Our Better Half

Sexologist Dr. Jane Fleishman, sex therapist Dr. Rosara Torrisi, and psychotherapist Dr. Sabitha Pillai-Friedman break down the beauty of human sexuality in the second half of life -- also known as the better half.

223: Senior Sex: What I Wish I'd Known At My Age 03/22/2026

222: Menopause and Sexual Pleasure 03/11/2026

222: Menopause and Sexual Pleasure Our guest this time, Jane Epstein, is a nurse practitioner and a Menopause Society certified provider. She’s also an AASECT Certified Sex Counselor. She lives and practices in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Jane graduated as a nurse practitioner from the Yale University School of Nursing in 1989, followed by a one-year training in Adolescent Medicine at Yale Medical School. She practiced adolescent medicine for over 25 years before transitioning to adult women’s health and sexuality counseling. Jane first gravitated toward the topic of sexual health while working with adolescents. In the life of an adolescent, developing into a sexual being seemed to be the biggest thing happening– and the one that adults wanted to address with adolescents the least. In 2016, she gave a popular TEDx talk entitled, , which addressed female sexual pleasure, including masturbation, for young women. It’s a great talk! Since many sexually active young women know so little about sexual pleasure, Jane wondered when and where adult women learn about sexual pleasure. Her independent research, including interviews with menopausal women across the country, revealed that many women did not learn to orgasm until taught by their (usually) male partners. And many never learned how to prioritize their own sexual pleasure during partnered relationships. Subsequently, Jane became a Menopause Society Certified Provider and an ASSECT-certified Sex Counselor. She sees patients in Albuquerque, New Mexico for perimenopause and menopause care, as well as sexuality counseling. Her goal is to help women enjoy pain-free and pleasurable sex, as well as to optimize health through the midlife years and beyond. Jane spoke to our co-hosts Dr. Sabitha Pillai-Friedman and Dr. Jane Fleishman about the effects of genitourinary symptoms of menopause (GSM), the benefits of topical estrogen at different ages, the current research on hormonal therapies for younger women, older women, and transmen who have a vagina. She gives practical tips and breaks down the research in a language that makes lots of sense. If you’d like to check out the article she cited in the show, click . If you want to catch up on other shows, just visit our and please subscribe! We love our listeners and welcome your feedback, so if you love Our Better Half, please give us a 5-star rating and follow us on and . It really helps support our show! As always, thanks for listening! /episode/index/show/our-better-half/id/40363235

221: Sex Education and Porn Literacy for Older Adults 03/02/2026

221: Sex Education and Porn Literacy for Older Adults Our guest this week is Dr. Jenn Pollitt! Jenn Pollitt, PhD is the Assistant Director of Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies and an Assistant Professor in the College of Liberal Arts at Temple University. She holds a PhD in Human Sexuality from Widener University. Dr. Pollitt currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Woodhull Freedom Foundation, a national organization dedicated to advancing sexual freedom as a fundamental human right through policy, law and education. With over 15 years of experience as a sexuality educator, Dr. Pollitt has developed and taught a wide range of undergraduate and graduate courses on topics including Men & Masculinities, Sexuality and Disability, Porn Literacy, Sexuality Education, and Pleasure. She has also created and facilitated trainings and curricula for professionals in nonprofit organizations, corporations, and labor unions—working with groups such as Lambda Legal, the American Medical Student Association, and Philadelphia’s Men’s Center for Growth and Change. Dr. Pollitt has developed the first comprehensive sexuality education course for law students, which launched this fall at Temple University’s Beasley School of Law. Her work focuses on sexual and erotic agency, LGBTQIA+ rights, reproductive justice, and the intersections of sex, law, and policy. She also examines the influence of popular culture as one of the most powerful—and under-acknowledged—sources of informal sex education in the U.S. Dr. Pollitt’s work and commentary have been featured in the New York Times, Washington Post, Slate, Psychology Today, HuffPost, Business Insider, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The 19th News, NPR, WHYY, and Doctor Radio. Listeners, you can find information about Dr. Pollitt and her publications ! If you want to catch up on other shows, just visit our and please subscribe! We love our listeners and welcome your feedback, so if you love Our Better Half, please give us a 5-star rating and follow us on and . It really helps support our show! As always, thanks for listening! /episode/index/show/our-better-half/id/40278915

220: Innovations in Pelvic Floor Sexual Health 02/08/2026

219: Presence Over Performance as We Age 01/21/2026

219: Presence Over Performance as We Age Our guest this week is Dr. Sara Nasserzadeh, PhD. Dr. Nasserzadeh is an award-winning author, TED speaker, and world-renowned relational expert. She holds a PhD in social psychology and specializes in sexual health and relationships at both macro and micro levels. Dr. Nasserzadeh has served as a senior cultural advisor for governments, UN agencies, academic institutions, and Fortune 500 companies. She has authored multiple articles, books, and book chapters. Her newest book, , was the recipient of the Vincent Clark Award from the California Association for Marriage and Family Therapists for significant advancement of the field. Using proven research, Dr. Nasserzadeh explains how six essential ingredients – attraction, respect, trust, a shared vision, compassion, and loving behaviors – are needed for any thriving relationship, from the bedroom to the boardroom. These ingredients can be explored with any audience to establish a unified language, shared values, and common aspirations. Dr. Nasserzadeh’s work has been featured on NPR, the BBC, ABC, CNN, The New York Times, The Times, CNBC, and USA Today, among others. Dr. Nasserzadeh has been a board member of several professional organizations, including the California Psychological Association, the American Association for Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists (AASECT), and the World Association for Sexual Health (WAS). She is widely recognized as a trailblazer in the field of relational science and has been honored by peers and esteemed institutions alike, including the British Council for her contributions to social impact; Pfizer Inc. with its Innovation of the Year Award during her tenure as global chair of the Customer Insights Council; the BBC World Service for Innovation of the Year for her groundbreaking sexuality education program; and AASECT with its Award for Professional Excellence. Clinically, she is an approved training provider, senior accredited member, and registered supervisor with AASECT, as well as a registered supervisor with the College of Sex and Relationship Therapists in the UK (COSRT). Since moving to California, she is an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (AMFT) and a member of the California Association for Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT). To learn more about Dr. Sara Nasserzadeh, visit her , , and follow her on . If you want to catch up on other shows, just visit our and please subscribe! We love our listeners and welcome your feedback, so if you love Our Better Half, please give us a 5-star rating and follow us on and . It really helps support our show! As always, thanks for listening! /episode/index/show/our-better-half/id/39770850

218: Masturbation and Menopause: New Research 12/17/2025

217: All Sex is Queer Sex (Especially For Older Adults) 11/26/2025

217: All Sex is Queer Sex (Especially For Older Adults) Our guest this time is Stephen Duclos, and his interest in aging is partly because he has been doing social change work for decades and sees aging as just one more civil rights horizon. He’s also interested in aging because he’s a sex therapist, and he sees all sex as queer sex when it comes to aging adults. Stephen has been working as a therapist and counselor since 1972. He currently holds licenses and national certifications in Sex Therapy (as a CST), Couples and Family Therapy (LMFT), Mental Health Counseling (LMHC), and Rehabilitation Counseling (CRC). Stephen is an Approved Supervisor with the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapists (AAMFT), and AASECT (the American Association of Sex Educators, Counselors, and Therapists). He is also a member of the American Family Therapy Academy. In 2012, he received the Patricia Schiller award from AASECT for his work on Fathers, Adolescent Daughters, and Sexuality. And in 2022, he was featured in a cover story in the NY Times Magazine about sex over 70. Jane first met Stephen at an AASECT conference and was immediately struck by his candor, and they have been teaching social workers and students of sex therapy ever since. He is always up for a new challenge and is one of the most thoughtful clinicians she knows. He has been a teacher and supervisor of therapists as an adjunct faculty member of UMass/Boston and is a principal faculty member in the Sex Therapy Training program at South Shore Sexual Health Center. He has also taught at Boston Medical Center and Harvard Medical School. He is vitally interested in intimacy, aging, fathers and daughters, and long-term sexual relationships. Stephen has also been involved in civil rights work for more than 50 years. From registering voters for the Boston Election Commission in 1967, to helping establish the second Independent Living Center in the US for people with disabilities in the 1970s, to establishing biracial councils in the Boston Public Schools during desegregation through the late 1980s, to supporting liberation for the queer community, civil rights has been part of his ongoing, lifelong community work. His interest in aging comes in large part from his commitment to being a therapist, seeing older clients, and threading the aging process in the tapestry of his own life. He is fierce, tender, brilliant, and a great teacher and learner. He wanted to expand his teaching practice by working with a sex educator, and Jane was so pleased that he invited her in because she loves teaching with him, always learning something new, as we did in this conversation. Listeners, if you’d like to learn more about Stephen and his work, you can find more information . If you want to catch up on other shows, just visit our and please subscribe! We love our listeners and welcome your feedback, so if you love Our Better Half, please give us a 5-star rating and follow us on and . It really helps support our show! As always, thanks for listening! /episode/index/show/our-better-half/id/39106870

216: Students Innovating: Creating Sex Positive Senior Living Communities 11/21/2025

215: Sex CAN Get Better with Age 10/29/2025

214: Together 68 Years: You Can't Just Put Your Relationship on a Shelf 10/22/2025

213: Cultivating Intention through Curiosity Across the Lifespan 10/02/2025

212: Aging with Sexual Wellness: Like a Fine Wine 09/14/2025

211: Season 11 Teaser 08/17/2025

210: Challenging Sexual Ageism in Our Work as Therapists and Educators 06/15/2025

209: Providing Trans-Affirmative Care 06/02/2025

208: Groove Thing 05/19/2025

207: Combatting Ageism Through Sexual Pleasure 05/05/2025

206: Trans and Queer Centered Therapy 04/21/2025

205: An Intergenerational Look at Teaching Sex Therapy 04/01/2025

205: An Intergenerational Look at Teaching Sex Therapy Our guests this time are the dynamic duo, mother/daughter team of The Buehler Institute, Dr. Stephanie Buehler and Anneka Buehler. Stephanie Buehler, MPW, PsyD, CST-S, IF, is a licensed psychologist, AASECT-certified sex Therapist and Supervisor, and Fellow of the International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health. She is the President of The Buehler Institute and , which provides APA, AASECT, NBCC, and California BRN-approved inclusive continuing education in sex therapy and sexuality counseling. In addition to pelvic pain disorders and using the sexological ecosystemic approach she developed, Dr. Buehler has written about and lectured on the intersection of sexuality and sexual identity, thriving after breast and prostate cancer; neurodivergent sexuality and relationships; post-trauma recovery of sexual function and pleasure; counseling for couples; infertility, pregnancy, and post-partum issues; and menopause and other lifespan concerns affecting women. She provides AASECT individual and group supervision and case consultation to therapists. She is the author of several books, including the third edition of . Anneka Buehler, MEd, is a recent graduate of George Mason University with a master’s degree in counseling. She is the Vice President of The Buehler Institute and is a true multi-tasker responsible for directing day-to-day operations, marketing and social media, and content development. Ms. Buehler is an intern at a group practice that serves DC, Maryland, and Virginia. Her areas of concentration include working with neurodiverse clients, trauma, pelvic pain, and kink, and she has extensive experience with the LGBTQ+ population. If you want to catch up on other shows, just visit our and please subscribe! We love our listeners and welcome your feedback, so if you love Our Better Half, please give us a 5-star rating and follow us on and . It really helps support our show! As always, thanks for listening! /episode/index/show/our-better-half/id/35956160

204: The Sex Bible for People Over 50 03/17/2025

203: Building Hope: Advocacy for Older Adults During Terrible Times 03/03/2025

202: Finding Your Way Back to Sex in Long-Term Relationships 02/18/2025

201: Developing a Liberatory Pleasure Practice 02/03/2025

201: Developing a Liberatory Pleasure Practice This episode explores the significance of intergenerational learning and social/racial justice within the sexual health field. We had the joy of interviewing Mariotta Gary-Smith about her experiences of mentorship from Black women/femme elders that also inspired the trajectory of her career as a social justice actionable agitator. Mariotta Gary-Smith (she/her/Queen [reserved]) is a 3rd generation social justice agitator & Oregonian. Her family history of civil rights seeded her interest in social justice - she found human sexuality on her own. After high school, Mariotta earned degrees from Agnes Scott College and the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University. In Fall 2008, she was one of five nationally selected Fellowship Scholars for the Inaugural Class at the Center of Excellence for Sexual Health (CESH) housed at the Morehouse School of Medicine. In 2009, Mariotta co-founded the Women of Color Sexual Health Network (WoCSHN; pronounced ‘wok-shyn’) – an online-based, collective organization for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) women/femme-identifying/gender-expansive sexuality professionals. In 2012, Mariotta joined with 6 other Oregon-based BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color/of the Global Majority) women and femmes that formed the Founding Advisory Committee of the We Are BRAVE! Project, a cohort policy project housed at Western States Center (Portland, OR.) This collective was a foundational part of the local political movement that resulted in Oregon passing the Reproductive Health Equity Act (RHEA) in 2017 – the singular most progressive reproductive health law in the United States to date. With a well-respected reputation for thoughtful, challenging and honest learning experiences centering racial justice, equity, sexuality and social critique, Mariotta continues to offer strategic thought partnership & collaborative consultation with various organizations about racial justice in sexuality education and the Sexuality profession. With over 20 years of experience, Mariotta remains committed to holding space that supports clear & accountable learning on the intersections of social justice, sexual health, equity and “actionable agitation.” She’s fully invested in her ‘passion work’ – focusing on Black folks and Black sexuality and moving their experience from the margins to the center. You can read Mariotta’s contribution about cultivating a liberatory care practice to the Sexuality Social Justice open access resource . If you want to catch up on other shows, just visit our and please subscribe! We love our listeners and welcome your feedback, so if you love Our Better Half, please give us a 5-star rating and follow us on and . It really helps support our show! As always, thanks for listening! /episode/index/show/our-better-half/id/35094220

200: The Existential Penis 01/22/2025

200: The Existential Penis Our guest this time is Dr. Daniel N. Watter. Dan is an existential sex therapist and he has so much to say about appreciating sexuality as we age instead of extolling the virtues of youthful sexuality. He has a fresh approach to the connection between death anxiety and sexuality. Dan talks with us about the existential importance of the penis and the idea that the penis is speaking but sometimes in a whisper. Dr. Watter is the author of more than 30 professional articles and book chapters on topics such as sexual function and dysfunction, and ethics in healthcare practice. He most recently completed the new book, The Existential Importance of the Penis: A Guide to Understanding Male Sexuality and a new article about men, sex, and aging for the Journal of Sexual Medicine. Dan has been a practicing clinical and forensic psychologist and certified sex therapist for more than 35 years. He is licensed as both a psychologist and a marital and family therapist. In addition, he is Board Certified in Sex Therapy by the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists (AASECT), and the American Board of Sexology (ACS), of which he also holds Fellowship status. Dr. Watter is an AASECT certified sex therapy supervisor and has been elected to Fellowship Status in the International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health (ISSWSH). In addition to his clinical practice, he is a faculty member at the University of Michigan School of Social Work’s Sexual Certification Program and the Modern Sex Therapy Institutes. He has taught at a number of colleges, universities, and medical schools in the past. Dr. Watter is a member of several professional organizations and has been elected to leadership positions in many including the New Jersey Psychological Association’s Ethics Committee, the Society for Sex Therapy and Research (SSTAR), and AASECT. He’s been the Chair of the AASECT Ethics Advisory Committee and President of SSTAR. You can reach Dan Watter . And you can check out his new book . If you’d like to read any of the other books we discussed, you can find Irvin Yalom’s work , and Peggy Kleinplatz’s book, Magnificent Sex: Lessons from Extraordinary Lovers If you want to catch up on other shows, just visit our and please subscribe! We love our listeners and welcome your feedback, so if you love Our Better Half, please give us a 5-star rating and follow us on and . It really helps support our show! As always, thanks for listening! /episode/index/show/our-better-half/id/34913880

199: Embracing our Queer Elders in the Harlem Renaissance 01/06/2025

198: Standing on the Shoulders of Giants: With Love From Dr. Lexx 12/23/2024

197: Care Planning for LGBTQ Elders 12/09/2024

196: Decolonizing Sex Therapy 11/25/2024

196: Decolonizing Sex Therapy Hey Listeners! This episode features an interview with Dr. Reece Malone and explores the significance of intersectionality and decolonization to the sex therapy process. Dr. Malone spoke about erotic racism and its impact on desirability of bodies, the internalization of these experiences, and impact on clients. Dr. Reece Malone is an award-winning certified sexologist with a Masters of Public Health and a Doctorate of Human Sexuality. He is a sex therapist and a Certified Sexuality Education Supervisor through the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists (AASECT), and acquired Diplomate status with the American Board of Sexologists. Complementing his private practice, he is an adjunct professor at Antioch University Seattle Couple and Family Therapy Department and an instructor at the California Institute for Integral Studies. Dr. Reece Malone is the CEO and founder of Sexuality Consultants and Support Services in Manitoba and his counterpart company, Diversity Essentials. As an advocate for sexual health and comprehensive human sexuality education and as an internationally respected sexologist, he has provided assistance to organizations such as The World Health Organization – Pan American Health Organization, The Canadian Human Rights Commission, and many others. As a popular culture commentator, he has appeared on Dan Savage’s Savage Love and many other media outlets. Collaborating with Mariotta Gary Smith, Marla Renee Stewart, and Dr. James Wadley, he is the co-editor of An Intersectional Approach to Sex Therapy: Centering the Lives of Indigenous, Racialized, and People of Color, published by Routledge Press. As a community-based researcher, Dr. Reece, along with his colleagues, is researching patient engagement and examining mental health outcomes experienced by gender diverse Manitobans. You can find out more information about Dr. Malone’s work ! If you want to catch up on other shows, just visit our and please subscribe! We love our listeners and welcome your feedback, so if you love Our Better Half, please give us a 5-star rating and follow us on and . It really helps support our show! As always, thanks for listening! /episode/index/show/our-better-half/id/34116901

195: Reproductive Justice, Chronic Illness, and Flexing Your Self-Advocacy Muscles 11/11/2024

194: Support and Advocacy for Trans Elders 10/24/2024

194: Support and Advocacy for Trans Elders In this week’s episode we welcome Dr. Michele Angello, a leading expert in the field of gender diversity. Dr. Angello specializes in providing therapy for gender-variant and transgender individuals, including youth and adults, as well as those who identify as genderqueer. She offers both individual and group therapy, as well as family therapy. Dr. Angello’s expertise has been recognized at local, national, and international conferences, where she has shared her work and experience on transgender youth and children with transitioning parents. She also facilitates several monthly support groups for transgender adults, youth, and their families. As a sought-after speaker, Dr. Angello frequently presents on transgender youth issues to universities, corporations, and media outlets. Her appearances include notable shows like Larry King Live and the Tyra Banks Show, as well as various documentaries on transgender issues. In addition to her clinical work, Dr. Angello is a trailblazer in academia, having developed the first graduate course in the U.S. focused on clinical issues within transgender communities. She holds a doctorate in human sexuality and a master’s degree in psychological services, and is a certified clinical sexologist. Dr. Angello serves on the board of directors for the Main Line Youth Alliance and the Renaissance Transgender Association, and is an active member of several professional organizations, including the American College of Sexology and the American Psychological Association. Go check out Dr. Michele Angello’s new book: , and if you would like to get in touch with her, you can contact her on her ! If you want to catch up on other shows, just visit our and please subscribe! We love our listeners and welcome your feedback, so if you love Our Better Half, please give us a 5-star rating and follow us on and . It really helps support our show! As always, thanks for listening! /episode/index/show/our-better-half/id/33594447

Our Better Half

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