EPISODE 4.3
Can you deeply love someone and still lose parts of yourself in the relationship?
In this episode of Let’s Talk About Sex, Really, Dr. Alisa Kriegel welcomes fellow psychologist and author Dr. Bonnie Comfort, whose memoir, Staying Married Is the Hardest Part: A Memoir of Passion, Secrets, and Sacrifice, explores the complicated realities of a marriage filled with love, emotional connection, sexual frustration, and difficult compromises.
Bonnie shares the story of her marriage to Bob, a man she adored for his humor, intelligence, and emotional connection, but with whom she experienced profound sexual differences.
What began as an effort to accommodate those differences eventually raised much deeper questions about intimacy, desire, personal boundaries, and how much of ourselves we sometimes sacrifice to keep a relationship together.
Alisa and Bonnie explore the loneliness that can exist inside an otherwise loving marriage, the impact of shame and religious upbringing on sexuality, and the complicated choices couples make when their sexual needs don’t align.
They also discuss the difference between consensual openness and a “don’t ask, don’t tell” arrangement, the role of depression in relationships, and what it means to advocate for your own needs without losing compassion for your partner.
As two psychologists who have written unusually candid memoirs, Alisa and Bonnie also reflect on the vulnerability of telling their own stories, the reactions of readers, and why women still encounter so much discomfort when speaking openly about sex.
At the heart of their conversation is a question that goes far beyond the bedroom: How do we love another person without abandoning ourselves?
It’s an intimate, thoughtful, sometimes funny conversation about marriage, sexuality, honesty, regret, and the courage to tell the whole story.
📖 Meet Dr. Bonnie Comfort and discover her memoir, Staying Married Is the Hardest Part:
https://bonniecomfort.com/
Read my story: “From Sexless Marriage to Sex Goddess, A Memoir”