Our Better Half

Gregory C. Carrow-Boyd is a Unitarian Universalist Master Credentialed Religious Educator, Aspirant for ministry, and doctoral student at the University of Southern California Rossier School of Education. He serves on the Board of Trustees of the Unitarian Universalist Association. Greg also works as the Coordinator for More Than Sex-Ed, a Greater LA-based sexuality education collective that brings comprehensive sexuality education curricula and justice, equity, diversity, inclusion, and accountability frameworks to schools, home school groups, families, educators and the greater community. Greg’s research interests include critical theory, social media, Black liberation theology, effective sex education for Black teens, teacher education, and adult education. You can find out more about Greg’s work with More Than Sex-Ed here. And if you’d like to find more shows, visit our website and please subscribe! We love our listeners and welcome your feedback. You can find us on Facebook and Twitter. Or you can write

Dr. Imani Woody is the founding director and CEO of Mary’s House for Older Adults, Inc. She has a Ph.D. in Human Services, specializing in non-profit management.  Dr. Imani has been an advocate of women, people of color and LGBT/Same Gender Loving issues for more than 20 years. Dr. Woody is a member of the National LGBT Elder Housing Initiative, and presented on LGBT housing issues at the White House. She is currently the Executive Director of Mary’s House for Older Adults, an LGBTQ-SGL friendly organization creating welcoming environments throughout the US including its first residence providing safe and affordable communal housing for adults over 60 in Washington, DC. You can reach Dr. Woody here. During the episode, Dr. Jane Fleishman mentions a recent article that she co-authored with Dr. Imani Woody, Mandy Carter, and Miss Major Griffin-Gracy in the Journal of Black Sexuality and Relationships. Here is the citation for that piece:  Carter, M., Fleishman, J. M., Griffin-Gracy, M. M., Woody Macko, I. (2021

Our guest today is Dr. Jessica Zager, a Doctor of pelvic health physical therapy, a sex counselor, and sexuality educator. As one of five physical therapists worldwide with an AASECT certification in sex counseling, she is uniquely equipped to help her patients transcend their sexual and/or pelvic dysfunction by taking into consideration their whole selves, be it ambitions, body, mind, spirit, or relationship(s).  Her approach is sex positive, trauma-informed, kink-aware, LGTBQIA+ affirming, poly-friendly, and rooted in mindfulness and intersectional feminist theory. You can reach Dr. Zager at www.drzager.com. She’s also on Instagram @dr.jessicazager or you can email her at ask@drzager.com. And if you’d like to find more shows, visit our website and please subscribe! We love our listeners and welcome your feedback. You can find us on Facebook and Instagram and Twitter. Or you can write to us at this address.   We can’t wait to hear your thoughts. As always, thanks for listening!  

Kelly Gordon is a 31-year old entrepreneur and consultant based in the West Midlands, UK. She has Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type 3 which is a genetic disability --  meaning that she uses an electric wheelchair to get around. Kelly is currently working with Hot Octopuss as their disability lead and is creating an inclusive space that gives advice and sells products to make sex easier and more exciting for those with limited mobility and disabilities. If you want to reach out to her:  https://www.hotoctopuss.com/ Mskelgee.co.uk @mskelgee  And if you’d like to find more shows, visit our website and please subscribe! We love our listeners and welcome your feedback. You can find us on Facebook and Twitter. Or you can write to us at this address. We can’t wait to hear your thoughts. As always, thanks for listening!  

Charlie Arrowood is an attorney in New York State. They primarily provide transition-related legal services to transgender clients, including name and gender marker change assistance and guidance regarding health insurance coverage and employment matters. You can find out more about Charlie's work here:  Twitter: @ch_arrowood & @arrowood_law Instagram: @charrowood Facebook: Charlie Arrowood & Arrowood Law Charlie has a bunch of instructions on their website for changing documents (mostly NY but some federal).  Also, here are more links to some of the organizations we discuss throughout this episode.  TLDEF Name Change Project NCTE ID Documents Center And if you’d like to find more shows, visit our website and please subscribe! We love our listeners and welcome your feedback. You can find us on Facebook and Twitter. Or you can write to us at this address. We can’t wait to hear your thoughts. As always, thanks for listening!

Our guests this week are Joan Price and Jessica Drake. Joan is the pre-eminent expert on senior sex and Jessica is an award-winning filmmaker and sexuality educator. Together, they have collaborated on A Guide to Wicked Sex: Senior Sex with real people having and talking about senior sex.  You can learn more about the video here. And you can learn more about Joan here. You can follow Jessica on Instagram or Twitter.  And if you’d like to find more shows, visit our website and please subscribe! We love our listeners and welcome your feedback. You can find us on Facebook and Twitter. Or you can write to us at this address. We can’t wait to hear your thoughts. As always, thanks for listening!

On today’s episode, we are excited to welcome Dr. Lee Philips, a clinician who works with his patients to treat chronic illness and sexual dysfunction. He is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and an AASECT Certified Sex Therapist. In addition to his private practice in Washington, DC, Dr. Philips lectures around the country and is currently writing his first book, Sex & Love When You Are Sick, a project aimed at helping couples overcome shame and the sexual limitations caused by illness. He is also the host of the Sex & Chronic Illness Podcast.  If you have questions for Dr. Lee Philips or want to know more about his work, visit his website or Instagram.  And if you’d like to find more shows, visit our website and please subscribe! We love our listeners and welcome your feedback. You can find us on Facebook and Twitter. Or you can write to us at this address.We can’t wait to hear your thoughts. As always, thanks for listening!

Valentine’s Day in COVID times is going to look a bit different than other times. Our co-hosts have cooked up a little something that can help make it special. Want to wake up the neighborhood? Join us for this special gift to you, our beloved listeners. And if you’d like to find more shows, visit our website and please subscribe! We love our listeners and welcome your feedback. You can find us on Facebook and Twitter. Or you can write to us at this address. We can’t wait to hear your thoughts. As always, thanks for listening!

Dr. David Whitehead is a board-certified plastic surgeon. Dr. Whitehead is not just any plastic surgeon, though. In addition to the several areas of expertise he has developed, Dr. Whitehead is the gender affirming surgeon here on Long Island in New York, especially when it comes to genital surgeries.  You can visit his Northwell Health profile here. If you have questions for Dr. Whitehead or want to know more about his work, please contact us here. And if you’d like to find more shows, visit our website and please subscribe! We love our listeners and welcome your feedback. You can find us on Facebook and Twitter. Or you can write to us at this address.We can’t wait to hear your thoughts. As always, thanks for listening!

Today’s guest is Dr. Tracie Q. Gilbert, a Black femme sexuality educator who uses conversation to help achieve sexual wellness and healing for Black people intergenerationally. She is the founder of Thembi Anaiya (which means hope) and she is truly a gift to our world. We love talking with Dr. Gilbert and hope you’ll enjoy the show! You can find their inspirational messages on her lively Instagram page.   If you have questions for Dr. Gilbert or want to know more about her work, please contact us here. And if you’d like to find more shows, visit our website and please subscribe! We love our listeners and welcome your feedback. You can find us on Facebook and Twitter. Or you can write to us at this address.We can’t wait to hear your thoughts. As always, thanks for listening!

Nathalie Huitema-Nuijens, originally from the Netherlands, with 15 years of experience working with older adults as a sexologist and psychologist, is on a mission. She wants to discover the determinants of sexual consent capacity in older adults with dementia. It’s a fascinating topic. If you have questions for Nathalie or want to know more about her research, please contact us here. And if you’d like to find some of our earlier shows, visit our website. Please subscribe! We love our listeners and welcome your feedback. You can find us on Facebook and Twitter. Or you can write to us at this address.We can’t wait to bring you more great episodes very soon. As always, thanks for listening!

Our guest this week is Debby Herbenick, PhD, MPH and a Professor in the Indiana University School of Public Health, Director of the Center for Sexual Health Promotion. She’s a recent past-president of AASECT and an AASECT-Certified Sexuality Educator and the lead investigator of the National Survey of Sexual Health and Behavior (NSSHB), a decade-long study of the sexual attitudes and behaviors of Americans across eight decades of life. Debby has published six books about sex and love and numerous articles. Click here if you’re interested in learning more about her outstanding work. If you like our show or if you have questions, contact us here. And if you’d like to find some of our earlier shows, visit our website. Please subscribe! We love our listeners and welcome your feedback. You can find us on Facebook and Twitter. Or you can write to us at this address.We can’t wait to bring you more great episodes very soon. As always, thanks for listening!

Dr. Jane Fleishman is our wonderful co-host. Today, join Dr. Jayleen Galarza and Dr. Rosara Torrisi as they interview Jane about her book The Stonewall Generation: LGBTQ Elders on Sex, Activism, and Aging.  Jane is an award-winning sexuality professional with a PhD in Human Sexuality from the Widener University Center for Human Sexuality Studies. She conducts research, teaches classes, and writes articles. ​Jane is on a mission to promote sexual well-being to older adults in senior living communities -- whether it is an assisted living, independent living, rest home, nursing home, senior center, council on aging, or other community focused on older adults – and to the leadership and staff who work from their hearts to make seniors' lives better. Jane has an exhilarating balance of extraordinary patience and indisputable compassion. Her ability to truly listen, is clear throughout her weaving of stories together in her book, The Stonewall Generation: LGBTQ Elders on Sex, Activism, and Aging, published by Skinn

Our guest today is Dr. Peter Kanaris, PhD. Peter is an award-winning AASECT certified sex therapist on Long Island. He holds a doctorate in Clinical and School Psychology. He is a graduate Post-Doctoral Fellow of the Albert Ellis Institute in NYC where he served as a senior clinician, training supervisor and faculty member. Peter has also served as the Public Education Campaign Coordinator for the New York State Psychological Association.   Particularly important for today’s conversation, Peter has developed unique models of treatment for cyber infidelity and sexual addiction or out of control sexual behavior. Additionally, he specializes in providing ethical and expert marital therapy, couples therapy, and sex therapy for the full range of sexual issues. Click here to follow Peter's educational video series, “Psychology and You.”  You can also check out his educational guide here.  If you like our show or if you have questions, contact us. And if you’d like to find some of our earlier shows, visit our websi

We are thrilled to welcome Cyndi Darnell, an internationally renowned sex and relationship therapist and clinical sexologist originally from Australia. Her approach spans the clinical to the esoteric. She maintains a global consulting practice in NYC and online and offers insight into the quandaries of the erotic to transform fear and reclaim shame into freedom. You can learn more about her work here. If you like our show or if you have questions, contact us. And if you’d like to find some of our earlier shows, visit our website. Please subscribe! We love our listeners and welcome your feedback. You can find us on Facebook and Twitter. Or you can write to us at this address.We can’t wait to bring you more great episodes very soon. As always, thanks for listening!  

Our guest today is Ellen Barnard, owner and founder of A Woman’s Touch Sexuality Resource Center. Ellen is an AASECT Certified Sexuality Educator who has focused much of her work on aging and chronic illness. She has adopted an inclusive and welcoming, person-centered education approach with extensive resources.  You can find more information about A Woman’s Touch here where you can also find plenty of educational materials about sexuality, sexual health, and erotic toys. Follow them on Instagram!  If you like our show or if you have questions, contact us here at our website. Please subscribe! We love our listeners. Please find us on Facebook and Twitter. You can write to us at this address. And we love hearing from you.As always, thanks for listening!

Our guest today is Daniel Kaplan, a clinical social worker in gerontology and a professor at Adelphi University. His research focuses on older adults with neurological disorders and the changes they face in their lives and relationships. As the former National Director of Social Services for the Alzheimer’s Foundation, he discusses an innovative approach using poetry to spark creativity for people with dementia. Here’s a link to his research and teaching and here’s a link to the Alzheimer’s Poetry Project.  If you like our show or if you have questions, contact us here at our website. Please subscribe! We love our listeners. Please find us on Facebook and Twitter. You can write to us at this address. And we love hearing from you.As always, thanks for listening!

Our guest today is Nomi Ellenson, a boudoir photographer in New York City who is helping women reclaim the conversation about beauty in our culture. Nomi spoke about her own work, which is stunning and mentioned Lindsay Abromaitis-Smith, an artist, writer, and healer living with ALS. Join us for a fascinating discussion! We recorded this interview back in the winter of 2019 BC (before COVID). Like so many others, Nomi’s business was hit pretty hard but she’s still committed to her work and to keeping her clients safe. Want to book a session and learn more about her COVID-19 policies? You can reach her here. If you like our show or have questions, contact us here at our website. Please subscribe! We love our listeners and welcome your feedback. Please find us on Facebook and Twitter. You can write to us at this address.As always, thanks for listening!  

Great news! Our podcast has been picked up for Season Six! That means we are coming back very soon with a whole slew of great guests, surprises, and new ideas about sex and aging, so stay tuned. We’ll be back in September with a great new episode. If you like our show or if you have questions, contact us here. And if you’d like to find some of our earlier shows, visit our website. Please subscribe! We love our listeners and welcome your feedback. You can find us on Facebook and Twitter. Or you can write to us at this address.We can’t wait to bring you more great episodes very soon. As always, thanks for listening!

Summer’s really here and that means it’s hot! It’s also the end of this season of Our Better Half. Today, Rosara and Jane reminisce about some great moments this season.  While our hosts are taking some time off from the show to get rejuvenated, refreshed, and relaxed (as much as anyone can be during a pandemic), we hope you can do the same.  If you like our show or if you have questions, contact us here at our website. Please subscribe! We love our listeners and welcome your feedback. Please find us on Facebook and Twitter. You can write to us at this address.We can’t wait to bring you more great episodes next fall! As always, thanks for listening!