The Right To Say 'No' To Painful Sex - with Anna | Ep. 64

In Part 1 of Ryan’s story, he opens up about his early experiences learning about sex—lessons that came in crude form on the school bus, mixed messages from his Christian upbringing, and early exposure to internet pornography. This exposure led to an addiction that left him feeling trapped and overwhelmed with guilt. Ryan shares what it took for him to finally reach out for help, and the powerful lesson he learned about the importance of listening without judgment.Tune in next week for the rest of Ryan’s story, where he discusses his marriage, their struggles with sex, and the breakthrough insight that transformed the way he understands intimacy.The next round of Doing It Together is open for registration! Get $300 off for this round only! Register now!Learn about the Doing It Together program details, schedules, testimonials, and Q&A.Janna's new Wanting It More Foundations self-paced course for women is open for registration.Leave a podcast review: We'd so appreciate your ​rating and review​ to help the podcast reach more couples.

At 62, Bill has been married to his wife for 32 years. They waited until marriage to become intimate, but soon after discovered she had endometriosis, a condition that made intercourse painful and unfulfilling. As a result, she began to withdraw—avoiding physical affection and emotional affirmation to steer clear of intimacy. Meanwhile, Bill deeply missed the emotional closeness they had shared during their dating years.Over time, resentment and frustration took root. The emotional disconnect between them grew, creating a silent distance that neither knew how to bridge.Through his work with Janna, Bill began to reconnect with his emotions and learn how to express what he was truly feeling. This emotional awareness opened the door to conversations they had never had before—conversations made possible by a shared language of vulnerability and understanding that was new to them.Today, Bill says they are more emotionally connected than ever. That connection, he shares, has been the key to rekindling their relationship in a way that feels real, deep, and truly meaningful.Resources: Google How We Feel AppThe next round of Doing It Together is open for registration! Get $300 off for this round only! Register now!Learn about the Doing It Together program details, schedules, testimonials, and Q&A.Janna's new Wanting It More Foundations self-paced course for women is open for registration.Leave a podcast review: We'd so appreciate your ​rating and review​ to help the podcast reach more couples.

I’m continuing my powerful conversation with Carey from last week. If you haven’t heard that episode yet, I highly recommend going back to Episode 142 to catch up—she opened up so vulnerably about her 30-year marriage and the challenges she’s faced with intimacy over the years.In this episode, Carey shares how her entire understanding of sex has evolved, the hard truths she and her husband had to confront together, and how their intimate life looks completely different now—in ways that might surprise you.The next round of Doing It Together is open for registration! Get $300 off for this round only! Register now!Learn about the Doing It Together program details, schedules, testimonials, and Q&A.Janna's new Wanting It More Foundations self-paced course for women is open for registration.Leave a podcast review: We'd so appreciate your ​rating and review​ to help the podcast reach more couples.

In this honest and vulnerable two-part episode, Carey shares the hidden struggles she faced with intimacy throughout her 30-year marriage while raising seven children.At just nine years old, Carey was exposed to adult magazines that distorted her understanding of intimacy. By 13, she found herself in relationships where intimacy felt more like something expected of her than something she chose.Married at 21 while still finishing school, she quickly began to see sex and intimacy as a burden—an obligation she was expected to fulfill. Guilt weighed heavily on her for not wanting it, and resentment grew toward her husband’s repeated attempts to initiate. Eventually, Carey stopped touching him altogether, leading to mounting tension and emotional distance in their marriage.In her search for answers, Carey turned to countless “experts,” only to be met with confusion and misinformation that left her feeling even more broken and isolated. Meanwhile, her husband was left wondering if she truly loved him.But that wasn’t the end of their story.🎧 Tune in now to hear Carey’s raw and relatable journey—and don’t miss next week’s episode, where she shares the turning point that changed everything.The next round of Doing It Together is open for registration! Get $300 off for this round only! Register now!Learn about the Doing It Together program details, schedules, testimonials, and Q&A.Janna's new Wanting It More Foundations self-paced course for women is open for registration.Leave a podcast review: We'd so appreciate your ​rating and review​ to help the podcast reach more couples.

In this reair of Ep. 111, Janna chats with Michael Kaufman, the author of The Time Has Come: Why Men Must Join the Gender Equality Revolution. Michael, a renowned advisor, activist, and keynote speaker, shares his insights on how traditional male roles in the bedroom and beyond often don’t benefit women. They dive into why it's crucial for men to confront their own privilege and engage in open dialogues about gender equality.Michael also discusses the rapid shifts in societal roles for both men and women. By listening to women's voices and addressing their own defensiveness, men can better contribute to a more equitable world. Tune in to hear Michael's innovative approaches for transforming men's lives and fostering positive change for a more equitable society.REFERENCES:Michael Kaufman: https://michaelkaufman.com/the-time-has-come/The next round of Doing It Together is open for registration! Get $300 off for this round only! Register now!Learn about the Doing It Together program details, schedules, testimonials, and Q&A.Janna's new Wanting It More Foundations self-paced course for women is open for registration.Leave a podcast review: We'd so appreciate your ​rating and review​ to help the podcast reach more couples.

Romance novels promised Amy that her man would always know exactly what to do. The church assured her that sex would be wonderful once she was married. But when her first wedding night was filled with pain instead of pleasure, she was shocked.And the pain never went away. Over the course of her 30-year marriage, it evolved from undiagnosed endometriosis to rheumatoid arthritis to menopause. She felt exhausted, dismissed, and unhappy, but continued to push herself to be intimate with her husband—every other day for 30 years—believing it was simply her duty as his wife.After searching for answers in books, through medical professionals, and online, she finally found Janna, and everything started to make sense. Tune in to hear what Amy learned, and how she finally took control of her body, her feelings, and her desires.The next round of Doing It Together is open for registration! Get $300 off for this round only! Register now!Learn about the Doing It Together program details, schedules, testimonials, and Q&A.Janna's new Wanting It More Foundations self-paced course for women is open for registration.Leave a podcast review: We'd so appreciate your ​rating and review​ to help the podcast reach more couples.

One of the most common questions we get is: "How do I talk to my kids about sex?" In today’s episode, Janna sits down with her teammates, Melissa C. and Melissa W., to discuss how they approach these conversations with their kids, whose ages range from 6 to 21.They share stories from their own childhoods, reflecting on how they navigated these topics largely on their own, and the education they wish they had received. The conversation touches on the fears they had to overcome to talk openly with their own children about sex, and how those discussions have gone. Lastly, they talk about how they’ve chosen to share about the importance of their own intimate experiences with their kids and their hopes and dreams for their children's future relationships.The next round of Doing It Together is open for registration! Get $300 off for this round only! Register now!Learn about the Doing It Together program details, schedules, testimonials, and Q&A.Janna's new Wanting It More Foundations self-paced course for women is open for registration.Leave a podcast review: We'd so appreciate your ​rating and review​ to help the podcast reach more couples.

It’s been a year since Chris and his wife of 21 years took the Doing It Together course, and he’s here to give an honest update on how things are going.For two decades, Chris and his wife struggled with intimacy, trying everything they could think of to improve their connection. From counseling and self-help books to even participating in a university sex study, they explored every option. Despite their efforts, nothing seemed to work. Chris found himself spiraling with thoughts like, “Is she cheating?” “Does she not find me attractive?” and “Does she still love me?”Now, after celebrating their 21st anniversary, Chris reflects on the changes they’ve experienced over the past year since learning from Janna. He explains how their sex life has transformed and why it’s dramatically better than its ever been.The next round of Doing It Together is open for registration! Get $300 off for this round only! Register now!Learn about the Doing It Together program details, schedules, testimonials, and Q&A.Janna's new Wanting It More Foundations self-paced course for women is open for registration.Leave a podcast review: We'd so appreciate your ​rating and review​ to help the podcast reach more couples.

Luke and his wife have been married for 25 years and have struggled with sex through most of that time. Things changed after kids and his wife experienced post-partum depression. Her libido plumeted and didn’t come back. Luke took the stance that this was her problem to solve and waited for years for her to 'fix' herself.It wasn’t until they found Janna and the Doing It Together program that Luke learned how big of a role he played in the lack of intimacy in their relationship. He shares what he’s learned about empathy, compassion, communication. The next round of Doing It Together is open for registration! Get $300 off for this round only! Register now!Learn about the Doing It Together program details, schedules, testimonials, and Q&A.Janna's new Wanting It More Foundations self-paced course for women is open for registration.Leave a podcast review: We'd so appreciate your ​rating and review​ to help the podcast reach more couples.

Janna discovered Jaime and Josh through their shared Instagram profile, @marriageishappening, and was so moved by their marriage story that she invited them to join her on the podcast.Married at 21 with four kids soon after, they initially adhered to traditional gender roles—Jaime stayed at home while Josh worked outside the house. Jaime, an extrovert, describes early parenthood as a time filled with "shock and horror." She found herself isolated in a basement suite with no help, limited adult interaction, and minimal support from her husband. She felt sad, lonely, and disconnected from both her mind and body. Meanwhile, Josh, an introvert, struggled in his demanding social work position and came home feeling drained, unsure how to support his wife and children in a meaningful way.After years of unfulfillment, Jaime reached a breaking point, contemplating self-harm, death, and even leaving her marriage. It wasn’t until she realized she needed to focus on her own well-being and make changes that things began to shift. But when she embraced newfound joy and freedom, Josh struggled to adjust. His defensiveness and emotional immaturity made it hard for him to process the changes she was going through.Together, Jaime and Josh share how they’ve made progress in their marriage by redefining their roles and discovering a new way to be together.The next round of Doing It Together is open for registration! Get $300 off for this round only! Register now!Learn about the Doing It Together program details, schedules, testimonials, and Q&A.Janna's new Wanting It More Foundations self-paced course for women is open for registration.Leave a podcast review: We'd so appreciate your ​rating and review​ to help the podcast reach more couples.