260. Is This Marriage Healthy? Recognizing Destructive Patterns with Leslie Vernick
Female by Design
What’s the difference between a difficult marriage and a destructive one—and how do you know when it’s time to speak up? In this powerful conversation, Francie sits down with counselor and author Leslie Vernick to unpack destructive patterns in marriage, reclaiming your voice, and what it truly means to be a strong, biblical woman. Together, they address harmful teachings around submission, the loss of a woman’s voice, and how to discern between normal marital struggles and unhealthy or abusive dynamics. This episode offers both clarity and practical wisdom for...
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259. Overcoming Body Insecurity: Healing Shame & Reclaiming Confidence in Your God-Given Body
Female by Design
How do you overcome body insecurity and actually feel at home in your body? In this episode, Francie addresses the shame, disconnection, and cultural lies that shape how women view their bodies—and invites you back to God’s truth: your body is not a problem to fix, but a gift to receive. You’ll learn how body image struggles are often rooted in disconnection, why separating from your body isn’t spiritual, and how to begin rebuilding a relationship with your body through truth, gratitude, and awareness. This is an invitation to move from criticism to compassion—and from...
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258. To Shave, Wax...or Nothing?
Female by Design
It's one of those questions more women have than are willing to ask out loud. In this episode of Female by Design, Francie tackles the topic of pubic hair grooming — not from a medical or therapeutic chair, but from the spirit of let's just have the conversation. Because when we can talk about our bodies without shame, that's exactly where freedom grows. This is not a moral issue. There is no law, no biblical mandate, no "Christian way" to groom. Francie opens by inviting listeners to release the tension that so often surrounds conversations about our bodies and sexuality, and to approach...
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257. The Healing Power of Oxytocin with Carly Bayless
Female by Design
What if one of the most powerful tools for healing your nervous system isn't a supplement or a protocol — it's a hug? In this episode, Francie sits down with functional medicine nurse practitioner Carly Bayless to take a deep dive into oxytocin: what it actually is, why it matters far beyond labor and breastfeeding, and how finding "oxytocin opportunities" throughout your day could be the missing piece in your healing journey. Whether you're navigating chronic illness, new motherhood, a demanding season of life, or simply a cortisol-soaked Tuesday — this conversation will change the way...
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256. Help Your Husband Learn What Brings You Pleasure
Female by Design
Francie tackles another listener question — one of the most personal and practical she receives: How can I help my husband better learn what brings me pleasure? What she loves about this question is the word the listener used: learn. Because that's exactly the right frame. Becoming a great lover isn't about natural talent or chemistry — it's about paying attention, practicing, and becoming a student of each other. And for most women, before they can teach their husband anything, there's a more foundational step: learning what brings them pleasure themselves. Francie gets honest about how...
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255. Making Sexual Communication More Comfortable
Female by Design
Francie answers one of the most-requested questions she receives from women in her live events: How do you make talking about sex with your husband less awkward? This episode grew out of a recent in-person Q&A at a local moms group — where the questions came so fast and so honestly that Francie knew she had to bring the conversation to the podcast. She's doing something different this season: sprinkling real listener and event questions throughout upcoming episodes, and this one kicks off that series beautifully. But this episode goes deeper than tips. Before Francie gets practical, she...
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254. Finding Safety, Presence & Pleasure: Unlocking the Female Heart, Mind, and Body
Female by Design
Our calendars are full, demands are never-ending, and overwhelm is knocking with every new notification. In this final part of the “Unlocking the Female Heart, Mind, and Body” series, Francie leans into the impact of our busy lives on our bodies. This episode unpacks how the nervous system—designed by God—is central to our ability to feel safe, be present, and receive pleasure. It’s not just about emotions or mindset. It’s about how your body was wired by God to experience intimacy, connection, and peace. When safety is absent, disconnection becomes the norm. But there is another...
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253. Power of Play: Unlocking the Female Heart, Mind, and Body
Female by Design
Overwhelm. Pressure. Tension in your body and to-do lists in your head. Not the recipe for receptivity, mutual pleasure, and oneness. So many women are living in a constant state of doing—managing families, navigating stress, and holding everything together. But when there’s no space for play, our nervous systems stay locked in survival mode. And when our bodies are braced and burdened, intimacy feels more like a demand than a delight. In this episode, Francie explores the surprising power of play as a key to unlocking feminine integration. Playfulness is one way to reclaim our God-given...
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252. From Stuck to Sensual: Unlocking the Female Heart, Mind, and Body
Female by Design
It’s too common that women feel disconnected from their bodies, unsure how to enjoy pleasure and physical intimacy without shame, anxiety, or confusion. This episode is an honest invitation to begin healing that disconnection. Francie shares the first of three powerful keys to unlocking the female heart, mind, and body—wisdom formed through years of mentoring women inside her Circle community. These insights are about stepping into wholeness as a woman created for joy, connection, and delight in God’s design. “Your body isn’t the obstacle. It’s the place where God’s...
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251. The Sex Talk You Never Got: What Formed Your View of Sex
Female by Design
Whether we realize it or not, every one of us has a “sex view,” a lens through which we understand and experience our sexuality. It’s shaped by what we were told (or not told), by pain, silence, shame, weariness, and the culture around us. But what if that view isn’t the full story? What if God has something better? In Part 2 of this series, Francie gently but powerfully unpacks five common sex views that shape our beliefs and behaviors, and how to trade them in for a vision rooted in truth, beauty, and God’s original design. You’ll hear: The 5 most common lenses women carry into...
info_outlineIf sex has ever felt like something you’re supposed to perform, instead of something you can enjoy, you’re not alone.
If you’ve ever felt awkward in your body… unsure how to initiate… or disconnected from desire… this episode is for you.
Francie shares the tender, true story of how she moved from disconnection and insecurity into a deeper sense of embodiment, pleasure, and playful confidence in her marriage.
“I used to think sexy was something I had to put on. But now I know, it’s something I carry when I’m connected to myself.”
You’ll discover:
Why feeling “off” or uncertain in your body is more common than you think
How to gently reawaken pleasure and presence (even after years of disconnection)
What it looks like to cultivate feminine energy and confidence in your own way
Simple, grace-filled ways to start feeling more at home in your body and more alive in your marriage
This isn’t about pressure or performance. It’s about reclaiming the goodness God designed for you… body, heart, and soul.
✨ Want to take the next step?
Join Francie’s new 90-minute masterclass: Becoming Confident with Sexy Talk, your guide to finding your voice before, during, and after intimacy.
Resources and Invitation to Go Deeper:
Growth Courses
101 Strong Foundations for Married Sex, here
201 Pleasure and Orgasm: Passion and Practicals, here
Before (And After) I Do, here
Get Connected Inside the Circle Group Mentorship
Keep learning and get direct access to Francie! Join the Circle group mentorship. Inside the Circle, we talk practicals and get support to grow. Learn more here: The Circle
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