In this episode of The Pleasure Files, we get deeply practical about desire and what it actually takes for your body to want sex. And yep, we are complex, complex creatures! This conversation is about the real-life conditions that help desire happen and arousal thrive: time, space, safety, and intention. As always there are plenty of practical and useful tips that you can try, if feeling more desire for sex is something that you wish you had. We talk about: Why scheduling ca...

In this episode, we get real about one of the most avoided yet most important parts of any intimate relationship: talking about sex. We look at why open, grounded communication is the gateway to deeper pleasure, trust, and connection. You’ll learn how to bring up the topic without blame or awkwardness, how to create emotional and physical safety for both partners, and how to turn an uncomfortable conversation into a collaborative one. We also explore practical scripts, timing, and...

In this episode, I explore how the modern world’s constant glow and invisible hum might be dimming your desire. From blue light and late-night screens to the Wi-Fi signals surrounding us, I share how these everyday exposures can keep our bodies in alert mode, awake, but not aroused. I also share what I noticed in my own body after moving into a brightly lit, signal-filled apartment, and what I did to help my desire return.

In this first part of our Desire series, we unpack how the nervous system’s two settings, stress and safety, act like a seesaw that shapes libido, arousal, and pleasure. You’ll learn why cortisol and adrenaline turn down oxytocin, estrogen, and testosterone, making desire harder to access, and how safety cues lift the feel-good chemistry that supports connection and responsiveness. We translate the science into simple practices you can use now, and I share my own story about how o...

Welcome to The Pleasure Files and to our very first investigation together. In this episode, I dive straight into a question so many of us carry: why does my vulva hurt? Before we even start unpacking the whys, I invite you to pause and consider what “hurt” actually means. Because for so many of us, we’ve been taught to live with discomfort, to assume that burning, itching, soreness, or pain are just part of being a woman. But they’re not. It’s possible to have a vulva that feels good:...

Ashley’s story is common for a lot of us. She never really found physical pleasure in sex and never orgasmed. Sure, there was the closeness and connection and building love and trust that came from sex with her husband, but orgasm wasn’t part of her experience. She’s on the podcast for episode 18, vulnerably sharing about what that has meant for her enjoyment of her body, what has recently changed, and why it changed. If you have always wanted more pleasure in your sexual experiences, th...

Have you heard that as a woman you are too much in your masculine, and need to be more in your feminine? Or that if you just 'embrace your feminine' you will be able to effortlessly tick off your massively long to-do list, and feel sexy and relaxed at the end of the day? What do these words even mean? If you embrace your feminine, do you have to go and dance naked in the moonlight and paint yourself with your own menstrual blood? And what does that have to do with the realities of modern...

Have you decided that your sexual life will just be finished after menopause? Are you allowed to be turned on, sexy and desirable after 50 plus, or do you just have to shut down and turn off like society tells you you should? Karen Levine has passed through menopause, and is still juicy and sexy, desiring and desirable, so what is different about her? And is it possible for all of us? --- More about me: I support women who experience painful sex and genital/pelvic pain to heal so that ...

Are you curious about kink? Maybe you've seen the 50 Shades movies or you've heard that some people like having things done to them that to you seem degrading or painful. And where is the pleasure in that? Jessica is a kink and sex personality coach, helping women find their unique sensual side and then embrace and embody that to have a life full of pleasure. Episode 15 explores all things kink, including trauma, consent, pleasure, and why you would want to, anyway. --- More about me: I...

Ok, sure, pleasure isn't just sex, but what if we want to have more pleasure when we have sex? Aaron Michael is on the pod today, and as an author, sex coach, bodyworker and course creator, he has created a new model for sex that brings the power of our pleasure back to each of us. We talked about the potential for pleasure in every body, what it takes to have truly fulfilling sex, and what to do when we are in bodies that have pain or numbness and sex isn't feeling great, or we just don'...

Sarah Michelle grew up in purity culture, and after a painful and unexpected divorce, found herself in hookup culture. We talked about what the impact of her purity education was on her sense of herself and her sexuality, and how that flowed over into world view and mindset. If you are curious about the impacts of religious upbringings on your sense of self, and sexuality, especially when you find yourself living in a completely different sexual world, Sarah takes us on this journey throu...

Have you ever been curious about being tied up? Maybe you're wondering why anyone would do it? Or how they do it? And isn't it demeaning and degrading to be tied up? Why would we be talking about rope play and pleasure in the same conversation? Marco Jellema is on the pod this week to share his expertise and passion for therapeutic Shibari, the Japanese art of rope play. If you have ever been curious about why anyone would let themselves be tied up, and why they would say they en...

How's your libido? Have you ever wished your libido was stronger, and wondered what you could do about it? Dr Patricia and I explore what it takes for women’s libidos to stay strong and healthy throughout our lives, and the answers might surprise you. *** About Naomi: Website: www.thepleasurenaturopath.com Instagram @naomiharrisnd If you want to dip your toe into pleasure and healing in a safe place, come and check out my private Facebook Group, ‘Let’s Talk About Painful Sex’. ***...

Adam Beker is a student of the body and consciousness, and is certified in all things breathing. Adam and I let our inner geeks out for this episode, exploring the world of breathing, including if it’s true that if we breathe right, we can experience so much more pleasure in our bodies. So yep, we’re talking about breathing your way to orgasm. *** Want to learn more about what I offer? Website: www.thepleasurenaturopath.com Instagram @naomiharrisnd If you want to dip your toe into pl...

Do you remember being 20? Remember your own sexual education and first sexual explorations? Elle is on the pod talking about her pleasure experiences as a 20 year old, especially following an assault 18 months ago. We talk about sex ed, finding partners to help along the way, and what the assault taught her about her needs and wants. (There is no description of assault beyond mentioning that one occurred). *** Want to learn more about what I offer? Website: www.thepleasurenaturopath...

Peter Maloney is a grief and loss expert, who is on the pod to talk about that taboo topic - what do we do when we find ourselves in a turned on body when we are in mourning for someone we have loved and lost? Surely pleasure and grief don't belong in the same conversation? We talk about shame, grief, community and connection, and the healthy use of pleasure as a way to navigate our loss. This episode will inspire you to think more honestly about what it takes to be a human. *** ...

If you are living in a body that doesn't fit into what we are taught the perfect body should look like, (and let's face it, who is?), this episode will inspire you. Indi Gage describes herself as sex positive, disabled and fat, and in this episode she shares about her journey towards pleasure in a fat body. *** Want to learn more about what I offer? Website: www.thepleasurenaturopath.com Instagram @naomiharrisnd If you want to dip your toe into pleasure and healing in a safe place, co...

If you have ever been curious about pleasure and the Jewish faith, this episode is for you. Felice Winograd takes us on a gentle ride through her love of ritual, the pleasure she finds from simple daily acts, and her own understanding of where sexuality and pleasure sit in her faith. Listening to this episode feels like sitting down for a cup of tea with a close friend, relaxed and warm in each others company. *** Want to learn more about what I offer? Website: www.thepleasurenaturopat...

Who knew how much tongue function could be connected to pleasure and sensation in the body? I don’t think I’m alone in thinking that tongues are super sexy. Soft, warm, wet, kissing, licking… oh my! Jessica Miller has been on a bit of a journey with her tongue, from 25% tongue function into her late 30s, to healing into full tongue mobility. This episode explores what changed in her life with the healing of her tongue, and spoiler, it’s bigger than just her tongue. And, of course I asked ...

Have you ever been to a burlesque performance and wondered if those sexy performances get temperatures rising on the stage as well as in the audience? Koko La Douce is Germany’s longest performing burlesque artist, and a proud award winner of the Burlesque Hall of Fame in Las Vegas. She is a self-confessed bird of paradise and is on the pod to talk about arousal and turn on in the world of Burlesque. Koko shares all the juicy secret details of her art, and more! *** ...