Our Better Half

Our guest today is Tyler Buchiero. Tyler is a licensed clinical social worker and AASECT certified sex therapist. He earned his master’s degree from the Greater Rochester Collaborative program and currently also works for the University of Rochester in their older adult service. He has a particular interest in working with individuals struggling with sexual functioning problems, as well as intimacy issues and LGBTQ related concerns. Tyler works through the lens that the understanding and intervention in these complex life experiences is driven by the strength of the therapeutic relationship; as he says in the episode, “What is shame but the story that we're telling ourselves?” To that end, safety is foundational to all treatment, as is the pursuit of the emotional truth of the situation. He uses multiple therapeutic approaches and discusses one that he has developed an interest in while working with older clients -- acceptance and commitment therapy. If you’d like to learn more about Tyler, check out his webs

We are delighted to welcome Dr. Gretchen Frey back to the podcast. We first interviewed Gretchen right after she retired from her specialty in Obstetrics and Gynecology. She practiced Gynecology from 2010 until 2021. She is now completely retired from clinical practice focusing primarily on sexuality education. ​Sabitha and Jane taught a pre-conference seminar with Gretchen a few years ago with another colleague and had a great time working together! During her years of working as a physician, she developed special expertise in treating older adults and saw many patients with formerly undiagnosed sexually transmitted infections or STIs. A number of our listeners have asked us to focus more on this area so we asked Gretchen to come back and talk with us about STIs. She talks with Sabitha and Jane about STIs and focuses specifically on Herpes Simplex Virus. She provides us with a common sense approach to testing, treatment, and the difficult issue of shame. If you’d like to learn more about Dr. Frey, check out

Our guest this time is Dr. Pebble Kranz from the Rochester Center for Sexual Wellness. She is a Family Medicine doctor with a background in theater who now specializes in sexual medicine. Mentored by a beloved sex therapist, the late Gina Ogden, she has been trained in sexual medicine through the European Society of Sexual Medicine and became a Fellow of the European Committee on Sexual Medicine (FECSM) in 2018. Because one training program is never enough, she also has trained with the International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health (ISSWSH), the American Association of Sexuality Counselors Educators and Therapists (AASECT), and the World Professional Association on Transgender Health (WPATH) where she is pursuing certification in gender-affirming medical care. Dr. Kranz founded the Rochester Center for Sexual Wellness with her husband Dan Rosen, a sex therapist and supervisor in 2017. They see patients and clients of all genders and also do training for therapists interested in becoming sex the

Our guest this time is Rev. Jennifer Brower, Certified Life Coach, semi-retired Unitarian Universalist minister, and Fellow in Thanatology. We talk with her about death, dying, and bereavement and their links to sexuality. She works with people who are navigating significant life transitions. Some are joyful, like marriage, and others, like mourning a death or loss, are not. Rev. Jennifer Brower is a native of Manhattan, a graduate of Union Theological Seminary in New York City and, with her one child off to college, she has just become an empty nester. Rev. Jennifer Brower was also one of the ministers in Rosara’s home UU congregation and she performed the ceremony where Rosara chose a godmother, Rosara’s wedding, and both of Rosara’s children's naming and dedication ceremonies. Join us for an enlightening conversation on death and sex. Listeners, check out our Rev. Jennifer Brower's website, Instagram, and Facebook pages. And if you are interested in end-of-life choices in New York State or Associations for

Erica Berger-Hausthor is a native New Yorker who practices Elder Law in New York and Florida. She assists clients with planning, preparation, and execution of estate planning documents, drafting petitions and motions for probate and estate administration, and long-term care asset protection planning. Erica is committed to supporting people with their unique needs and concerns by providing personalized, caring, and holistic counsel. Erica is a member of the New York State Bar Association Elder Law and Special Needs Section and Trust and Estates Law Section as well as the Florida Bar Elder Law Section and Real Property, Probate, and Trust Law Section. She received a Bachelor of Science in Human Development from Binghamton University and earned her JD degree from the City University of New York School of Law. You can learn more about Erica and her work on her website, and if you would like to learn more about SAGE and the resources they offer, check out their website as well! If you want to catch up on other sh

Our guest this time is Carrie Baker, the Baumann professor of American Studies and Chair of the Program for the Study of Women and Gender at Smith College. Dr. Baker is a lawyer and has a Ph.D. in women’s studies from Emory University. She teaches courses and writes on gender, law, and public policy; feminist social movements; reproductive justice; sexual harassment, and feminist public writing. She is also a co-founder of the Five College Program in Reproductive Health, Rights, and Justice. Dr. Baker is a regular writer and contributing editor at Ms. Magazine, has a monthly column in the Daily Hampshire Gazette, and a monthly radio show, called Feminist Futures, on WHMP in Northampton. If you would like to learn more about Dr. Baker’s work you can read her articles in Ms. Magazine here! And if you want to catch up on other shows, just visit our website and please subscribe! We love our listeners and welcome your feedback, so if you love Our Better Half, please give us a 5-star rating and follow us on Faceboo

Dr. Adrienne N. Williams is a Colorado native living in Atlanta, GA by way of Philadelphia, PA. She is a licensed clinical social worker and an AASECT-certified clinical sex therapist and in private practice, her goal is to dismantle stigma and shame about mental health and sex in our society. Using an intersystems approach, she provides individual therapy, couples counseling, sex therapy, workshops, and life path mapping. Her clinical philosophy is rooted in developing authentic relationships with the people she serves by providing an open and safe therapeutic environment. Dr. Williams is a lecturer at Columbia University School of Social Work, teaching courses in Human Sexuality, Gender and Sexuality, Racial Identity Development, and Power, Race, Oppression, and Privilege. Additionally, she teaches graduate students in the School for Health and Human Services at Widener University teaching Sexual Dysfunctions. Dr. Williams facilitates weekly wellness groups – one for Black folx, one for LGBTQIA+ folx – fo

Our guest this time is Tiff Cagle, MD, CSC. Dr. Cagle is a board-certified family medicine physician, sex educator, sex counselor, and certified coach from Durham, North Carolina. She is the founder of Sensate Health, a virtual clinic providing medical consultations for sexual concerns at sensatehealthnc.com. She received her medical degree from UNC, where she first discovered her passion for sex-positivity while providing HIV testing and counseling. She went on to complete her residency training at Duke University Hospital with a concentration in Law, Ethics, and Health Policy, and she now holds a consulting position providing resident education in Duke’s Department of Community and Family Medicine. She chose to specialize in family medicine because of her desire to provide care through the lens of each person’s mind, body, relationships, and community, and she’s delighted to bring this holistic approach to her work in sexual health. If you’re interested in Dr. Tiff Cagle’s information on how to avoid gettin

Our guest today is Dr. Abel Knochel! Dr. Knochel (they/them pronouns) is an Associate Professor in the University of Minnesota Duluth Social Work Department. Abel teaches undergraduate and graduate students about socially just, anti-oppressive practice with groups, organizations and communities. They research aging among transgender and nonbinary people and co-facilitate a monthly online Trans, Nonbinary, and Bigender (TNB) Elders Social Club.   While the Social Club is based in Minnesota, they welcome all gender expansive people aged 55 and above. Contact TNBElders@gmail.com to join in!   And if you want to catch up on other shows, just visit our website and please subscribe! We love our listeners and welcome your feedback, so if you love Our Better Half, please give us a 5-star rating and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. It really helps support our show!   As always, thanks for listening!

Hey listeners! It’s Jane here with great news. We got picked up for Season 9! Can you believe it? And starting in just 2 weeks, we’ve got a line-up of guests who will educate you, entertain you, and inform you on everything you’ll need to know about sex in the second half of life.  We’ve also got a new sponsor this year, Hot Octopuss, and you’ll be hearing from them and a few of their products for older bodies along with a whole team of remarkable sponsors supporting us all the way: The Center for Human Sexuality Studies  at Widener University Gazebo  Sex Coach U That Drawer Uberlube We couldn’t do it without them either! So find us wherever you get your favorite podcasts or subscribe today at www.ourbetterhalf.net.  See you in season 9!   And if you want to catch up on other shows, just visit our website and please subscribe! We love our listeners and welcome your feedback, so if you love Our Better Half, please give us a 5-star rating and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. It really helps sup

Hey listeners! While our co-hosts are away on vacation this summer (doing who knows what!), we are thrilled to present you with an archived episode. One of our favorite interviews from this season is back. So sit back and enjoy!   We’re delighted to welcome back the wonderful Rev. Dr. Gregory C. Carrow-Boyd, a Unitarian Universalist Minister of Religious Education who received his EdD from the University of Southern California Rossier School of Education. He serves on the General Assembly Advisory Council of the Unitarian Universalist Association. Rev. Dr. Carrow-Boyd is a sexuality and racial justice educator in the greater Los Angeles and metro O’ahu areas. He just started as Executive Minister of Religious Education at the First Unitarian Church of Honolulu, HI.   Greg’s research interests include critical theory, social media, Black liberation theology, effective sex education for Black teens, teacher education, and adult education. Today, we are specifically inviting Rev. Dr. Carrow-Boyd back to Our Bett

Hey listeners! While our co-hosts are away on vacation this summer (doing who knows what!), we are thrilled to present you with an archived episode. One of our favorite interviews from this season is back. So sit back and enjoy!   Our guest this time is Dr. Mark Levand, a sexuality educator and researcher who has spent many deep and reflective years in the church. He’s passionate about training future sexuality educators through his deep interests in sexuality, religion, and diversity. Take a listen. It’s a terrific episode and we had a great time talking all things religion and sex with him.   Dr. Levand has a Ph.D. in Human Sexuality Studies from Widener University and a Master’s in theology and religious studies from John Carroll University. Among other publications, he has recently published on matters of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church in the National Catholic Reporter and about Catholic Theology and Sexuality Education in the Journal of Theology & Sexuality. Mark has received awards for his coll

Hey listeners! While our co-hosts are away on vacation this summer (doing who knows what!), we are thrilled to present you with an archived episode. One of our favorite interviews from this season is back. So sit back and enjoy!   Dr. Bill Stayton is a psychologist, sexologist, and theologian. After serving as a pastor, hospital chaplain, and seminary faculty member, he was a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, Widener University, and Morehouse School of Medicine. He received a Gold Medal Award from the World Association for Sexual Health for promoting dialogue with religion and medicine about sexuality. Go check out Bill's new book, Sinless Sex: A Challenge to Religions, on his website!   If you like our show or have any questions contact us here at our website, and you can subscribe to our podcast any way you'd like. We love our listeners and welcome your feedback, so if you love Our Better Half, please give us a 5-star rating and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. It really helps support our sho

Hey listeners! While our co-hosts are away on vacation this summer (doing who knows what!), we are thrilled to present you with an archived episode. One of our favorite interviews from this season is back. So sit back and enjoy!   Join Rosara, Sabitha, and Jane for a wonderful discussion about sex therapy in the Jewish Orthodox community with Talli Rosenbaum, an individual and couple therapist, and Certified Sex Therapist and Supervisor. She co-hosts her own podcast, Intimate Judaism (which is fantastic!) and is co-author of the book “I am For My Beloved: A Guide to Enhanced Intimacy for Married Couples,”  and co-edited “The Overactive Pelvic Floor.”    She has authored over 40  journal articles and several book chapters on sexual pain disorders, sexual health, unconsummated marriage, and sexuality and Judaism and is an associate editor of the Sexual Medicine Reviews. Before training in psychotherapy, Talli treated patients as a physical therapist for 25 years. In addition to maintaining an active private p

This is it, listeners, our last episode for the season. We have been having a blast this year bringing you fascinating, captivating, and inspiring conversations with some of the best thinkers in the field of sexuality and aging. And now it’s time for us to take a well-needed break for the summer. But don’t worry, we’ve still got some great shows we’re bringing back from our archives so you can still listen all summer!   And if you want to catch up on other shows, just visit our website and please subscribe! We love our listeners and welcome your feedback, so if you love Our Better Half, please give us a 5-star rating and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. It really helps support our show!   As always, thanks for listening!

Hey listeners! This is our last new episode of the season before we take a break for the summer and we are delighted to end our season with a fantastic guest. Dr. Patti Britton! Dr. Britton is a nationally board-certified Clinical Sexologist and is known as the “Mother of Sex Coaching.” She’s the author of hundreds of articles, book chapters, forewords, and five major books in sexology. Dr. Patti is a popular speaker to consumers and a seasoned professional trainer for her peers. She has also hosted over 40 DVD programs on couples’ sexual enhancement, with appearances on over 200 television shows, and over 350 interviews for radio, podcasts, summits, and media such as Cosmopolitan, Men’s Health, Women’s Health, Oprah’s O Magazine, and many more.    Dr. Patti specializes in serving individuals and couples, especially the boomer generation, who are seeking sexual wellness and pleasure. She is known for her holistic approach to sexual healing and has a private practice in Los Angeles and online via Zoom worldwid

We’re delighted to welcome back the wonderful Rev. Dr. Gregory C. Carrow-Boyd, a Unitarian Universalist Minister of Religious Education who received his EdD from the University of Southern California Rossier School of Education. He serves on the General Assembly Advisory Council of the Unitarian Universalist Association. Rev. Dr. Carrow-Boyd is a sexuality and racial justice educator in the greater Los Angeles and metro O’ahu areas. He just started as Executive Minister of Religious Education at the First Unitarian Church of Honolulu, HI.   Greg’s research interests include critical theory, social media, Black liberation theology, effective sex education for Black teens, teacher education, and adult education. Today, we are specifically inviting Rev. Dr. Carrow-Boyd back to Our Better Half to discuss the findings of his dissertation research.   Find out more about Rev. Dr. Carrow-Boyd's work at https://uuhonolulu.org/.   If you like our show or have any questions contact us here at our website, and you can su

Sex therapist, Dr. Bat Sheva Marcus, has dedicated her career to helping women reclaim pleasure in their bodies and spirits. With nearly 25 years of experience as a clinical director of one of the largest sexual health centers in the US, she bridges the gap between the medical and psychological aspects of women's sexual health. Dr. Marcus holds a Ph.D. in Human Sexuality, a master's in public health, master's degrees in social work from Columbia University, a degree in Jewish Studies from the Jewish Theological Seminary, and to top it all off she is also a certified bariatric counselor.   In the past, Dr. Marcus has served as executive director of not-for-profit institutions and corporations, medical practices, and laboratories. She has lectured internationally on women’s issues, gives frequent Grand Rounds to health care providers, and lectures to sex therapists around the world. She has been a guest on numerous radio and television shows, including CNBC, CBS News, Huffington Post Live, and NPR, and has been

Our guest this week, Dr. Donna Oriowo LICSW, CST, is an award-winning DEI advocate, international speaker, and certified sex and relationship therapist in the Washington D.C. metro area. Dr. Donna is the owner of the private practice, AnnodRight, which specializes in working with Black women on issues related to colorism and texturism and its impacts on mental and sexual health. Dr. Donna specializes in working with Black women to feel Free, Fabulous, and F*cked! She is the author of Cocoa Butter & Hair Grease: A Self Love Journey Through Hair and Skin and the host of a weekly family meeting for Black women called In My Black Feelings. Dr. Donna collects inspiring quotes, eats donuts, loves pasta, travels to learn, gives COVID safe handshakes, warm hugs, and (figurative) knocks on the head.   Dr. Oriowo served as DEI Co-chair and Communications Steering Committee Chair for AASECT, and she is a member of the Women of Color Sexual Health Network (WOCSHN). She can be found on social media @Dr.DonnaOriowo, or

Our guest this week is Dr. Neil Cannon. Dr. Cannon is an AASECT Certified Sex Therapist & Supervisor, as well as a WPATH Certified Gender Therapist. Neil is a co-founder and the Clinical Director of The Cannon Institute. Neil is a master therapist and clinical thought leader in the field of sex therapy and supervision. Neil is one of the very few people with over 10,000 hours of sex therapy supervision experience. Neil is a contributing author in the only book dedicated exclusively to sex therapy supervision. Neil is the creator of, A Strength-Based Approach for Treating Kinky Couples and a published author on the same topic. Dr. Cannon has been involved in AASECT leadership since 2007 and currently serves as Chair of the Ethics Advisory Committee (EAC), as well as the Section Leader for Colorado. Neil is highly committed to DEI & Social Justice and Co-Founded The Sexuality Diversity Matters Supervision Scholarship Program for People of Color. Listeners, if you’d like to learn more about Dr. Cannon, p