Podcast · Learning

Conversations with Dr. Jennifer

by Dr. Jennifer Finlayson-Fife · English · Learning

Dr. Jennifer Finlayson-Fife is a sex and relationship expert who has been interviewed for hundreds of podcasts–and now you can access all the amazing content covering issues of faith, sexuality, integrity, belonging, and more right here on the interview archive! Dr. Jennifer Finlayson-Fife is an

New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 51 min
Latest: 13 Oct 2026
Language: English

Latest episode

13 Oct 2026 · 41 minNew

Creating a Soulful Marriage

**SAVE $200 on our upcoming workshops and retreats (use code JFF200)** An intimate marriage asks us to let our spouse see all of us, not just the good parts. It takes a willingness to be known and the courage to know our spouse as they actually are. It’s not for the faint of heart, but it’s what’s required to create an honest, soulful connection with our partner. In this NEW episode, Dr. Finlayson-Fife joins Dr. Dave and Dr. Liz of the Stronger Marriage Connection podcast to talk about her book, That We Might Have Joy. They discuss why intimacy is so challenging, why “never say no” is…

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Earlier episodes 29 most recent

29 Sep 2026 · 24 min
Growth Through Adversity
No one hopes for a marital crisis. But it's not uncommon for couples who emerge from one to look back and see it as the catalyst for a more mature, more alive partnership. Adversity and disappointment pressure us to face what's true, and while that rarely feels good, it's what allows us to become more solid, more knowable, and more capable of real intimacy. In this NEW episode, Dr. Finlayson-Fife joins Jen Banks of the A is for Adversity podcast to talk about how adversity refines character, why intimacy takes more courage than most of us expect, and how the way we handle not getting what we…
22 Sep 2026 · 58 min
Let's Talk About Pornography | Q&A with Dr. Jennifer
Pornography brings up a lot of feelings on both sides, and most of that charge comes from the meanings we attach to it, not the behavior itself. Much of this tension is the result of a culture that taught many of us to treat sexuality with fear rather than understanding. That fear tends to show up as shame, and shame doesn't make porn use go away, it just makes it harder to face honestly, ultimately fueling more anxiety, rigidity, and compulsivity. In this NEW episode, Dr. Finlayson-Fife answers listener questions about pornography, touching on why trying to control a spouse's use tends to…
16 Sep 2026 · 47 min
Trauma & The Sexual Self
Past trauma doesn't just stay in the past. It can show up in our relationship in unexpected, inconvenient, and disheartening ways. Desire can disappear without warning. Old distress can resurface years after we thought we'd made peace with it. Our instinct is often to judge ourselves for the ways that our past trauma impacts us, but judgment only pushes desire further away. Understanding does the opposite. It gives us something to work with instead of something to fight. In this episode, Dr. Finlayson-Fife joins Kendra Nielson of the Fulfillment Therapy podcast to talk about how shame and…
4 Sep 2026 · 32 min
What About Sex for Older LDS Singles?
Sexual standards set by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints seem clear — no sex before marriage, total fidelity during marriage. Guidelines for sexual activity are set out for young Latter-day Saints in publications like “For the Strength of Youth.” But what about older singles who have never wed or those whose marriages end in divorce or death? How do they then navigate the possibility of intimacy? In this episode, Dr. Jennifer Finlayson-Fife joins Peggy Fletcher Stack and David Noyce of the Mormon Land Podcast to address older singles and how they can navigate the complex…
2 Sep 2026 · 42 min
Growing Beyond Duty Sex [Remix!]
LABOR DAY SALE - BOGO 50% OFF Full-Length Courses Strong marriages require two partners who are willing to tolerate discomfort in order to increase their capacity for real intimacy. Leaning into the discomfort that comes from being exposed and known sexually can be particularly dysregulating. It takes a lot of courage to take ownership of who you are and what you desire and then to share that most intimate part of yourself with your spouse. Today we are re-releasing this popular podcast from the archive. In it, Dr. Finlayson-Fife joins Dr. Corey Allan of the Sexy Marriage Radio Podcast to…
25 Aug 2026 · 33 min
Motes and Beams | Self-Deception and Marital Growth
Most of us are far more aware of our spouse's flaws than our own. It’s easy for us outline exactly what they're doing wrong while staying strangely unaware of our own part in the very pattern we're complaining about. This kind of self-deception may feel protective, but when we stay focused on our spouse instead of ourselves, we keep our marriage from growing. In this NEW episode, Dr. Finlayson-Fife joins Dr. Corey Allan of Sexy Marriage Radio to talk about her book, That We Might Have Joy. They discuss why changing a marriage is about behavior, not ideas, the higher and lower desire dynamic,…
18 Aug 2026 · 58 min
When Love Hurts | Painful Intercourse Q&A
Pain during sex is far more common than most people realize, and once the body learns to associate intimacy with pain, it can keep protecting itself long after the original cause is gone. That protection can look like flinching at a touch, bracing before closeness, or a body that pulls away before the mind even understands why. Understanding why the body holds onto pain, and what actually supports progress, can make a real difference for those who feel the pain and the partners who love them. In this NEW podcast Q&A, Dr. Finlayson-Fife joins Jess Seitz, a trauma-informed pelvic floor…
11 Aug 2026 · 52 min
The Silent Treatment | Withdrawal, Punishment, and Control
Sometimes a partner goes quiet because they're overwhelmed and trying to find their footing in the conversation. Other times, silence is a strategy, a way to make a spouse squirm and bend until the relationship settles back into its old, immature rhythm. There's a real difference between going quiet in conflict and the silent treatment, and knowing which one you're up against changes how you respond. In this episode, Dr. Finlayson-Fife uses listener questions to unpack the difference between disengaging to self-regulate and using silence to punish, and what it looks like to stay grounded and…
1 Aug 2026 · 26 min
Tener Sexo vs. Hacer el amor [Having Sex vs Making Love]
We've received many requests over the years to offer Dr. Finlayson-Fife's resources in other languages. Miriam Parkin has generously offered her time and talent to translate episodes for us and we will add them to the feed as they come in (in addition to our regular podcast production schedule). You can listen to the original "Having Sex vs Making Love" podcast HERE. _________ En este episodio, Dan Purcell, del podcast *Get Your Marriage On*, le pide a la Dra. Finlayson-Fife su perspectiva sobre la diferencia entre tener sexo y hacer el amor, así como sobre lo que las parejas pueden hacer…
28 Jul 2026 · 44 min
Desire & Devotion
Many of us grew up believing spirituality is the obedient, contained part of ourselves and sexuality is the unruly part that has to be reined in. But the two actually develop along the same path. We start in fear, trying to follow the rules we were given, and with maturity we move into something more integrated, more our own. That shift can feel like something is going wrong, but it's actually how we find our way to our own integrity, in both our sexuality and our spirituality. In this episode, Dr. Finlayson-Fife joins Dr. Heidi Hastings of the Marriage IQ podcast to explore how sexual and…
14 Jul 2026 · 47 min
When Attraction Fades (or was never there...) | Q&A with Dr. Jennifer
Attraction isn't just about chemistry. It's tied to meaning, and meaning can change. In a long-term marriage, what we find desirable in a spouse is shaped less by biology and more by the meanings underlying the relationship. When those meanings shift, desire shifts with them — leaving you either pulling away from a spouse you once desired, or trying to make sense of one who's pulled away from you. In this episode, Dr. Finlayson-Fife answers listener questions about attraction, touching on how to build desire in a marriage where it wasn't there to begin with, what it means when a spouse…
7 Jul 2026 · 1 hr 5 min
High Achievers and Marriage
Join us in NEW ZEALAND! We like to think that proficiency at work carries over into our personal relationships, but excelling in a career and excelling in love draw on entirely different strengths. High-demand careers reward constant competence, and it feels good to have a system built around you, where people defer to you because it's their job, but a spouse sees the version of you that colleagues and patients almost never do, including your shortcomings and missteps. That exposure is uncomfortable, especially for someone used to having everything together, so many find it easier to hide in…
1 Jul 2026 · 48 min
Learning From Resentment
Resentment shows up when we've given more than we can back up, when we've gone along with something we never actually wanted, or when we've given with strings attached — hoping that giving will lead to being loved or appreciated more. But resentment is more than just a feeling, it's a signal worth paying attention to. We can let our resentments smolder under the surface, or we can use them to better understand ourselves, our desires, and where we need to be more honest with ourselves and others. In this NEW podcast episode, Dr. Finlayson-Fife joins Susie Pettit of the Love Your Life Show to…
27 Jun 2026 · 1 hr 6 min
La Soledad en el Matrimonio [Loneliness in Marriage Q&A]
We've received many requests over the years to offer Dr. Finlayson-Fife's resources in other languages. Miriam Parkin has generously offered her time and talent to translate episodes for us and we will add them to the feed as they come in (in addition to our regular podcast production schedule). You can listen to the original "Loneliness in Marriage Q&A" podcast HERE. _______ Cuando nos casamos, la mayoría de nosotros imaginamos una vida plena de conexión y compañía. Sin embargo, cuando uno se siente ignorado, no elegido o decepcionado por la manera en que su cónyuge se presenta —tanto…
23 Jun 2026 · 36 min
What Parents Need to Know About Sexual Integrity
Parenting a teenager is hard enough before sexuality enters the picture. And when it does, most parents grapple with finding the balance between protection and permission, values and flexibility, structure and trust. The role you play in your child's sexual development doesn't stay fixed. It shifts as they grow, and knowing when to hold a limit and when to let go is rarely as clear as we'd like it to be. In this episode, Dr. Finlayson-Fife joins Marielle Melling of the Raising Healthy, Happy Teens Virtual Summit to discuss what sexual integrity is, why it matters for your teen's long-term…
18 Jun 2026 · 56 min
Men and Intimacy [ONE DAY SALE!]
ALL COURSES 30% OFF TODAY ONLY! code DAD30 We tend to assume men are naturally sexual, comfortable with desire, and quick to want sex. But comfort and ease are not the same thing. Many men carry a private discomfort with their own sexual nature, especially men raised in traditions where sexuality is treated as suspect. And so they look to their wife's desire to make their own sexuality feel acceptable, a dependency that hides behind the appearance of confidence. In this episode, Dr. Finlayson-Fife joins Rhonda Farr to talk about men's difficulty with their own sexuality, why higher desire…
16 Jun 2026 · 52 min
The Parent Trap | How Caretaking Kills Desire [Room for Two Preview]
Johnny is done being controlled. His faith shift made him realize just how much every decision he ever made was shaped by others — and he's not interested in that anymore. In his newfound freedom, he's been experimenting with substances in a way that's unsettling for June. When she says something about his choices, he responds like a rebellious adolescent. Staying quiet feels easier, of course, but Johnny's choices are having a real impact on her, and she's not sure where her responsibility ends and his begins. In this preview episode of Room for Two, Dr. Finlayson-Fife works with Johnny and…
10 Jun 2026 · 1 hr 13 min
Mid-Singles and Sexuality Q&A
Dating, sexuality, and romantic relationships are tricky enough when we're young — but life experience, past hurts, and complicated relationship histories add a whole new layer of complexity for those of us who are single in midlife. The simple answers and guidelines that once felt sufficient don't quite hold anymore. If it feels like the framework and guidance you were offered as a teen isn't working, it's because it was intended for someone at an entirely different stage in life. Midlife singlehood asks something more, because you've lived enough to know that life doesn't always go as…
2 Jun 2026 · 52 min
Mixed-Faith Marriages | Q&A with Dr. Jennifer
When a spouse's faith shifts, the anxiety that follows is real. Most of us want to find a way around it, so we seek reinforcement from friends, try to pressure them back into their old position, or just avoid the conversation altogether. But avoiding a difficult reality doesn't make the anxiety go away. In fact, it increases it. In this Q&A episode, Dr. Finlayson-Fife takes questions from those navigating mixed-faith marriages, including how to share where you are without demanding your spouse follow, how to stay collaborative when your worldviews have diverged, and how to raise children…
29 May 2026 · 41 min
Desarrollo y Madurez Espiritual [Developing Spiritual Maturity]
We've received many requests over the years to offer Dr. Finlayson-Fife's resources in other languages. Miriam Parkin has generously offered her time and talent to translate episodes for us and we will add them to the feed as they come in (in addition to our regular podcast production schedule). You can listen to the original "Developing Spiritual Maturity" podcast HERE. _________ Jody Moore, del podcast *Better Than Happy*, entrevista a la Dra. Finlayson-Fife sobre el tema de la madurez espiritual. En la conversación abordan:- La importancia de la madurez espiritual y cómo alcanzarla.- Cómo…
26 May 2026 · 49 min
Rethinking Obedience
All of us start out following the rules of our family or group because we want to stay safe, earn approval, or belong to something larger than ourselves. Safety and belonging are not small motivations, they're important and necessary steps on the pathway of our moral development. But obedience is the first law of heaven for a reason. It was never meant to be the final one. Obedience lays the foundation for us to grow towards something far greater: integrity. In this conversation with Larkin Swain of the Sanctuary Podcast, Dr. Finlayson-Fife walks through her three-stage framework for…
19 May 2026 · 52 min
Finding Joy
Joy is not something we stumble upon. And it's not freedom from suffering. Nor is it the same thing as happiness. Joy is the willingness to see the beauty and goodness around us, even in the midst of difficulty and loss. Joy is a disposition toward living, not a feeling that comes and goes. And developing the capacity for it takes courage. In this episode, Dr. Finlayson-Fife joins Monica Packer of the About Progress podcast to explore what joy actually requires of us, why eros love is at the heart of a marriage that stays alive, and what it means to stop trying to change your spouse and…
12 May 2026 · 55 min
Grace & Growth: Parenting Special Needs Children
Most of us enter parenthood knowing it will be both challenging and rewarding. We expect difficulty. We expect exhaustion. But what we don't expect — and what we can never be fully prepared for — is a life-altering diagnosis and the grief that follows when reality doesn't match what we had envisioned for our child and our family. In this episode, Dr. Jennifer Finlayson-Fife joins Brad Broyles and Nathan Palmer of The Polaris Connection Podcast to share more about her own experience as the mother of a son with autism. She discusses the difficulty and overwhelm she faced early on and the…
7 May 2026 · 39 min
Known and Loved | A Mother's Day Tribute
ONE DAY SALE - SAVE 30% on The Art of Desire TODAY ONLY with code MDAY30 This episode was originally recorded in 2022, when my mother was very much alive — in fact, she had just taken up ballroom dancing at 89. By the time the episode aired in 2023, she had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. How quickly things change. She passed away in early 2024 and I have been missing her ever since. My mom loved me wholeheartedly. She was present through every confident and successful moment in my life and every doubt-filled one. Her love shaped me and the work I do tremendously. My mother wasn't…
5 May 2026 · 54 min
What Marriage Asks of Us
Most of us enter marriage hoping to lock in someone who will love us, support us, and make us feel okay about ourselves — no matter what. So when friction, disagreements, and disconnection show up, it can feel like something has gone terribly wrong. But marriage wasn't designed to keep us comfortable. It was designed to pressure our growth. And the engine of that growth is conflict — the honest collision of two people who see the world differently learning to love each other and create a shared life that makes room for both of them, in all their difference. In this conversation, Dr.…
28 Apr 2026 · 24 min
Having Sex vs Making Love
The couples who approach Dr. Finlayson-Fife about sexual dissatisfaction often aren't struggling with frequency — they're struggling with meaning. The attraction, the aliveness, the passion that once came so naturally seems to have slipped away. In this NEW episode, Dan Purcell of the Get Your Marriage On Podcast asks Dr. Finlayson-Fife for her perspective on the difference between having sex and making love — and what couples can do to bring more soulfulness to their sexual relationship. LAST CALL FOR SWITZERLAND — Learn more HERE! (Sales close on May 2nd)
19 Apr 2026 · 55 min
Sex with Soul
We tend to think of eros as strictly about sex. But in its truest meaning, eros is the human soul's longing for communion — for connection beyond ourselves. It is the impulse that draws us toward God, toward truth, toward knowing and being known by another person. Eros is what enlarges our souls. And it is also the thing we most resist — because eros requires risk. In this episode, Dr. Finlayson-Fife joins Tim and Aubrey Chaves of the Faith Matters podcast to explore the powerful ideas at the heart of That We Might Have Joy. We are re-airing this popular episode to bring attention to Dr.…
7 Apr 2026 · 56 min
Wired Differently | ADHD in Relationships Q&A
Every relationship is a negotiation between two different minds. But when one of those minds is wired differently—more impulsive, more interest-driven, or more easily overwhelmed by the gap between intention and follow-through—that negotiation can become especially complex. In this live Q&A, Dr. Finlayson-Fife is joined by ADHD coach, educator, and advocate Kamden Hainsworth to explore what neurodiversity looks like inside intimate relationships. Together, they respond to listener questions about attention, overwhelm, responsibility, and connection—and what it really takes to build a strong,…
1 Apr 2026 · 51 min
Understanding the Enneagram | Q&A with Ian Morgan Cron
We tell ourselves stories about who we are — and most of us have been telling the same ones since childhood. The Enneagram doesn't just teach us about our personality type, it exposes the story underneath it. Through the Enneagram we can learn why we cope the way we do, what we're afraid to lose, and what's possible when we're willing to loosen our grip on the narrative that's been organizing our life. In this Q&A episode, Dr. Jennifer Finlayson-Fife is joined by bestselling author, psychotherapist, and Enneagram teacher Ian Morgan Cron to explore how the Enneagram can transform the way we…

About Conversations with Dr. Jennifer

Conversations with Dr. Jennifer is a English learning podcast from Dr. Jennifer Finlayson-Fife. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.

Publisher: Dr. Jennifer Finlayson-Fife
Language: English
Category: Learning
New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 51 min
Latest episode: 13 Oct 2026
Feed: RSS — paste into any podcast app
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1479472319
Rights: 247998

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