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
101 episodes since 2021
Practices for Positive Relationships
Dr. Jenn Gunsuallus joins me to share practical tools for positive relationships. Listen in for her 4 point approach to generous listening and ways to answer bids for connection. Celebrate World Sexual Health Day with these tools that all coupl...
September 04, 2024
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Season 4
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Episode 95
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43:20
Bedroom Games: Fun and Flirty Ideas
Get ready to discover some cheeky and charming ways to turn up the fun and connection between you and a partner! Whether you're looking to bring a little fun into your sexy time or just have a laugh, I’ve got a lineup of games that'll make your...
August 21, 2024
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Season 4
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Episode 94
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10:04
The Rise in Rough Sex
Dr. Debby Herbenick wants us to know that today's trend for rough sex is different than what we might expect. Her research, as detailed in her book Yes, Your Kid: What Parents Need to Know About Today’s Teens and Sex, shows a rise in a...
August 07, 2024
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Season 4
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Episode 93
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39:40
Permission to grieve
I have lost my beloved. There are hardly any words for me right now. I have tried to give you the few I could manage in the midst of this deep grief over the sudden death of the love of my life.
July 24, 2024
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Season 4
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Episode 92
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3:44
Reconnecting to Yourself and to Your Body
This week I'm joining Kara Ryska, host of The Special Needs Mom Podcast and sharing our conversation on reconnecting to your body and redefining sensuality. Listen in as we cover some practical ways to build a practice around connecting with ...
July 10, 2024
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Season 4
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Episode 91
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49:53
Three Things I Would Tell My Younger Self
To celebrate my 60th birthday this week, I want to share three key insights that have significantly influenced my journey towards sexual wellness. These discoveries are crucial in helping you find the freedom to express, experience, and enjoy y...
June 26, 2024
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Season 4
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Episode 90
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13:50
Embracing Your Desire
Embrace your desire. Own your wanting and gather your sexual agency. Doing this will help you change your relationship with desire. Dr. Juliana Hauser joins me to talk about reframing desire and how to get in touch with your vibrancy. You’ll he...
June 12, 2024
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Season 4
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Episode 89
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49:39
Do women ejaculate? What is squirting?
Are you curious about female ejaculation and squirting? Tune in as I answer your frequently asked questions. Yes - women ejaculate, and yes women can squirt. However, they are not the same thing. Learn the where, why and how in this - all about...
May 29, 2024
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Season 4
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Episode 88
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11:49
What Are You Saying With Your Touch?
Loving behaviors is one of the six ingredients Dr. Sara Nasserzadeh has found necessary to build a lifetime of love. In this second part of our conversation, we talk about the importance of touch and developing a touch lexicon within your relat...
May 15, 2024
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Season 4
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Episode 87
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24:18
What do you call your genitals?
The names we do or don’t call our genitals are fascinating. Where do these terms come from? What about the silence around our private parts? Dr. Sara Nasserzadeh, who specializes in the fields of human sexuality and relationships, joins me to s...
May 01, 2024
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Season 4
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Episode 86
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33:23
Turn Up the Volume on Your Sex Life
Scientists have found that sexual noises go hand in hand with enhanced pleasure. Whether you hum, purr or moan - giving voice to what your body is feeling may make sex better. Bonus- it also serves as non-verbal communication and positive reinf...
April 17, 2024
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Season 4
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Episode 85
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5:42
Masturbation - Let's dig in
People masturbate for all kinds of reasons including pleasure, exploration, sleep and pain relief. For women who have never experienced orgasm, self-pleasure is the most scientifically supported sex therapy technique to learn the stimulation ne...
April 03, 2024
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Season 4
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Episode 84
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43:43
Tips From My Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist
All about the pelvic floor! Alexa Charbonneau, PT, DPT of Sarton Physical Therapy, joins me to offer her top tips and education for all ages and stages. Do you cough, laugh, sneeze and wet your pants? Do you have pain with sex? Do you have chro...
March 20, 2024
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Season 4
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Episode 83
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37:10
Doggy Style, Kivin Method and Why Do I Bleed After Sex
In this quickie episode I’ll introduce you to the Kivin Method or oral for her – sideways. Hear a how-to guide and why you might want to try it. I'll also answer a few community questions including 'How can I make doggy style more intimate?' an...
March 06, 2024
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Season 4
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Episode 82
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10:40
Sexuality With a Philosophical Lens
My guest found that her college students had very little understanding of their own bodies and how to navigate sex in a healthy way. Professor Gwendolyn Dolske Ph.D. teaches Philosophy at Cal Poly Pomona. One of her classes, Current Debates in ...
February 21, 2024
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Season 4
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Episode 81
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44:05
Erectile Dissatisfaction vs Erectile Dysfunction
People sometimes assume the source of erectile changes in men as they age is a condition called - erectile dysfunction or ED. This is not always the case. In this episode I am discussing some of the normal sexual changes men may experience in m...
February 07, 2024
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Season 4
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Episode 80
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13:12
Spicy Audio Stories with Gina of Dipsea
As Gina Gutierrez, the co-founder of Dipsea, says in her Ted Talk, “Using their memories, fantasies, and some focus - women can turn themselves on with their thoughts.” In this conversation, Gina and I discuss exploration of fantasy, the differ...
January 24, 2024
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Season 4
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Episode 79
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31:58
Conversation Starters to Help You Talk About Sex With a Partner
Most of us didn’t get a lot of education around sex, let alone how to talk about sex with a partner. Just like any new language, sexual conversation is a learnable skill that gets more comfortable with practice. Use the questions and prompts in...
January 10, 2024
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Season 3
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Episode 78
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10:05
Untangling Sexual Shame
My guest Matthias Roberts, psychotherapist, and author of Beyond Shame: Creating a Healthy Sex Life on Your Own Terms says, “Wherever there is sex, there seems to be shame.” Matthias writes and speaks nationwide about the intersections...
December 27, 2023
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Season 3
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Episode 77
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39:52
Perimenopause 101: Treatment Options
There are many options available to treat your symptoms during the menopause transition. I continue my conversation with Dr. Shyama Mathews, a Board Certified OB/GYN, and NAMS Certified Menopause Specialist about perimenopause. We discuss non-h...
December 13, 2023
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Season 3
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Episode 76
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25:37
Perimenopause 101: Hormones and Symptoms
Education is key to entering the menopause transition knowledgeable and prepared! In this episode, learn what you need to know about perimenopause with Dr. Shyama Mathews, a Board Certified OB/GYN, Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgeon, and NA...
November 29, 2023
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Season 3
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Episode 75
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33:49
Confidence is Sexy
"Confidence is the sexiest thing a woman can have." Dana B. Myers, self-described as a sensually empowered voice for women, joins me to talk about how to embrace your sensuality and sexuality to boost your confidence. Dana and I get practical w...
November 15, 2023
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Season 3
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Episode 74
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45:12
Living With Chronic Pain: A Conversation With Ruthie Lindsey
My guest Ruthie Lindsey invites us into the liberating process of unlearning the stories we have been told about our bodies and finding delight in reclaiming pleasure. Having survived a catastrophic accident that left her living in chronic pain...
November 01, 2023
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Season 3
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Episode 73
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51:05
Less Faking - More Pleasure
This is the second most downloaded episode of all three seasons! Originally called Pleasure Techniques (Episode 41), I cover two important topics. First, I share the four specific techniques women can use with vaginal penetration to experience ...
October 18, 2023
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Season 3
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Episode 72
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17:28
Medications and Your Sex Life
Did you know the medications you take can have an impact on your sex life? Learn about medications known to have sexual health side effects and what those common side effects are. I also offer talking points and my best nurse tip for having a c...
October 02, 2023
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Season 3
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Episode 71
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11:21