Claiming Pleasure with Malika

In this Aftercare episode, Malika and Lilli sit down to unpack the conversation with Sonia Houria-Rivas - starting with a moment of honest self-reflection, then diving into the difference between healing and simply swapping one addiction for another. They talk candidly about disconnecting from the body as a survival mechanism, why rest still feels like a guilty pleasure for busy people, and what i...

Sonia Houria-Rivas was a high-powered international lawyer who couldn't feel her own body. Not metaphorically - literally. It took 100 pull-ups, a hospitalisation, and eventually a shaman to begin the journey back. In this conversation, Sonia and Malika explore what it really takes to reconnect with pleasure after trauma: why safety comes first, what your body's yes and no can feel like, and how r...

In this Aftercare episode, Malika and Lilli settle in to reflect on everything that came up in the conversation with sexological bodyworker Stella Topaz, and there was a lot. From the genius simplicity of the hand-mapping exercise, to the stories we tell ourselves about our bodies, to what it actually means to acknowledge that you have wants (without needing to fulfil a single one of them) this ep...

What if pleasure wasn't something you had to earn after you'd done enough healing? In this episode, I sit down with Stella Topaz - sexological bodyworker, Wheel of Consent teacher, queer mother and grandmother - for one of the most honest, warm, and practical conversations I've had on this podcast. We talk about desire smuggling (trying to get what you want without actually asking for it), why "co...

Malika and Lilli Pang reflect on the interview with Francesca, exploring survivor experiences, slow emotional processing, and how busyness and generational attitudes shape responses to abuse. They discuss forgiveness versus self‑compassion, the pleasures of the body - from food to breastfeeding - grounding practices included in each episode, and the joy of staying present as we age.

Malika talks with Francesca "Franny" Emerson, a sculptor, author of The Chocolate Bunny, and a spirited storyteller. They explore claiming pleasure as essential living. Topics include food, sensuality, intimacy, body love, aging, forgiveness, and the daily practices that keep joy and play at the center of life. This candid conversation is unfiltered. It talks about sex both amazing and not so. It...

Welcome to The Claiming Pleasure Podcast with Malika. A warm, gentle space to explore our relationship with play, healing, and our bodies, particularly after sexual abuse. Malika is a musician, performer, funeral celebrant, mother, survivor, and lifelong lover of games. She shares her journey from disconnection and shame to daily practices of acceptance and appreciation.  Each episode features hon...