Couples often find themselves in a rut in which bickering and frustration become the norm. They’re so exhausted by the demands of work, family, kids and personal commitments that they have no patience left for one another. Or they’ve allowed small frustrations to build up without addressing them so they snap at one another over seemingly innocuous things. It follows that many couples desire a reset. They want to start over with a blank slate, but despite the intension, they struggle to reconnect.

Jess joined Jeff & Carolyn this morning on Global TV's The Morning Show. She walked them through an exercise she tends to use with couples, but she made an exception this time. Here's how you do it:

• Sit or lie next to one another with your foreheads touching and start to breathe in sync for eleven deep breaths.
• It will likely feel a little weird and distracting at first (and if you don’t brush your teeth you might feel self conscious), but as you slip into the 3rd and...

How do you deal with a defensive partner? How do you manage a partner who lashes out in arguments? Is shrinkage real? What are some signs of a toxic relationship? Do I get a say in my partner’s porn habits? Jess and Brandon answer your questions in another rapid fire round.

Please see a rough list of the questions that were addressed on this episode:

I followed your 3-step approach on how to have difficult conversations with your partner, but I have some follow-up questions.

78. What if your partner gets defensive?

79. Lashes out?

80. Or simply withdraw or refuses to talk?

81. What if they refuse to go to therapy?

82. I want to go one of those nude beaches you talk about, but I'm afraid I will get a woody. Brandon, has this happened to you?

83. Can you make my penis bigger?

84. Is shrinkage real?

85. Does my partner get a say in my porn habits?

86. Is it your right to tell your partner that you'd prefer they didn't watch porn if it makes you jealous or you aren't comfortable...

When we think of healthy relationships, we often think of marriage and intimate relationships, but the relationships you foster with friends, neighbours and co-workers can also have a significant impact on your well being. Daily interactions can affect your stress levels, sleep, mental health, self-esteem and even your cardiovascular health. This is why more business partners and entrepreneurs are investing in the quality of their workplace relationships.

Earlier today, Jess joined Carolyn and Jeff on The Morning Show to discuss one strategy to improve workplace interactions. Jess lead them through an exercise that people can try with both couples and business partners. This is an exercise designed to address the gratitude gap.

We already know that the benefits of expressing gratitude range from the physical to the emotional — gratitude is associated with lower blood pressure, greater life satisfaction, lower rates of depression and anxiety, greater empathy,...

This week, get to know Southern Sexologist, Tanya M. Bass. Tanya is the lead instructor for Human Sexuality at NCCU's Department of Public Health Education. Additionally, she's a conference organizer, an expert who's heavily involved in community-based organizations, and there's no doubt she's a sexual health influencer extraordinaire. Tanya is spreading the sex-positive knowledge far and wide, so check out her feature below.

How did you find yourself working in the field of sexuality?

You could say it was “phone sex”! I started as a Public Health Educator and my first job related to sex was as a communication specialist at the American Sexual Health Association (ASHA). I helped get information to people over the phone at the National STD hotline. I answered questions from all over the nation and I think that is when I truly became interested in sexuality. Later, I started working in various areas of sexual health for the state and local health departments, as well...

How should you adjust your body language during an argument with your partner? What strategies can we use to become active listeners? What role does body language play with single daters? Tune in now to learn from Body Language Expert, Karen Donaldson as she shares her advice and insights with Jess and Brandon.

This podcast is brought to you by Desire Resorts.

If you’ve got questions or topic suggestions for the podcast, submit them here. As well, you can now record your messages for us! Please record your message/question in a quiet room and use your phone’s headphones with a built-in mic if possible.

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Rough Transcript:

This is a computer-generated rough transcript, so please excuse any typos. This podcast is an informational conversation and is not a substitute for medical, health or other professional advice, diagnosis or...

Jess and Brandon answer your questions: Is it normal to want your wife to be a hot-wife? Should I use an enema before anal? What should I do if I can’t get it in? Can a sexless marriage work? Can a couple really recover after cheating? How do I know if I should call it quits on a relationship? And many, many more.

Please see a rough transcript below.

Thank you to Desire Resorts & Desire Cruises for their support. Be sure to check them out because they offer a clothing-optional couples experience that is unlike any other.

To celebrate our 100th episode, we started answering 100 of your questions last week and we continue this week:

39. Is there really a way to move past a cheating partner?

Yes. If the one who cheated is not making excuses and is willing to do the work. And if the one who didn’t cheat agrees that they’ll be vulnerable and honest about what they feel AND not use the cheating as a weapon moving forward (e.g. in arguments unrelated to cheating).

40....

Resentment is often rooted in ruminating on a negative feeling (e.g. anger) and replaying the events associated with this feeling. It’s often the result of a long history of unhappiness or feelings of injustice and because it’s associated with the past, its present-day triggers can be unpredictable and seemingly innocuous.

Unlike other feelings that can threaten a relationship like anger and frustration, resentment will rarely subside on its own, as it builds and intensifies over time. It can be one of the most difficult feelings to address and overcome, as it often indicates an unwillingness to forgive and a history of repeated behaviour.

Some signs that your partner is resentful:

1. They express anger at the very first sign of conflict, frustration or hurt. If they blow up over the little things (and they didn’t used to react this way), it’s possible that their feelings of frustration have built into resentment and there is a near-constant anger bubbling...

After sitting on the squatty-potty in heels last week, the fine folks at The Morning Show still invited Jess back for the Ask Dr. Jess segment this morning on Global TV. She joined Jeff and Carolyn to address questions from viewers across Canada.

Since I got married, my best friend has been distant. I’ve heard she’s jealous of my new husband and felt left out of the wedding despite being my Maid of Honour. How do I handle this?

Oftentimes our first instinct is to respond to jealousy with frustration, criticism and hostility when we’d be much better off leading with empathy. When someone is jealous of another relationship (e.g. with your spouse), it’s often a sign that they’re feeling neglected or unworthy; they may also be scared of losing you. If you can consider how they’re really feeling (fearful or unworthy) as opposed to focusing specifically on how they’re acting (distant), you’ll probably show more empathy from the onset.

If...

This week's Sexuality Superhero is Carly Steif. Carly is a professional sex educator, sex blogger and sex communicator extraordinaire! She manages the Pleasure Chest in NYC (Manhattan location), and has been featured in countless media outlets and podcasts. Check out her feature below.

How did you find yourself working in sexuality?

I was always "that friend" who answered friends' sex questions, then when I was in college I was the secretary then president of the Queer Student Union where we held events from BDSM 101, sex toys 101, Trans vocab events and more. This was really where I was like, this is fun and I can do this! I was working for a Harley-Davidson dealership and the general air of misogyny was really disheartening then I saw a job post for the Pleasure Chest, applied, and the rest is history.

What is the best part of the job?

Those light bulb moments you give people that helps them realize their pleasure potential. Sometimes someone will tell you about a personal...

It’s our 100th episode! We’re answering rapid-fire questions on everything from jealousy, uneven breasts, and birth control to penis flavours, positions and sex toys. Tune in and keep the questions coming.

Sex Questions Answered: Rapid Fire Round

Rough Transcript:

It’s our 100th episode! Yay us!

Thanks so much for listening and for sharing with your friends. If you like the podcast, please do share it and write us a review online.

And thank you to Desire Resorts for being our headline sponsor - you know we love their clothing optional beaches and cruises and we welcome any questions you might have about their vacations since the concept is so unique.

And speaking of questions, we’re going to be answering 100 sex and relationship questions to celebrate our 100th episode. We’ve been collecting so many questions from you and we want to answer as many as possible so we’ll be doing a rapid fire round today and I’ll do my best to answer as many as...