The Intimate Marriage Podcast, with Intimacy Doctor Alexandra Stockwell, MD

What if great sex in a long-term marriage isn't something you either have or don't have, but a skill you learn together? In this episode of The Intimate Marriage Podcast, Alexandra Stockwell, MD sits down with intimacy expert Susan Bratton for an expansive conversation about desire, pleasure, arousal, and creating a sex life that keeps getting better with age. Susan shares the story of how she and her husband transformed their own sex life after years of frustration and explains why good lovers stay growth-oriented and keep learning together. Alexandra and Susan explore why it's healthy not to want bad sex, how small offers create more opportunities for desire, and why couples need to move beyond the monotony of monogamy by bringing novelty and variety into their intimate lives. They also discuss touch without expectation, yoni and lingam massage, sexual wellness products, and the importance of slowing down enough to let arousal build. Throughout the conversation, Susan emphasizes that pleasure is a learnable skill and that mistakes, experimentation, curiosity, and communication are part of creating deeper connection and more satisfying sex. About Susan Bratton Susan Bratton is an intimacy expert, educator, author, and podcaster who teaches couples how to create passionate, connected sex lives that improve with age. After realizing that she and her husband had never been taught the skills they needed for truly pleasurable sex, Susan immersed herself in workshops, education, and sexual transformation. She went on to devote her career to teaching couples the practical skills that helped transform her own marriage. Susan has spent decades helping people develop better intimacy, communication, arousal, and pleasure skills. She is the founder of Personal Life Media and has created books, programs, and resources designed to help couples continue growing together sexually. Connect with Susan Bratton: Go to www.drivedesire.com to purchase Pleasure Pods, the Pulse Queen Oscillating Yoni Massager, the LuXus Intercourse Toy, and lots of other great products. Follow Susan on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/susanbratton/ Resources Mentioned: Resolving Arousal Mismatch with Susan Bratton Intimate Marriage Podcast episode Drive Desire: drivedesire.com Get your copy of “Uncompromising Intimacy” by Alexandra Stockwell, MD here:Amazon Download the first chapter of Alexandra Stockwell, MD's bestselling book, “Uncompromising Intimacy,” here:Download the first chapter Cultivate your intimacy skills (without compromise) in Aligned & Hot Marriage, Alexandra Stockwell, MD's proven method for smart couples ready to love more fully: Aligned & Hot Marriage Join Alexandra Stockwell, MD's email list to stay connected. She shares inspiring stories, her latest insights, and opportunities to learn with you: Join the email list

When life gets busy, intimacy can easily become something couples only think about when they're having sex. In this episode of The Intimate Marriage Podcast, Alexandra Stockwell, MD introduces the concept of intimacy dates: intentional time set aside to cultivate emotional, sensual, physical, and erotic connection without the pressure or expectation that it has to lead to sex. Alexandra explains why decoupling intimacy from sex creates more safety, relaxation, playfulness, and desire, and shares practical ideas for creating intimacy dates that fit your relationship, energy levels, and personality. She also explains how these small, consistent moments of connection can have a compounding effect, creating more tenderness, vulnerability, and joy in your marriage. 50 Ideas for Intimacy Dates: alexandrastockwell.com/ideas Subscribe To The Intimate Marriage Podcast: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect With Alexandra Stockwell, MD: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Get your copy of “Uncompromising Intimacy” by Alexandra Stockwell, MD here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/2ymI3Hl⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Download the first chapter of Alexandra Stockwell, MD’s bestselling book, “Uncompromising Intimacy,” here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.alexandrastockwell.com/book⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Cultivate your intimacy skills (without compromise) in Aligned & Hot Marriage, Alexandra Stockwell, MD’s proven method for smart couples ready to love more fully: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.alignedhotmarriage.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Join Alexandra Stockwell, MD’s email list to stay connected. She shares inspiring stories, her latest insights, and opportunities to learn with her: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.alexandrastockwell.com/subscribe⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Having stronger, more satisfying orgasms has nothing to do with your age. It’s about understanding your body, your relationship, and what actually works for you now. In this episode, Alexandra Stockwell, MD answers a question from a woman who wants to know how to teach her husband to create the kind of intimacy and orgasms she experienced when she was younger. Her answer goes far beyond what happens in the bedroom. Alexandra breaks the process into three essential areas: cultivating emotional intimacy before sex, slowing down and becoming more attuned to the body during sex, and taking responsibility for your own physical and sexual awareness. She explains why women often need more time to warm up, why moving from the periphery toward the center matters, and how experimenting with edging can expand the intensity of orgasmic experiences. She also emphasizes the importance of knowing your own body. Understanding what feels good, where you like to be touched, and how you respond gives you the ability to communicate with your partner clearly and confidently. In this episode, you'll discover: - Why emotional intimacy sets the stage for sexual intimacy - How to create more time and space for arousal - Why confidence and attunement matter inside and outside the bedroom - How edging can expand erotic energy and orgasmic intensity - Why knowing your own body makes communication with your partner easier - How physical and physiological health factor into sexual pleasure You don't have to recreate the sex you had in your 20s. You get to discover what feels even better now. May you have richer, more satisfying orgasms, and more intimacy along the way.

What happens when we stop treating sexual health as something separate from overall health? For many women, sexual vitality, sensation, arousal, and pleasure gradually change with age, yet these experiences rarely receive the attention they deserve in conventional medicine. In this episode, Alexandra Stockwell, MD sits down with Dr. Debra Durst, known as “The SexMD,” to explore the fourth element of great sex in a long-term relationship: physical health and vitality. Dr. Durst shares how her own journey from emergency medicine to sexual wellness revealed a major gap in healthcare, and why women deserve comprehensive care that addresses sexual function, not simply reproduction or disease prevention. They discuss sexual rejuvenation therapies, hormones, blood flow, erectile tissue, arousal, orgasmic strength, and the experience of feeling more fully connected to your body. Alexandra also shares her own experience receiving treatments at Dr. Durst’s clinic and the striking sense of physical awakening and wholeness she experienced afterward. In this episode, you'll discover: - The four elements required for great sex in a long-term relationship - Why female sexual health receives far less attention than it deserves - What sexual rejuvenation therapy actually addresses - How blood flow, nerve regeneration, and erectile tissue relate to arousal and pleasure - Why sexual vitality deserves attention throughout every stage of life - How Dr. Durst built a practice focused on comprehensive sexual wellness Dr. Durst’s message is simple and powerful: sexual health is not taboo, and we are never too old to embrace sexual creativity, vitality, and pleasure. Learn more about Dr. Debra Durst and RevitalyzeMD: https://www.revitalyzemd.com/ Watch Alexandra Stockwell, MD and Dr. Durst on the SexMD podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ru_mGdHug0

When couples feel disconnected sexually, they often focus on sex itself. But one of the most powerful ways to rebuild closeness is found in a different kind of intimacy: non-sexual physical touch. In this episode, Alexandra Stockwell, MD explores how intentional physical affection creates safety, connection, and attunement between partners. From holding hands and cuddling to giving a massage or simply putting an arm around your spouse, these small moments of touch communicate care without creating pressure or expectations around sex. Alexandra also explains why touch often disappears when couples are out of sync sexually, navigating infertility, or simply overwhelmed by parenting. She offers a practical framework for understanding what kind of touch feels best for each partner, including pressure, pace, and location, and explains why being fully present while touching your spouse makes the experience even more meaningful. In this episode, you'll discover: • Why non-sexual touch is essential for emotional and physical intimacy • How to create affection without making your partner feel pressured for sex • The three variables that determine whether touch feels connecting: pressure, pace, and location • Why your attention matters just as much as the physical touch itself • How everyday affection helps your bodies relax and release emotional armor • Why non-sexual touch actually enhances your sexual connection Intimacy isn't created only through sex. It starts with a hand held gently, an intentional embrace, or simply being fully present with the person you love.