Our Better Half

This week, we visited Gazebo Intimates, for a conversation with Donna McNeight, Co-Owner and Licensed Mastectomy Fitter, and Certified Post-Mastectomy Fitter, Linda Lawton-Jacobson. Both work to support clients of all ages and experiences with breast cancer.  You can get in touch with Gazebo by visiting http://www.the-gazebo.com/ or calling (413) 584-6673.

On today’s show, we are thrilled to welcome Dr. Sabitha Pillai-Friedman, a couples and sex therapist, an Associate Professor at the Center for Human Sexuality Studies at Widener University, and the lead author of two recent journal articles you might like. The first is on becoming a kink-aware sexuality professional and the other is about women and breast cancer survivorship: Pillai-Friedman, S., Pollitt, J. L., & Castaldo, A. (2015). Becoming kink-aware–a necessity for sexuality professionals. Sexual and Relationship Therapy, 30(2), 196-210. doi.10.1080/14681994.2014.975681 Pillai-Friedman, S., & Ashline, J. L. (2014). Women, breast cancer survivorship, sexual losses, and disenfranchised grief–a treatment model for clinicians. Sexual and Relationship Therapy, 29(4), 436-453. doi.10.1080/14681994.2014.934340 You can reach Dr. Pillai-Friedman at: www.rittenhouserelationshiptherapy.com. If you like our show, you can subscribe by sending us your email. We love our listeners and welcome your feedback. You

On this show, we gave our listeners tips on how to make the most of online dating. If you like our show, if you have new ideas for topics or surveys, you can subscribe by sending us your email. We love our listeners and welcome your feedback. Please like us and rate us and find us on social media. And please write to us at this address. Thanks for listening!

On today’s show, we are thrilled to welcome Dr. Philip Rutter. Phil has been a Psychologist in private practice and an Associate Professor at the Center for Human Sexuality Studies for almost 10 years. In his clinical role, he sees individuals, couples, and families and has many older gay male clients. If you are interested in any of the articles we discussed: Camarena, J. and Rutter, P. (2015). Decolonizing sex: A multicultural and gay affirmative approach to counseling with African American and Latino men who have sex with men. Journal of GLBT Counseling, 9(1), 57-68. doi: 10.1080/15538605.2014.997330 Diamond, L. M. (2008). Sexual fluidity. Harvard University Press. Fuller, K. A., & Rutter, P. A. (2018). Perceptions of parental acceptance or rejection: How does it impact LGB adult relationship quality and satisfaction?. Journal of GLBT Family Studies, 14(4), 317-336. doi: 10.1080/1550428X.2017.1347077 If you’re in the Philadelphia area and you’re interested in seeing Dr. Rutter, you can reach him at www

This episode originally aired July 19th, 2017. We’re not going to lie, this episode started out with Ashley and Jane taking the whole idea of sensuality to a new level, dipping fruit into warm chocolate sauce with sea salt. That got them thinking about all the ways food can enrich and enliven your sexual life. They started with the ABC’s of erotic foods but got sidetracked as the chocolate sauce started dripping. Before they lost consciousness, they started with some of the latest research on sex and aging.

On today’s show, we are thrilled to welcome Dr. Anita Hoffer. Anita has been involved in sexuality and aging issues for many years. A retired Harvard Medical School Associate Professor, researcher, and reproductive biologist, she now teaches workshops addressing female sexuality, older women’s sexual concerns, and sexual literacy, counsels individuals and couples, and lectures to health care providers about the sexual needs of older adults. If you’re in the Boston area and you’d like to see Dr. Hoffer, you can reach her at aphoffer@earthlink.net. If you like our show, you can subscribe by sending us your email. We love our listeners and welcome your feedback. Please write to us at this address. And thanks for listening!

On this show, we gave our listeners tips on how to make the best out of winter and updates on what is hot in our work right now.

Today’s guest is Bob Linscott, one of the country’s leading advocates on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) aging. He’s the Assistant Director of the LGBT Aging Project at the Fenway Institute in Boston. His work with LGBT older adults is profiled in an award-winning film, Gen Silent. Bob was so generous with his time and knowledge for our listeners.

On this show, we gave our listeners tips on how to enjoy the holidays and make them as un-stressful as possible. If you like our show or if you have new ideas for topics or surveys, you can subscribe by sending us your email. We love our listeners and welcome your feedback. Please write to us at this address. And thanks for listening!

Today’s guest is Lanie Delphin, one of the founders of Mass Match, a dating and matchmaking service for singles which started in Western Massachusetts and now goes far beyond the original area. An old-fashioned matchmaker blessed with new technology, Delphin provides service to everyone, whatever their sexual orientation might be. She knows it’s not easy to find love in this world but after speaking with her, we think her organization, Mass Match, can help. If you like our show, you can subscribe by sending us your email. We love our listeners and welcome your feedback. Please write to us at this address. And thanks for listening!

Today we report on the results of our latest survey, Finding a Sexual Partner as an Older Adult. Thanks so much to all of you who participated in this survey. Most of the respondents were in their 70s. The complete demographic breakdown looked like this: 50-59 years old 29.2% 60-69 years old 24.3% 70-79 years old 37.5% 80-89 years old 20.9% 90+ years old 4.2% We got responses from 75% women and 25% men with no other genders identified. we also noticed that there were no men over the age of 74 responding. You’ll have to give a listen to hear the outstanding comments we received from you, our listeners.

Today’s episode features Dr. Jenni Skyler, an AASECT certified sex therapist, board certified sexologist, and a licensed marriage and family therapist. She has been the Director of The Intimacy Institute for sex and relationship therapy in Boulder, Colorado for over nine years. She is the in-house expert at Adam & Eve -- use the promo code BETTER for your discount

Ashley and Jane analyze recent news, break down a new study and introduce their latest survey.   

Dr. Zelaika Hepworth Clarke is a sexosopher, sexual epistemologist, cultural and clinical sexologist, sexecologist, African-centered social worker, and decolonizing autoethnographer. She is on the faculty of the California Institute for Advanced Study of Human Sexuality. She’s studied internationally in Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, Trinidad, Jamaica, Netherlands, Spain, and Cuba. You can reach her by email at zelaika@gmail.com or through social media at https://www.facebook.com/Dr.Zelaika/ or https://twitter.com/zelaikac. If you like our show, please subscribe by sending us your email. We love our listeners and welcome your feedback. Please write to us at this address. And thanks for listening!  

Today’s episode features Jane’s conversation with Dr. Vivienne Cass, a clinical psychologist for over 25 years, the person behind the Cass Lesbian and Gay Identity Model, the developer of the Illustrated Clitoris, the author of The Elusive Orgasm, an app creator of Explore Women’s Sex, a lecturer on sexology and sexual therapy, and so much more. You can find out more about Dr. Cass on her website here.

Amy Dickinson from Gazebo Intimates treats Ashley to her first bra fitting. It turns out to be so helpful and a lot of fun. No body-shaming and no guilt. They fit all sorts of bodies. Just pure pleasure and expert advice. You can find out more at http://the-gazebo.com/ or drop by for your own fitting at 14 Center Street, downtown Northampton, MA.

Aisha-Sky Gates is a relationship coach for people in alternative lifestyle or designer relationships. What's that mean? Maybe they’re kinky, polyamorous, queer, swinging, or something else. She’s written a new book called Unequal Partnerships: A Dating Guide for Loving Non-Egalitarian Relationships and you can buy it here: https://aishaskygates.com/about-book/

Our Better Half returns Sunday, September 2nd with a new season. Stay tuned for some of our best interviews yet! Plus, Jane and Ashley take a field trip.   

Jane and Ashley recount what they learned in Season 2. Plus, some tips to take with you on vacation or add to the mix of your normal routine. 

This week, Ashley and Jane take a field trip to 50/50 Fitness Nutrition to talk to personal trainer, Jay McWilliams, about exercises for functional fitness. Plus a live workout!