Mormon Sex Info

Natasha Helfer Parker interviews Ryan Flake, who was referred to the LDS Addiction Recovery Program by his bishop due to confessions about viewing sexually explicit material and masturbation. They discuss his upbringing as a Mormon and the many messages he received from an early age that contributed to quite a bit of sexual shame by the time Ryan was preparing to go on a mission, even though he was not having any relational sexual experiences...

Natasha Helfer Parker interviews Ryan Flake, who was referred to the LDS Addiction Recovery Program by his bishop due to confessions about viewing sexually explicit material and masturbation. They discuss his upbringing as a Mormon and the many messages he received from an early age that contributed to quite a bit of sexual shame by the time Ryan was preparing to go on a mission, even though he was not having any relational sexual experiences...

Natasha Helfer Parker interviews Dr. Daniel Parkinson and Thomas Montgomery.  They discuss the alarming increase in suicide rates in Utah — a trend that has been apparent since the Church’s involvement in Prop 8, increased focus on anti-gay rhetoric in talks over the pulpit and the “November 5th policy” which specifically calls out homosexual marriage as a sin worthy of excommunication...

Natasha Helfer Parker interviews Dr. Daniel Parkinson and Thomas Montgomery.  They discuss the alarming increase in suicide rates in Utah — a trend that has been apparent since the Church’s involvement in Prop 8, increased focus on anti-gay rhetoric in talks over the pulpit and the “November 5th policy” which specifically calls out homosexual marriage as a sin worthy of excommunication...

Natasha Helfer Parker interviews Drs. Chuck and Jo-Ann Bird in regards to some of the more common sex toys and aids on the market, their practical uses not just for pleasure but also for help with types of sexual dysfunction, and how to best go about purchasing, using and caring for such products.  Sex toys and aids can still be a taboo topic for many couples and individuals, and myths abound that add to people's concerns in regards to incorporating them to their sex lives....

Gina Colvin of A Thoughtful Faith, interviews sex and marriage therapists Natasha Helfer-Parker and Julie de Azevedo-Hanks about Wendy Watson Nelson’s speech at the January 2017 Worldwide Devotional for Young Adults. Nelson’s address garnered some criticism for the unhealthy, purity-centered and confusing expectations that she constructed around sex.  She argued that "Four Truths" should govern and inform marital sex. Helfer-Parker and de Azevedo-Hanks...

Gina Colvin of A Thoughtful Faith, interviews sex and marriage therapists Natasha Helfer-Parker and Julie de Azevedo-Hanks about Wendy Watson Nelson’s speech at the January 2017 Worldwide Devotional for Young Adults. Nelson’s address garnered some criticism for the unhealthy, purity-centered and confusing expectations that she constructed around sex.  She argued that "Four Truths" should govern and inform marital sex. Helfer-Parker and de Azevedo-Hanks...

Natasha Helfer Parker interviews Dr. David Hersh regarding his long career and experience as a sex therapist working with couples. Through this expertise Dr. Hersh has developed a concise and helpful list of things that detract from the type of sexual experiences most couples desire and want to seek after. He talks about how these detractors are much more common in creating problems in the bedroom than any type of official disorder or dysfunction, and how with a combination of 

Natasha Helfer Parker interviews Dr. Stephanie Buehler, PhD in regards to how sexuality is commonly affected by pregnancy. They discuss a variety of applicable topics for couples to consider: emotional changes, physical changes, myths & common fears, concerns that should be addressed with a physician, how husbands/partners are affected, and tips/strategies to help a couple best communicate as well as different positions and tools to better have comfortable sex. 

Natasha Helfer Parker interviews Doug Braun-Harvey and Michael Vigorito, authors of the book titled Treating Out of Control Sexual Behavior: Rethinking Sex Addiction. With so much media and public emphasis on looking at any sexual behavioral problem through an addictions lens, Doug and Michael have developed a sexual health assessment and treatment protocol for people who present to a therapy office with sexual behaviors that feel out of control to them. This can be... 

Natasha Helfer Parker interviews Doug Braun-Harvey and Michael Vigorito, authors of the book titled Treating Out of Control Sexual Behavior: Rethinking Sex Addiction. With so much media and public emphasis on looking at any sexual behavioral problem through an addictions lens, Doug and Michael have developed a sexual health assessment and treatment protocol for people who present to a therapy office with sexual behaviors that feel out of control to them. This can be... 

Natasha Helfer Parker invites Dr. Ricky Siegel and his brother Larry Siegel back to the show to discuss some of the problematic messaging that can be found in mainstream pornography -- specifically when in context of adolescent viewers. Since Natasha takes a strong position against the "porn addiction" treatment approach, she often gets accused of being "pro-porn" or minimizing the negative effects pornography can have. This interview is a rich dialogue about the.... 

Natasha Helfer Parker invites Dr. Ricky Siegel and his brother Larry Siegel back to the show to discuss some of the problematic messaging that can be found in mainstream pornography -- specifically when in context of adolescent viewers. Since Natasha takes a strong position against the "porn addiction" treatment approach, she often gets accused of being "pro-porn" or minimizing the negative effects pornography can have. This interview is a rich dialogue about the.... 

Due to the support LDS LGBTQ+ members currently need, this interview discussing the harms of reparative/conversion therapies will be co-released with Mormon Mental Health and is available at no charge. Natasha Helfer Parker interviews James Guay, a licensed Marriage & Family Therapist who grew up as a pastor's son in an evangelical community and went through reparative therapy as a young man to try to change his sexual orientation. They discuss the harms that LGBTQ+..

This episode is being co-released in partnership with Mormon Matters and Mormon Mental Health and is available at no charge.  Natasha Helfer Parker and Kristin Hodson (both Mormon and certified sex therapists), along with neuroscientist and sex researcher Dr. Nicole Prause and counselor and sex therapist Jay Blevins (who are both non-LDS), join Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon for a wide-ranging discussion of the research surrounding the effects of...

Natasha Helfer Parker interviews Dr. Stephanie Buehler, PhD in regards to how sexuality is commonly affected by infertility as well as how some sexual disorders can actually play a role in causing infertility. With 5-10% of couples facing some level of infertility in their family planning journey, this can be a sensitive and painful topic fraught with cultural, personal and religious pressures/messages. And the information surrounding treatment protocols can feel overwhelming and daunting.... 

Natasha Helfer Parker interviews neuroscientist Dr. James G. Pfaus, PhD, in regards to helping women understand sexual desire and arousal disorders as opposed to libido disparities with partners, vaginismus, an asexual orientation, etc. This podcast is so loaded with information that it will be worth listening to at least twice. This podcast covers everything from evolutionary theory, to the benefits and limitations of the new drug Addyi (flibanserin), to feminine/masculine traits..

Natasha Helfer Parker interviews neuroscientist Dr. James G. Pfaus, PhD, in regards to helping women understand sexual desire and arousal disorders as opposed to libido disparities with partners, vaginismus, an asexual orientation, etc. This podcast is so loaded with information that it will be worth listening to at least twice. This podcast covers everything from evolutionary theory, to the benefits and limitations of the new drug Addyi (flibanserin), to feminine/masculine traits..

Natasha Helfer Parker interviews Dr. Jennifer Gunsaullus, PhD, a sociologist and sex educator of the popular In the Den with Dr. Jenn video podcast show. She recently gave an address at The New Narrative in San Diego titled Sex & The Price of Masculinity. She gives a detailed account of an encounter where, as a single, educated, mature woman, her date goes past the boundaries they had previously consented on. And the difficult conversations and reflections that ensued...

Natasha Helfer Parker interviews Dr. Julie Hanks De Azevedo, author of the The Assertiveness Guide for Women and The Burnout Cure, about how the ability to develop good assertiveness skills can help with sexual satisfaction. They discuss cultural gender messages, both within Mormonism and without, that get in the way of such things as differentiation, communication skills, self-care and self-awareness. They cover the 5 skills Julie delves into in her book, that can help....

Natasha Helfer Parker interviews Carol Lynn Pearson, author of The Ghost of Polygamy: Haunting the Hearts and Heaven of Mormon Women and Men, about the unfortunate and damaging legacy the Mormon doctrine of polygamy continues to have on mainstream LDS members and their relationships with self, spouse and God.  Carol Lynn explains her project and how it came to be, starting with her own story as to how polygamy affected her sense of self as a female since...

Natasha Helfer Parker interviews Dr. Holly Welker, author of Baring Witness: 36 Mormon Women Talk Candidly about Love, Sex and Marriage, about this collection of essays she painstakingly edited. They discuss how Holly became interested in this project through the observation of her own parents' Mormon marriage with the catalyst being the death of her mother. And her curiosity about how women in particular are affected by their courtships, marriages and sexuality. From devoted...

Natasha Helfer Parker interviews Dr. Gina Ogden for Part 2 of their original interview exploring low female sexual desire.  Gina will soon be presenting in Salt Lake City, alongside Emily Nagoski, at the Rocky Mountain Summit of Sex and Intimacy. The summit is sponsoring this episode, which will be available for free until the event takes place: September 23 and 24, 2016! Also, those who subscribe to the podcast between now and then, will receive a $30 discount to attend the summit!

Natasha Helfer Parker interviews Dr. Russell Stambaugh, author of The Elephant in the Hot Tub: Kink in Context blog.  They cover a variety of topics including the definition of "kink," how cultural context has affected sexual norms throughout history, and where we stand today as far as types of alternative sexuality (i.e. different forms of BDSM, cross-dressing, non-monogamy, and more). It is interesting to note that many who would consider themselves "heteronormative" have...

Natasha Helfer Parker interviews Dr. Emily Nagoski, author of Come As You Are: The Surprising New Science that will Transform your Sex Life. This podcast is being sponsored by the Rocky Mountain Summit of Sex and Intimacy which is making this episode available for free until the summit takes place on September 23 and 24, 2016! Also, those who subscribe to the podcast between now and then, will receive a $30 discount to attend the summit! This podcast covers relevant....

Natasha Helfer Parker continues her interview with Scott and Mitzi Cannon. They discuss the painful process Scott went through preparing to disclose to his wife his history with pornography viewing, how that disclosure went, the painful struggles they went through in their marriage as a result, and how they came through to the other side by deciding to negotiate their sexuality on their own terms as a couple - instead of through the Mormon messaging they had both grown up with....

Natasha Helfer Parker continues her interview with Scott and Mitzi Cannon. There is a quick review of some of the shaming themes covered in Part 1, and then they move into how this perceived problem with pornography and masturbation played into the relational dynamics between Scott and Mitzi as they met, courted, and became married. They cover what it was like to start having a sexual relationship as a couple, expectations they had going in that were not met, difficulties....

Natasha Helfer Parker speaks with Scott and Mitzi Cannon in a 3-part, in-depth interview about their experience dealing with a porn disclosure in their marriage. Part 1 focuses mainly on the negative messaging that Scott received about the evils of pornography viewing & masturbation, and sexuality in general. He delves into how these messages exacerbated an anxiety disorder, to the point that he became suicidal and was diagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder at BYU.  

Natasha Helfer Parker interviews Ben and Jen Johnson about their experience dealing with a porn disclosure in their marriage.  They discuss the messages they heard growing up Mormon that framed their sexual understanding, their histories in regards to being introduced to pornography, the betrayal and hurt they had to face when Ben would disclose his pornography viewing behavior to his wife, meanings that were attributed to the behavior (including that their marriage might be... 

Natasha Helfer Parker interviews Dr. Nicole Prause, founder of the Sexual Psychophysiology and Affective Neuroscience (SPAN) Laboratory, in regards to the research she has personally done (and is aware of) concerning our relationships with pornography and erotic viewing materials. They cover all types of topics such as: What are some common correlations that are made in regards to porn research that are completely inaccurate? Are we aware that those who view porn tend...

Natasha Helfer Parker interviews Kimberly Anderson, author of the Mama Story Dragon Project, regarding her journey of gender discovery and her ensuing knowledge on such topics as intersexuality and the transgender experience. In the wake of so much controversy about transgender rights to use public restrooms, this is such an important area for all of us to seek education about. What are intersexual conditions? What does it mean to be transgender? How are these topics...

Natasha Helfer Parker interviews Dr. Tammy Nelson, author of The New Monogamy: Redefining Your Relationship After Infidelity, regarding the complicated issues and tasks associated with recovering from infidelity. So many applicable things are discussed, whether you have experienced infidelity in your relationship or not. How do we define infidelity in the first place? How does having dialogue about what monogamy means help prevent infidelity? What can one expect to experience..

Natasha Helfer Parker interviews Colleen Payne Dietz and Alyson Bigelow Horrocks in regards to their experiences with sexual assault during their college years. In this time, when Brigham Young Univeristy is undergoing a lot of scrutiny about their policies and procedures when students report cases of sexual assault, these stories are so important to share. This podcast is co-produced with the Mormon Mental Health Podcast and is free of charge. Be aware that detailed information is shared in regards to the assaults that took place.

Natasha Helfer Parker interviews Dr. Jennifer Finlayson-Fife on the topic of how to best handle a pornography disclosure within a couple system. This would be applicable for a couple where pornography viewing and/or masturbation was/is taking place by one spouse/partner in secret from the other. And now the behavior has come to light either through a voluntary disclosure ("confession" per se) or has been "found out." This often creates a marital or relational crisis that needs... 

Natasha Helfer Parker interviews Al Vernacchio on the topic of providing the most effective types of sexual education to adolescents. What's the difference between abstinence and comprehensive sexual education? What's the history of the importance of virginal status and the impact it has on our culture? How do we teach teens what it means to have sex outside of the mechanical definition? How do we honor our teens as sexual beings? What kinds of sexual options can we offer...

Natasha Helfer parker interviews Aimee Heffernan, LMFT in regards to achieving what can at times seem like the elusive female orgasm. They cover all types of topics from psychological aspects that can get in the way of climax, to specific techniques that women and their partners find helpful. What ruts can we get stuck in either in regards to sexual practice or sexual meaning? How can using a vibrator help achieve orgasm? Does the G-Spot exist? What about multiple orgasms?...

Natasha Helfer Parker interviews Dr. David Ley, author of The Myth of Sex Addiction, regarding the problems with the sex addiction treatment model and the conversations we should be having instead. He states that not only is this type of modality erroneous, but dangerous. They cover such issues as: How do shifting attitudes about sexuality force us to renegotiate how we see and define healthy sexuality? Why is sexual diversity easily pathologized? Why is it that...

Natasha Helfer Parker interviews internationally renown Dr. Gina Ogden, PhD, LMFT on the topic of one of the most common complaints that get brought to sex therapists: low female sexual desire. Gina shares years of experience where she helps us ask pivotal questions. What is it that we desire? Do women give themselves permission to experience pleasure? What are the many messages that women receive about their roles, that may or may not benefit desire?...

Natasha Helfer Parker interviews Shannon Hickman, LCSW, CST, an AASECT Certified Sex Therapist on the topic of understanding premature (or early or rapid) ejaculation. What is the diagnostic criteria for PE? Do people know how long most sexual experiences last? What types of myths and misconceptions abound about sexual expectations and what it means to have a successful sexual encounter that affect people's perspective about penile performance?...

Natasha Helfer Parker interviews Richard and Lawrence Siegel, in the continuing discussion of why the framing of sexual issues as addiction is problematic. What are the neurological/medical explanations currently taking place within the sexual field? What are the diagnostic implications? What is the research that has been happening for the last 20 years on these issues? Is research interpreted and applied correctly? What do many of the terms being thrown around even mean?...

Natasha Helfer Parker interviews Kristin Bennion, LCSW, an AASECT Certified Sex Therapist, on the important topic of understanding and treating female genital pain.  What types of genital pain do women generally deal with and why? How do you go about making sure you are getting an accurate diagnosis? What assumptions and myths prevail when it comes to dealing with these types of issues? What role can a spouse play? How can anatomy education play a role...

Natasha Helfer Parker interviews Isa Jones, LMFT, a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist and Clinical Sexologist, on the importance of creating & claiming our sexual identities both as individuals and couples.  What does this mean?  For example, we often have clear ideas about many roles we play in our lives… who am I as a parent?… as a spouse?… as a business partner? But how many times have we thought about “who am I sexually?” So, how do we go about claiming...

Natasha Helfer Parker interviews Dr. Joe Kort, an AASECT Certified Sex Therapist on his latest Psychology Today article called, Why I am No Longer a Sex-Addiction Therapist.  This is a great follow up to Episode 1: Porn Addiction: Is it Real?; as well as a great stand alone.  They cover a wide range of topics: the history of the sex addiction model, why (at least initially) it can be helpful, reasons why the sex addiction model does not offer long-term success for many...

Natasha Helfer Parker intervies Dr. Neil Cannon, an AASECT Certified Sex Therapist and Supervisor of Sex Therapy, on the topic of Erectile Dysfunction (ED). They cover the many factors that go into the ability to get or maintain an erection for penetrative sexuality... but it doesn't stop there. They also discuss the many messages men receive about their sexuality, men's sexual health, what most people assume it means to be sexually successful, relational dynamics...

Natasha Helfer Parker interviews Alisha Worthington, SSW, a sexual educator, on the topic of sexual lubrication. This is a fascinating, educational podcast on such subjects as: How are our bodies designed to engage in sexual pleasure? What is the relationship between arousal and bodily fluids? What types of lubrication products exist?  Which are good for you to use, and which can actually exacerbate problems?...

Natasha Helfer Parker interviews Kristin Hodson, LCSW, CST regarding the common use of the term "porn" or "sex" addiction within our Mormon culture. They cover limitations and issues when individuals, spouses, leaders or professionals pathologize unwanted sexual behavior - as well as cover more sex-positive approaches that are more likely to lead to the sexual health all parties are interested in achieving....