Welcome Foreplay listeners to another episode in our school of love series. Our residential relationship experts share with us the 4 things that stop progress and connection in relationships. The three A's abuse, addiction, affair and finally a partner not willing to take enough of a risk to re-connect. Join George and Laurie as they succinctly breakdown these roadblocks to connection and share what needs to happen first if any are present in your relationship. Our hosts remind us that safety in EFT is paramount and we can only get closer when there is a shared level of safety between partners. This episode is a must listen if you are facing any of these factors that may make connection impossible. Tune in today with an open mind and heart and another reminder that you are not alone! Check out our faithful sponsors (supporting them supports us!): Addyi.com -- A drug for women with low libido! Use the code 'Foreplay' for a $10 telemedicine consultation to see if Addyi is right for you. ForiaWellness.com/foreplay -- Foria has great products to enhance your sex life. Use the code 'Foreplay' for 20% off your first order! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Let's talk about sex, baby! Not sure how to have the best sex talk? We put together a comprehensive list of topics to cover. Join us today as we work through the acronym we developed to set couples up to have the best talk about sex! Topics range from bodies to laughter and everything in between that couples need to talk about when it comes to sex and their relationship. Whether you are spending your first anniversary together or your 50th you will benefit from this episode. Having conversations about sex is vital to a long lasting and deeply satisfying relationship. Visit our Instagram account and click the link in bio to download our worksheet that guides you through this exercise. Keep it hot y’all! Check out our sponsors: UberLube.com/foreplay -- Laurie's go-to lube for the past 25 years. Use the code foreplay for 10% off! Addyi.com -- a drug for women with low libido! Use the code foreplay for a $10 telemedicine appointment. RocketMoney.com/foreplay -- cancel those zombie online subscriptions before you renew! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Not sure how to have a great conversation about your sex life? Don't worry, we've got you covered! In this latest edition of our school of love lessons, Laurie and George teach listeners how, when and where to begin this conversation. Starting is often the hardest part and it's so easy to build up all the ways this could go wrong in your mind. However, the ability to have these sometimes awkward conversations is vital to a lifetime of love. Join us today to learn how to bring up this conversation and the check-in questions partners can ask one another to gauge the status of their sex life. In this conversation, you'll move beyond how often we are/aren't knocking boots to understanding needs, depth of connection, intimacy and other factors that make great lovers. A fabulous George and Laurie role play will guide you through and is sure to give any couple a dose of confidence. TLDR; How to gracefully bring up a conversation about your sex life and the four components to cover. Keep it hot y'all! Check out our great sponsors: Addyi.com -- a drug to help women's libido ForiaWellness.com/foreplay -- lotions to help you get going! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Did you ever stop and think about why you view sex the way you do? Where did your thoughts and feelings on sex come from? In this episode, George and Laurie discuss how cultural influences affect our view of sex. Culture includes race, religion, sexuality, location you were raised among others. There are so many factors that make up your perspective of sex and relationships. Listen to our hosts share how their cultural experiences have shaped their worlds and the work they have done to expand their views. They share that a key to understanding cultural influences more is flexibility and creative thinking. George and Laurie discuss expanding beyond a dualistic way of thinking that says "either, or' to 'both, and.' George reminds us we don't have to have all the answers, we just need to start the conversation. Check out our sponsors (and help support the podcast!): FactorMeals.com/foreplay50 -- great, quick meals and delicious too! Use the code Foreplay50 for 50% off your first order and 20% off your second! Uberlube.com --Laurie's favorite lubricant! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last episode we invited listeners to have a candid conversation with their partners about emotions and how your family  expressed emotions. This week on our latest lesson in the 'school of love,' we are talking about how to have positive conversations about your sexual history. As therapists, we gather this information and call it a sexual assessment. The funny thing is, it's not all about sex! We are curious to learn about touch you experienced in life, how affection was displayed and how the family talked about sex or bodies. Touch is vital to human survival and it's important to gather that key information. Sometimes we work with individuals that grew up in emotionally disconnected houses but physical affection was fine to express. Other times we find that physical affection was not given and individuals have to shut down that need to be touched or held very early on. We hope that this episode will induce a conversation between partners to learn more about your earlier experiences with touch and sexuality. Grab your notepads, students and write down the following to get you started: What was touch like in your family? How did your family/peer group talk about sexuality and puberty? What were your first sexual experie nces like? How do you like to be touched? As always, keep it hot y'all!  Check out our sponsors! RocketMoney.com -- get rid of those subscriptions that you signed up for and don't use! Easy way to save money. ForiaWellness.com/foreplay50 -- products to enhance your sex life! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our latest installment in our school of love, introduces listeners to the essential questions to ask your partner to understand their attachment relationships. EFT therapists conduct an attachment history during their early sessions to better understand the protections of each partner and why they may use pursuing or withdrawing strategies when experiencing relationship distress. Join us today to hear the questions George and Laurie ask during their couples sessions and give us their answers and personal insights. When we can get more depth and understanding, there is a new ability to create lasting change. Even though the past hurtful event remains the same, the new information creates new opportunities. Make sure to take some notes during today's love lesson and work with your partner to find answers to attachment based questions such as: What did you learn from your family about emotions? Was there safety to express vulnerability or insecurities? Who comforted you in times of need? We hope this exercise helps you and your partner with the emotional assessment most relationships are missing. This week we're asking you to 'Keep it Sweet' because we all need a little more safety. Check out our sponsors: Factormeals.com/foreplay50 -- Factor Meals are easy to make and are delicious! Use the coupon code 'foreplay50' Uberlube.com -- Laurie has recommended Uberlube as a lubricant for years. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join George and Laurie as we answer a 'Mailbag' question from a listener that asks our hosts with their help to fix their sexless marriage. Sexless marriages are defined as having sex less than four times a year. Our listener shares that they love their partner but know that they withdraw both emotionally and sexually. She has worked hard to try ALL the things to increase engagement on both levels and finds that not much has changed. Our hosts are masters of empathy and begin a conversation with empathy and validation for both partners. George and Laurie work to take us inside the 'inner world' of the withdrawing partner to understand better the things that aren't being articulated. However, while our hosts validate the current state of the relationship they won't co-sign NOT having a conversation. Listen along today to hear Laurie and George's great suggestions which include finding an EFT therapist, naming the unnamed and reducing the pressure. Head on over to our website to submit your mailbag question! Check out our fantastic sponsors: Foriawellness.com/foreplay -- for great sex-enhancing products! Cozyearth.com/foreplay -- for the softest sheets and lounge wear you'll ever touch! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Attachment theory helps lovers make sense of why we do what we do in relationships. Developed from attachment theory, the theory of human bonding, are 4 attachment styles that characterize behaviors in relationships. We like to also call them strategies and we use these strategies as a means of protection when we sense a real or perceived threat in our most intimate relationships. On today's episode Laurie and George break down the four attachment styles and their presentation in emotional and sexual cycles. What's important to remember is that attachment relationships begin in childhood and span into adulthood, attachment styles are not fixed and can be improved, and once you name or identify something you can begin a conversation towards change. When we do internal work to become more secure in relationships we are able to take more risks, be more vulnerable and better tolerate ruptures. If you find that you identify with an "insecure" attachment style, it's okay! This is a great learning opportunity to learn more about yourself and what your needs are. Thanks for joining us today in our latest 'School of Love' lesson. Keep it hot y'all! Visit our fabulous sponsors: Check out Rocketmoney.com and stop spending money on subscriptions you don't use! Uberlube.com/foreplay -- Laurie's favorite lubricant! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Maybe you've decided that you need to work on your relationship but what is it exactly that you want to work on? You don't want to sit in therapy and rehash every argument you had that week. Most often couples want relief from their distress and for their relationship to return to a time of greater joy and happiness. Join George and Laurie today as they share how to determine what you want when you make a decision to improve your relationship. Your homework assignment for this school of love lesson is to write down a list of positive qualities and interactions with your partner and your relationship strengths. These essential qualities are often not commented on and there can be a tendency to be problem focused when you consider your relationship. Negative feedback creates more negative feedback and this is when couples become stuck in a negative interaction cycle. Next, we encourage you to think about what you want to improve and how you can take action to make some changes. Finding clarity in what you want to work on in your relationship is a great first step to creating a fulfilling and meaningful relationship with both partners. Hop on over to our Instagram account @foreplay_sextherapy and share your thoughts!  Check out our great sponsors and help support the podcast! ForiaWellness.com/foreplay -- great products to enhance your sex life! CozyEarth.com -- the softest sheets and loungewear! You'll love them! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome Foreplay listeners to a can't miss episode with our friend and colleague Dr. Corey Allan co-host of Sexy Marriage Radio podcast. With over 13 million downloads Corey and his wife Pam, lead couples in deepening and improving conversation about physical intimacy and keeping your marriage sexy. While we are missing George today, we are over the moon to have Corey on as a guest. Are you afraid to let your partner in on your sexual longings? Maybe you know what you want but have no idea how to start the conversation, let alone contine it. Hear Laurie and Corey talk about the best ways to craft these conversations and speak to your partner in the most self-respecting way. How to recover quickly from disconnect to reconnect and kicking perfection out of the bedroom! This episode is filled with amazing gems on marriage that are sure to resonate. Make sure to give them a like and follow on IG @sexymarriageradio and visit their website at  https://smr.fm/  for more information on course, coaching and retreats. George will be back with us next time as we continue working to keep it hot y'all! Like what we're doing? We'd love to have you rate and review our show wherever you stream Foreplay. Check out our sponsors: CozyEarth.com -- for the sexiest, softest, sheets and loungewear out there! Uberlube.com -- Laurie's favorite lubricant to make sex glide! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices