Hey ladies! Have you ever experienced a decrease in desire for sex? Or, have you experienced pain associated with sex, preventing you from enjoying it? Or have you ever had a wandering mind (like thinking about what you’re going to make for dinner tomorrow, or setting up a playdate for your kids) that has left you completely not present during sex? If any of this is familiar to you, you’re not alone! In this week’s episode, I talk with Dr. Lori Brotto, a clinical psychologist and sex researcher who has helped women understand their normative and adoptive changes in their sex response so that more pleasurable and enjoyable sex is available to them. She shares her research in which women’s body are positively responding to sexual stimuli with a higher arousal than what is self-reported. This mind/body disconnect can be the result from a myriad of causes such as negative self-talk, chronic stress or fatigue, depression or anxiety, illness, trauma or unhealthy relationships. The solution to creating more synchronicity between the mind and body is mindfulness practice. If you are someone who has ever struggled with sex, then this episode is for you!
About Lori: Dr. Lori Brotto is a Professor in the UBC Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, where she holds a Canada Research Chair in Women’s Sexual Health. In this role, she is focused on developing safe, effective, and accessible treatments to address highly prevalent sexual concerns in women. She is especially interested in equity issues and as such has increasingly focused on digital health technologies to ensure that more women have access to treatments.
Dr. Brotto is also the Executive Director for the Women’s Health Research Institute—one of only three institutes in Canada devoted to advancing research in women’s health. In this role she supports nearly 500 members across the province to collectively advance our knowledge in all domains of women’s health.
Given the known barriers that women experience in getting accurate health information, Dr. Brotto is also frequently featured in the media, radio, and features in a recent Netflix series, The Principles of Pleasure. She also has two books focused on mindfulness and sexual health (2018 & 2022).
Dr. Brotto believes in the importance of personal story and lived experience in shaping science. As such, she maintains an active practice as a Registered Psychologist where she sees a variety of individuals who want to improve their sex lives.
She is a strong advocate for empowering women to take on leadership roles, and will jump at the chance to speak with young women about pursuing a career in science, technology, engineering, and medicine.
