The Human Intimacy Podcast

Differentiation: Staying Connected Without Losing Yourself Episode Summary Healthy relationships require both deep connection and a strong sense of self. In this episode, Dr. Kevin Skinner and MaryAnn Michaelis explore the concept of differentiation—the ability to remain emotionally connected to your partner while maintaining your own identity, values, emotions, and personal responsibility. The di...

How to Deal with Getting Cheated On: The First Steps Toward Healing After Betrayal Podcast Summary What do you do after discovering your partner has cheated? Where do you even begin? In this episode of the Human Intimacy Podcast, Dr. Kevin Skinner and MaryAnn Michaelis tackle one of the most painful questions a person can ask: How do I deal with getting cheated on? Rather than offering quick fixes...

Disclosure Is the Beginning, Not the End Summary Many couples assume that once disclosure, impact letters, and emotional restitution are complete, healing should naturally follow. Yet many still find themselves feeling disconnected and wondering why they continue to struggle. In this episode, Dr. Kevin Skinner and MaryAnn Michaelis explain why disclosure is not the finish line but the foundation f...

How Do We Create Safety in a Relationship? 10 Keys to Rebuilding Trust and Connection In this episode of the Human Intimacy Podcast, Dr. Kevin Skinner and MaryAnn Michaelis explore one of the most important questions couples can ask themselves: “How do we create safety in a relationship?” Drawing from attachment theory, betrayal trauma recovery, and clinical experience, they discuss how safety is...

How to Strengthen Your Relationship: The Questions Every Couple Should Be Asking Podcast Summary Relationships rarely fail because couples stop caring. More often, they struggle because they stop asking the questions that create understanding, connection, and growth. In this episode of the Human Intimacy Podcast, Dr. Kevin Skinner and MaryAnn Michaelis explore the questions every couple should be...

Affair, Addiction, or Something More? Understanding the Story Behind Sexual Betrayal Summary In this episode of the Human Intimacy Podcast, Dr. Kevin Skinner and MaryAnn Michaelis explore one of the most confusing and emotionally overwhelming questions couples face after betrayal: Was this “just” an affair, or is there something deeper happening? Together, they discuss the critical importance of u...

Confident Conversations: Teaching Children Healthy Intimacy, Connection, and Emotional Safety (with Dan Oakes) Summary In this episode of the Human Intimacy Podcast, Dr. Kevin Skinner sits down with Dan Oakes to discuss parenting, healthy sexuality, emotional connection, and prevention in today’s digital culture. Dan shares insights from his new book, Confident Conversations: Teaching Your Childre...

Emotional Safety After Betrayal: Understanding Emotions, Trauma, and Relationship Healing Podcast Summary In this episode of the Human Intimacy Podcast, Dr. Kevin Skinner and MaryAnn Michaelis explore the connection between emotional safety, betrayal trauma, emotional regulation, and relationship healing after infidelity or sexual betrayal. Many individuals struggling with betrayal trauma, anxiety...

Sex After Betrayal: Navigating Sexuality, Safety, and Connection In this episode of the Human Intimacy Podcast, Dr. Kevin Skinner and Marianne Michaelis explore one of the most confusing and emotionally charged topics couples face after betrayal: sexuality after discovery. Why do some couples stop having sex entirely while others become more sexual after betrayal? What does it mean if a betrayed p...

Why Can’t I Stop Thinking About the Affair? Understanding Rumination, Triggers, and Healing After Betrayal In this important episode of the Human Intimacy Podcast, Dr. Kevin Skinner and MaryAnn Michaelis explore one of the most common and painful questions after betrayal: “Why can’t I stop thinking about it?” Together, they unpack the neuroscience and emotional reality behind rumination, intrusive...

Crucial Moments: How Couples Can Navigate Triggers Without Destroying Connection Episode Overview What happens when a trigger hits in your relationship—and everything escalates? In this episode of the Human Intimacy Podcast, Dr. Kevin Skinner and MaryAnn Michaelis break down what they call “crucial moments”—those intense emotional experiences where couples either move toward healing or fall back i...

How Do You Know You’re Making Progress After Betrayal? Understanding Safety, Awareness, and Real Change In this episode of The Human Intimacy Podcast, Dr. Kevin Skinner and MaryAnn explore one of the most common—and emotionally loaded—questions couples ask after betrayal: *“How do we know if we’re actually making progress?”* Healing doesn’t follow a straight line. Many couples feel stuck in a pain...

Introducing the Intimacy Repair Method: A New Path to Healing, Connection, and Lasting Change What if the reason your relationship feels stuck isn’t a lack of effort—but a lack of a clear model for connection? In this episode of the Human Intimacy Podcast, Dr. Kevin Skinner (LMFT-S) and MaryAnne Michaelis, LCSW introduce the Intimacy Repair Method (IRM)—a comprehensive, research-informed framework...

 Hope After Betrayal: Is Healing Your Relationship Still Possible? After betrayal, many couples quietly wonder: Is there any real hope for us? In this powerful episode, Dr. Kevin Skinner and MaryAnn Michaelis explore what hope actually looks like in the aftermath of sexual betrayal—and why so many people struggle to find it. Drawing from decades of clinical experience, they discuss the reality beh...

The Courage to Heal: Facing Pain, Shame, and Change Together Episode Summary In this episode of the Human Intimacy Podcast, Dr. Kevin Skinner and Marianne Michaelis explore the many forms of courage required in the healing process—both individually and as a couple. Courage is not just about staying in a relationship after betrayal. It’s about facing pain, telling the truth, asking for help, and be...

Understanding Your Pain: How Childhood Experiences Shape Your Life and Relationships Episode Summary In this deeply honest and meaningful conversation, Dr. Kevin Skinner and MaryAnn Michaels explore one of the most important—and often avoided—topics in healing: personal pain. Whether that pain feels overwhelming and present, or buried and difficult to access, it plays a powerful role in shaping ho...

Grieving the Unseen Loss: Understanding Grief After Betrayal Summary In this episode of the Human Intimacy Podcast, Dr. Kevin Skinner and MaryAnn Michaelis reflect on the powerful insights emerging from the 2026 Human Intimacy Conference, with a particular focus on grief following sexual betrayal. While much of the field has emphasized trauma and post-traumatic stress, this conversation highlights...

When Recovery Means Different Things to Each Partner Summary: One of the most difficult aspects of healing after betrayal is that both partners may believe they are working toward recovery, yet they may have very different ideas about what healing actually looks like. In this episode of the Human Intimacy Podcast, Dr. Kevin Skinner is joined by MaryAnn Michaels and Geoff Steurer to explore why cou...

Empathy Overload: Why Feeling Too Much Can Hurt Your Relationship (And How Compassion Heals It) 📝 Episode Summary In this powerful episode of the Human Intimacy Podcast, Dr. Kevin Skinner and MaryAnn explore a surprising truth: empathy—while essential—can sometimes be the very thing that keeps couples stuck. Drawing on research from Stephen Porges and insights from polyvagal theory, Dr. Skinner e...

When Couples Feel Stuck: Breaking the Patterns That Keep You From Healing What do you do when you’ve tried everything—therapy, groups, individual work—and you still feel stuck? In this powerful conversation, Dr. Kevin Skinner and Maryanne Michaelis, LCSW, explore why couples get trapped in the same relational patterns and, more importantly, how those patterns can change. This episode speaks direct...

  Understanding Sexual Intimacy: Self-Awareness, Healing, and Connection in the Intimacy Triangle (Part 2) Episode Summary In this concluding conversation on the Intimacy Triangle, Dr. Kevin Skinner and MaryAnn Michaelis explore the most complex and often misunderstood dimension of intimacy—sexual intimacy. Together, they examine how personal history, trauma, shame, cultural messaging, betrayal, a...

Summary In this milestone episode celebrating two years of the Human Intimacy Podcast, Dr. Kevin Skinner and MaryAnn Michaelis explore one of the most meaningful — and often misunderstood — dimensions of connection: physical and sexual intimacy. Many relationships struggle in this area, especially when trust has been disrupted or when couples have never learned how to build intimacy from a strong...

Spiritual Intimacy: Being Seen, Sharing Meaning, and Deepening Connection In this episode of the Human Intimacy Podcast, Dr. Kevin Skinner and MaryAnn Michaelis explore the often-misunderstood concept of spiritual intimacy. Moving beyond narrow definitions of religion, they discuss spirituality as a deeply human experience—how we make meaning, experience stillness, share vulnerability, and feel co...

Creative & Intellectual Intimacy: Growing, Playing, and Building Meaning Together Episode Summary In this episode of the Human Intimacy Podcast, Dr. Kevin Skinner and MaryAnn Michaelis explore creative and intellectual intimacy—two often overlooked but deeply powerful ways couples build connection, trust, and shared meaning. Rather than viewing intimacy as a checklist or a linear process, they...

Verbal & Emotional Intimacy: Using Your Voice to Create Deeper Connection Episode Summary In this episode of the Human Intimacy Podcast, Dr. Kevin Skinner and Maryanne Michaelis continue their exploration of intimacy by focusing on verbal and emotional intimacy. They discuss how curiosity, vulnerability, and emotional expression create deeper connection—while assumptions, fear, and unspoken em...