Untangling Intimacy: Build Your Therapy Toolkit

Misleading sex education, poor sex education, and fear-based messaging around sex can all complicate first sexual encounters. Hosts Dr. K. Skye Henry Smith and Martha Kauppi discuss a variety of ways to practice consent, and cover how therapists can support clients navigating their first sexual encounter. Get free training in  Martha Kauppi's first-session sex issues assessment . Use code UNTANGLI...

When someone has a deepened sense of self, it can lead to broader understanding when it comes to love, romance, and dating. This is especially true post-divorce. In this episode, hosts Martha Kauppi and Dr. K. Skye Henry Smith discuss how the dating world changes in midlife, bringing real experience to the table, and providing professional insight.  Join Dr. K. Skye Henry Smith on September 25, 20...

Heated Rivalry continues to cause a stir, and a lot of its potency comes down to depiction. Hosts Dr. K. Skye Henry Smith and Martha Kauppi explore what makes the show, and novels, such an effective—and surprisingly moving—portrayal of male/male passion. Whether keying in on how the series handles consent, communication, or conveys broader messages, both Skye and Martha agree: there's a lot to lov...

In this episode, hosts Dr. K. Skye Henry Smith and Martha Kauppi cover the powerful cores of consensual non-monogamy at its most harmonious. From communication to consideration to compersion, there are plenty of components to explore.  Considering consensual non-monogamy? Get "8 Steps to Opening Up" for free here .  Use code UNTANGLINGINTIMACY to unlock 10% off " Consensual Non-Monogamy Level 1: C...

In this episode, hosts Dr. K. Skye Henry Smith and Martha Kauppi dig into some common, prevailing, and harmful or damaging beliefs that many therapists still struggle with when it comes to consensual non-monogamy. Each host offers keen insight on clinical—and personal—paths to providing more sensitive support.  Use code UNTANGLINGINTIMACY to unlock 10% off " Consensual Non-Monogamy Level 1: Clinic...

In this episode, hosts Dr. K. Skye Henry Smith and Martha Kauppi discuss how to thoughtfully broach client conversations involving the pursuit of consensual non-monogamy (CNM). Both hosts emphasize the importance of small, practical experiments, curiosity, and compassionate mindfulness.  Use code UNTANGLINGINTIMACY to unlock 10% off " Consensual Non-Monogamy Level 1: Clinical Skills and Interventi...

In this special episode, Dr. K. Skye Henry Smith and Martha Kauppi revisit their time at the Kauppi-led retreat training, Solo Sessions: Relational Renewal Through Individual Interventions . Throughout the conversation, the hosts discuss their roles, key takeaways, and various insights, while expanding on why and how retreat trainings can remain a vital experience for clinicians.  Use code UNTANGL...

In this episode, hosts Dr. K. Skye Henry Smith and Martha Kauppi talk everyone through why it can be so rejuvenating to take yourself on a solo date night and cherish your own company. Whether it's an act of self-love, a way to boost your energy, help cultivate self-pleasure, or just reacquaint yourself with yourself, a solo date night can be a cathartic intervention in and of itself. Each host of...

In this episode, hosts Dr. K. Skye Henry Smith and Martha Kauppi explore the practicality, joys, and numerous benefits of self-pleasure, or "solo play." Each host offers practical guidance for consciously dismantling any stigmas surrounding the topic in an earnest discussion. If you're a therapist who's unsure how or why to have conversations about solo play with your clients, this is a great firs...

Picking up right where they left off last week, hosts Dr. K. Skye Henry Smith and Martha Kauppi continue to clear up myths about low desire and asexuality. From exploring how labels can help or hinder understanding to highlighting common therapy pitfalls when addressing sexual identity and desire, each host offers a number of practical insights and clinical takeaways. This is part two of a convers...

In part one of a two-part episode, hosts Dr. K. Skye Henry Smith and Martha Kauppi explore common misunderstandings about sexual desire, asexuality, and a common, major therapy pitfall. From guiding clients on centering their own experiences to creating space for exploration, each host takes listeners through worthwhile interventions.  Part two will pick up right where this conversation leaves off...

Hosts Dr. K. Skye Henry Smith and Martha Kauppi conclude their short, three-part series on partners’ sexual impasses, focusing on therapeutic strategies to help couples have better conversations, rather than rushing to decisions. From running small experiments to how embracing playfulness can lower their temperature of disagreement, each host talks through how the right intervention or approach ca...

In this episode, Dr. K. Skye Henry Smith and Martha Kauppi offer guidance to help therapists and couples navigate situations where partners want different things out of their sexual experiences. Whether its naming specific acts, using clear language, and asking what "sex" actually means to each person, each host offers practical advice that can make a real impact for clients.  Get Martha Kauppi's ...

In this episode, hosts Martha Kauppi and Dr. K. Skye Henry Smith discuss how therapists can effectively open—and ground—client conversations involving partners experiencing cases of mismatched desire, seemingly incompatible turn-ons, or other gaps posing challenges. Each host brings clinical expertise to the discussion, offering practical insights and effective interventions on how to navigate the...

In this episode, hosts Dr. K. Skye Henry Smith and Martha Kauppi explain how therapists can support clients navigating loneliness, dating app fatigue, and modern relationship struggles. While it can seem daunting at first blush, today's most popular dating processes can be an opportunity for discernment, self-trust, and growth. Use code UNTANGLINGINTIMACY to unlock 10% off " Consensual Non-Monogam...

Dr. K. Skye Henry Smith and Martha Kauppi discuss how therapists can navigate kink and BDSM conversations in session with grace and confidence. Each offers practical insight and essential tools for therapists looking to provide support that is informed, ethical, and affirming. Get Martha Kauppi's free guide for couples experiencing sexual challenges . Use code UNTANGLINGINTIMACY to unlock 10% off...

In this episode, Dr. K. Skye Henry Smith and Martha Kauppi explore a listener-submitted question involving marital infidelity, disrupted desire, and a struggle to rekindle sexual connection. From potential repair pathways to available interventions, each host offers key insight on how to begin untangling a difficult knot of intimacy.  Get Martha Kauppi's free guide to relationship repair . Use cod...

In this episode, Dr. K. Skye Henry Smith and Martha Kauppi discuss how to ethically and effectively work with consensual non-monogamy (CNM), offering practical insights on communication strategies, and addressing bias in therapy. Throughout the conversation, they share their own lived experiences, and outline how you can build clinical competence—and gain confidence—when working with expanded rela...

In this episode, hosts Martha Kauppi and Dr. K. Skye Henry Smith explain how they handle issues relating to initiation, desire discrepancy, and spontaneous and responsive desire. Whether it's a thoughtful intervention, or helping partners communicate to each other in respectful ways, there are a variety of positive solutions at clinicians' disposal. Use code UNTANGLINGINTIMACY to unlock 10% off "C...

Hosts Dr. K. Skye Henry Smith and Martha Kauppi explore navigating boundaries when clients seek friendship—or more—with their therapist. Practical strategies, ethics guidance, and real-world scenarios all help illustrate how to compassionately handle a fraught circumstance. Use code UNTANGLINGINTIMACY to unlock 10% off "Consensual Non-Monogamy Level 1: Clinical Skills and Interventions" and indivi...

Hosts Dr. K. Skye Henry Smith and Martha Kauppi probe the complexity of sexual pain in a discussion that covers how simple questions can uncover serious medical or relational issues, and how to compassionately offer support to clients who are experiencing a pattern of unwanted sexual pain. Use code UNTANGLINGINTIMACY to unlock 10% off "Consensual Non-Monogamy Level 1: Clinical Skills and Intervent...

In this episode, hosts Dr. K. Skye Henry Smith and Martha Kauppi unpack what pleasure really means—the physiology of touch, the emotional and relational pieces, and so much more. Whether navigating common blocks, emphasizing embodiment, or underscoring the importance of small sensory moments, "Centering Pleasure: From Shame to Embodiment" offers insights on understanding, embracing, and effectivel...

In this special episode, hosts Dr. K. Skye Henry Smith and Martha Kauppi go over interventions that were—or could be—applied to a real-life client scenario involving a couple with differing perspectives on an instance involving permission, consent, and self-pleasure.  ⁠ Free training in Martha Kauppi's first-session sex issues assessment:  ⁠https://www.instituteforrelationalintimacy.com/brief-asse...

In this episode, hosts Dr. K. Skye Henry Smith and Martha Kauppi cover how effective communication can unlock meaningful, productive results. ⁠ Free training in Martha Kauppi's first-session sex issues assessment:  ⁠https://www.instituteforrelationalintimacy.com/brief-assessment ⁠ Join the ATSIP waitlist here and be the first to know when the course opens for signups:  ⁠https://www.instituteforrel...

Hosts Martha Kauppi and Dr. K. Skye Henry Smith discuss the importance of clear, controllable goals, and how they can improve relationships.  Free training in Martha Kauppi's first-session sex issues assessment:  https://www.instituteforrelationalintimacy.com/brief-assessment Join the ATSIP waitlist here and be the first to know when the course opens for signups:  https://www.instituteforrelationa...