Myisha Battle [https://www.MyishaBattle.com] is a certified sex and dating coach, author and educator. She is the owner of Sex for Life, LLC which is home to her coaching practice, writing and her podcasts. Myisha provides empowering sexual information, instills pride in difference, and encourages the quest for sexual satisfaction no matter a person's race, gender, orientation, ability or age. She guides her clients, listeners and readers to embrace better sex for a better life. As the foremost feminist sex coach, Myisha offers her clients the opportunity to explore how gender and the expectations of gender roles impact their sexual desires and experiences. She provides space for her clients to grow into the kind of sexual people they want to be, not who they are told they should be. Myisha's advice and expertise has been featured in Playboy, Refinery29, HuffPost, GQ, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Washington Post, and New York Magazine's The Cut, among many others. Her book, This Is Supposed to Be Fun: How To Find Joy in Hooking Up, Settling Down, and Everything In Between is available wherever you like to buy books. She is also the host of KCRW's How's Your Sex Life? podcast where she gives advice on all things sex and dating. Her column, Real Love, is available on TIME, and she writes a weekly newsletter called The Pleasure Dispatch, both of which explore modern relationships. WHERE TO FIND MYISHA: Website: myishabattle.com [http://myishabattle.com/] Instagram/Twitter: @MyishaBattle [http://www.instagram.com/myishabattle] Newsletter: The Pleasure Dispatch Newsletter [http://www.myishabattle.com/] Book: This Is Supposed To Be Fun: How To Find Joy in Hooking Up, Settling Down, and Everything In Between [https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/myisha-battle/this-is-supposed-to-be-fun/9781541602212/?lens=seal-press%20https://pod.link/1709536776] Podcast: How's Your Sex Life? Podcast [https://www.npr.org/podcasts/1220453169/how-s-your-sex-life] MENTIONED ON THE SHOW: All Fours by Miranda July [https://bookshop.org/lists/book-club-elle-chase-cse] Feeld [https://feeld.co/] Tinder [https://tinder.com/] HInge [https://hinge.co/] If this episode stirred something in you, I'd love to hear about it. You can join the conversation at ellechase.com [http://ellechase.com/] or share your thoughts on the Instagram page @thereveal_podcast [http://www.instagram.com/thereveal_podcast] with the hashtag #TheRevealPodcast. And if you want to go deeper into these kinds of questions, make sure you're subscribed [https://www.ellechase.com/mailing-list-sign-up]. There's so much more to explore. Podcast Page: www.ellechase.com/podcast [http://www.ellechase.com/podcast]Email: therevealmail@gmail.com Mailing List: https://www.ellechase.com/mailing-list-sign-up [https://www.ellechase.com/mailing-list-sign-up]Instagram: @thereveal_podcast [http://www.instagram.com/thereveal_podcast] and @theellechase [http://www.instagram.com/theellechase] #TheRevealPodcast THE REVEAL PODCAST WITH ELLE CHASE IS PRODUCED BY: Jonathan David at Track Cult [http://www.trackcult.com/] and Emma Chasin at Elle Chase [http://www.ellechase.com/] WEBSITE: www.ellechase.com/podcast [http://www.ellechase.com/podcast] EMAIL: therevealmail@gmail.com [therevealmail@gmail.com] ALL SOCIAL: @theellechase Copyright©Elle Chase LLC