Permission for Pleasure
A podcast to educate and equip women with the information and confidence they need to express, experience and enjoy their sexuality. Cindy Scharkey RN, BSN, brings her 35+ years of experience as a healthcare professional to open the doors to healthy conversations about sex. This is a community where you can listen and learn to give yourself permission for pleasure. Visit www.cindyscharkey.com for educational blogs and newsletter.
Episodes
144 episodes
What Influences Your Arousal
Have you ever been having sex and suddenly your arousal just disappears? From this episode you’ll gain a deeper understanding of how arousal and desire really work, as well as factors that influence it. You’ll also learn three things research s...
Vibrators: Why They Work and How to Choose One
Vibrators and sex toys don’t have to be scary or overwhelming. And they certainly aren’t bad or taboo. In this episode I walk through why vibrators work for women and how to choose one. I also offer a few communication tips fo...
Healthy Sexuality After Addiction and Trauma
Vanessa Carlisle, PhD, MFA joins me to talk about their book co-authored with Stephanie Covington called: Awaken Your Sexuality: A Guide to Connection and Intimacy after Addiction and Trauma. We discuss the prevalence and normalization...
Education and Tips for Multiple Orgasms
Did you know it’s possible to have more than one orgasm in a single sexual session? In this episode we discuss how women can experience multiple orgasms including techniques to explore for wave after wave of pleasure.
Kink Curious with Gigi Engle
Have you ever been curious about kink? If so, this is the perfect conversation for you! Certified Sex and Relationships Psychotherapist, Sex Educator, and Author Gigi Engle joins me to offer a guide to exploring kink and erotic sensation. We di...
Five Questions for Couples
Listen in for the five questions to answer with a partner for greater pleasure and discovery. Sexual communication is your key to unlocking boredom, assumptions and resentment in the bedroom. Lean into your curiosity with these questions and di...
Keeping it Hot in Long-Term Relationships
Want to re-eroticize your long-term relationship and keep the fires burning for the long-haul? Somatic Psychologist, and Sex Therapist Dr. Holly Richmond joins us with expert advice for couples. She gets practical with flirting techniques, unde...
Heated Rivalry’s Intimacy Coordinator Chala Hunter
Take a peek into the role of Intimacy Coordinator for Heated Rivalry, the TV show everyone’s talking about. Chala Hunter shares what an intimacy coordinator’s job is, and how she worked to create comfort and safety on set for the simulated sex ...
Season Six: Let's Get Curious
This season we are going to lean into deeper curiosity about our bodies, sex and pleasure. Through education and conversations with experts, we’ll increase our knowledge, and challenge ourselves to ask the burning questions. Let’s cultivate cur...
Better Bones: How to Lower the Risk of Osteoporosis
Did you know that bone building starts to decline at age 30? That means for many of us, especially women in midlife, osteoporosis is a real concern. Registered Dietician, and Integrative & Functional Nutritionist Susan McCandless joins me t...
Sex and the Myths of Motherhood
Dr. Jessica Vernon and I continue our conversation about transitioning to parenthood. In this episode we focus on postpartum sex, the challenges women face with their changing bodies, and creating intimacy with a partner. We also call out the c...
Real Talk About Birth, Postpartum, and Parenthood
Did you know that 45% of women report birth trauma? The ripple effects of that are often never talked about. Obstetrician, and perinatal mental health expert Dr. Jessica Vernon joins me for a straightforward conversation about her book, The...
Explore New Ways to Touch
Have you ever been curious to explore new ways to communicate through touch? Anne-Lorraine Selke, the creator of Touchcards, shares why she created a card deck that offers people ways to “rediscover the richness of touch with the people you lov...
Would You Rather : Sex Edition
Engage in flirty conversation to add some playful energy to your relationship. These “Would you rather” game questions offer you an easy way to play together and can spark meaningful discussion if something takes you by surprise! Use this episo...
Purity Culture's Effect on Men
We talk a lot about the repercussions of purity culture for women, but what about men? This topic is often silenced, creating what sexuality educator Erica Smith calls a “fertile ground for shame.” She joins me to break the taboo, sharing the a...
What Women Need to Orgasm
Is orgasm a learnable skill? My guest Dr. Erica Marchand outlines the necessary components women need to orgasm in this top 10 episode from Season One. We discuss faking O’s, ranking O’s, and the mind-body shift of allowing rather than making o...
Embodiment and Pleasure with Dr. Hillary McBride
One of the most shared episodes on the podcast, this conversation about pleasure and embodiment offers a framework for understanding a healthier way to be in your body. Hillary McBride, PhD provides tools to help us untangle the cultural script...
Slippery When Wet: Shower Sex for Beginners
From logistics on positioning, to setting the stage before you step in - in this episode I talk you through the basics on how to add shower sex to your intimacy repertoire. Showering together has never been more fun, safe and intimate.M...
Women, ADHD and Sex
Catriona Boffard, a Clinical Sexologist, Psychotherapist, Sexuality Researcher, Podcaster and Author joins me to share her personal experience, and clinical expertise in a discussion about women and ADHD - how it can affect your brain, sex, and...
Sex Over 50: Tips, Tools and Desire
Continuing our conversation for the over 50 crowd with helpful tips including transition time, positions, pillows, vibrators and more. Listen in as we get creative with shifts in desire, and tools to accommodate our changing bodies. Learn ways ...
Sex Over 50
Menopause doesn’t mean your sex life is over. In fact, you may find yourself having the best sex of your life! Join me for a chat specifically for the over 50 crowd. Let’s talk about desire, arousal, and changing things up as we change. Your pl...
Redefine Sexy
Community guest Kaleigh Osadick joins me to share ideas to remove shame around self-expression. We chat about challenging the norms, and reframing what defines sexy. Learn to role play with her scene creation tips, and gain the confidence to be...
Sexual Self Exploration
Self-touching or masturbation is one healthy way to be sexual, but certainly not the only way. From investigating your sexual ethics to creating your own sensual playlist, movement, and more - these ideas will help you explore being a sexual pe...
Sexual Adaptation and Aids for All Bodies
Throughout life, we all face changes in our body that impact how we experience pleasure with sex. Laura Glazebrook PT, DPT, specializes in neurological injuries and all manner of pelvic health concerns. She joins me to talk about adaptations, t...
What She Wants You to Know About Oral
Oral sex is a highly reliable path to pleasure and orgasm for women. This episode is the second most downloaded of all episodes on the show. So, I am bringing it back for new listener's and their partner's. I talk about creating anticipation, b...