Sex podcasts are like listening to your coolest friends’ dish about their relationship drama and sex life. There’s nothing more entertaining (and educational!) than listening to a great episode about new sex positions, tips for more pleasurable oral sex, or experimenting with consensual non-monogamy. But even some of the most popular podcasts lack a fundamental understanding of the importance of non-sexual discussion along with these various tips and tricks. There is a critical connection between mental and emotional health and physical responses, so you really can’t talk about sex without talking about the whole person. This is where the podcast “Sex with Emily” by Dr. Emily Morse excels; she takes all of the exciting and interesting information that we expect from a sex podcast and interchanges it with valuable insight into caring for ourselves and our partners as humans, not just sexual beings.
With her Doctorate in Human Sexuality, Morse opened a sex therapy practice and began podcasting, which lead to her hefty social media following on platforms including Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. She is known for hosting the longest-running, most successful sexuality podcast online which features a Hotline (559-TALKSEX) for listener questions and concerns. Episodes range from information-based to storytelling to answering hotline questions, and many feature guests from the sex education industry! Past guests have included sex therapist Jayme Waxman, psychiatrist Dr. David Amen, and comedian Margaret Cho, along with many others.
At the beginning of every episode, Dr. Emily starts by setting an intention for the episode and asks listeners to do the same. For anyone that isn’t familiar, intentions are a practice that hail from India and Yoga observance that brings mindful meditation into your everyday life. Knowing the topic of each episode, Dr. Emily creates a goal or presents a state of mind that she wishes to hold throughout the episode and asks her listeners to do the same. For first-time listeners, a great intention is to listen with an open mind and be inquisitive about your own experiences and reactions. The theme of mindfulness does not stop at the beginning of the show but is carried through in different topics she discusses and advocates for like the practice of “mindful masturbation,” which includes intention setting, attention to the physical body, and deep breathing along with other solo sex activities.
In every episode, but particularly when answering listener questions, Dr. Emily emphasizes the importance of therapy in understanding yourself and your sexual experiences and preferences. She frequently shares the connection between emotional and mental health and the physical body, advocating for overall wellness as the best solution for sexual issues. She is also in tune with sexual trauma and encourages open conversations to understand how one’s past experiences impact their sexual identity and preferences now.
One of the most popular listener topics is arousal, especially “low libido” and incongruence between partners’ desires. In response, Dr. Emily often leads with a person-focused inquisition into the topic and always assures listeners that their experiences are not “bad” or “weird” but simply their own experiences. She presents well-rounded advice that focuses on the body but also on one’s emotional responses. Interestingly, she often discusses the importance of external stimuli to arousal and pleasure, incorporating the five senses and other factors like stress. One of her best tips is actually around communication; she says that for any conversation around sex but particularly the more difficult ones, partners should prioritize the Three Ts: Timing (when the conversation happens), Tone (the matter of presentation), and Turf (the location of the discussion). In her opinion, serious conversations should be saved for outside the bedroom, but partners should definitely make space for these kinds of talks in their relationship.
Sex with Emily’s success comes from connecting with others and insisting on making a sex-positive contribution to the sexual health narrative. Her focus on sex and sexuality is clear, while also emphasizing the importance of showing up for yourself and being an independent partner instead of relying on someone else for pleasure or falling into codependency. She is a skilled communicator and presents communication as one of the most important aspects of a sexual relationship. I appreciate Dr. Emily’s body-centric language use as well. When discussing sex acts, she refers to different partners as “vulva-owners” and “penis-owners” instead of the exclusive language of “women” and “men” that do not apply to certain people and identities. She is consistently open to discussing sex in the context of different genders and sexual orientations as well as a diversity of sexual behaviors and preferences without any judgment.
As with most current media, there is always work to be done and I look forward to more diverse guests with varying perspectives. With Dr. Emily’s talent in making space for her guests on her platforms, this should be no challenge. Overall, her experience and expertise as well as person-focused advice make her an excellent resource for those interested in intimacy regardless of gender or sexuality. Final verdict: definitely listen, and share with a friend or partner!
By Sydney Sullivan