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Charna Cassell
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The Sensual Sessions
#131 Embody Sensuality To Stop Faking Orgasms — Charna Cassell
🔥 Get FREE guide to awaken sensuality clicking here: https://www.candiaraquel.com/awaken-sensuality 🔥 Do you fake orgasms? Discover true intimate pleasure with the tips on this episode to embody sensuality with Charna Cassell Licensed Psychotherapist. 🔥 About Charna Cassell, LMFT Trauma-Trained Psychotherapist & Sexuality Coach Charna Cassell is an LMFT, and Trauma-Trained Psychotherapist and Sexuality Coach that helps people heal and find pleasure in their bodies. For over two and half decades, first, as a sex educator and sex toy clerk at Good Vibrations located in San Francisco. Then, as a Master Somatic...
2025-05-20
49 min
Red Beard Embodiment Podcast
EP64: Beyond Talk Therapy: Transforming Trauma Through Embodied Practice with Charna Cassell
In this episode, Alex talks with Charna Cassell, a Trauma-Trained Psychotherapist and Sexuality Coach from Oakland who combines somatic coaching, bodywork, and energy medicine in her practice. Charna explains why talk therapy often fails to create change in trauma recovery, and how physical practices can transform the nervous system in ways cognitive understanding cannot.Charna shares her journey through "boundary bootcamp" at Good Vibrations and her training at the Strozzi Institute. "I really needed physical practice," she says about why ten years of talk therapy created awareness but didn't change her nervous system responses.Throughout t...
2025-05-09
48 min
LaidOPEN Podcast
Embracing Silence: The Golden Path to A More Peaceful Existence
In this episode, Charna Cassell discusses the profound topic of silence, featuring an interview with Justin Talbot Zorn and Leigh Marz, authors of 'Golden: The Power of Silence in a World of Noise.' They delve into experiences and practices from their book that encourage finding clarity and peace amidst external and internal noise. The conversation covers the political and cultural relevance of silence, its role in addressing trauma, and techniques to incorporate it into daily life. The episode concludes with an invitation to listeners to reflect on their personal relationship with silence. Show Notes 00:00...
2025-03-25
59 min
LaidOPEN Podcast
New Wave Psychotherapy: Charna Cassell In Conversation with Joseph Kramer
In this episode of the LaidOPEN Podcast, I have an in-depth conversation with my friend Joseph Kramer, Ph.D about my journey into psychotherapy and sex education. Joseph is a sexologist and ex-Jesuit is the founder of Body Electric School for Massage as well as Sexological Bodywork and a past guest of LaidOPEN Podcast. He guided a conversation where I shared my experiences working at Good Vibrations, where I educated people about sexual health and became familiar with sexological bodywork and somatic therapy. We also discuss my education at the Strozzi Institute and the impact of my t...
2024-12-17
1h 04
Healing Feeling Sh*t Show
Somatic Healing for Sexual Trauma with Charna Cassell, MFT
Join Rachel from the celebratory season of the Healing Feeling Sh*t Show which is honoring the release of Rachel's new book "Feel, Heal, & Let that Sh*t Go: Your Guide to Emotional Release & Lasting Self Love." In this season, you'll meet more experts on healing, some of the people who endorsed Rachel's book and get deeper insight into the art of Emotional Potty Training for Grown Ups. In this juicy-let it all hang out episode, you'll meet one of Rachel's favorite Somatic Healers and collegues Charna Cassell as she gives insightful, compassionate, and actionable h...
2024-12-03
1h 09
The Learn to Love Podcast
Ep 145: Living a Vibrant Life after Sexual Trauma with Charna Cassell, MFT
Why is trauma so pernicious? What is the window of tolerance? How does a somatic approach to healing differ from talk therapy? Find out the answer to these questions and more in this week's episode of The Learn to Love Podcast, where your host Zach Beach interviews the Psychotherapist and Sexuality Coach Charna Cassell on Living a Vibrant Life after Sexual Trauma For more on this episode click here: https://www.the-heart-center.com/ep-145-living-a-vibrant-life-after-sexual-trauma-with-charna-cassell/ Learn more about your guest below: Charna Cassell, an LMFT, and a Trauma-Trained Psychotherapist and Sexuality Coach, helps clients heal from trauma and find bodily...
2024-09-15
47 min
LaidOPEN Podcast
The Freedom Formula: Carving Your Path to Empowerment with Allison Guilbault
This week we welcome Licensed Therapist, Transformation Coach, and international speaker, Allison Guilbault from Notes From Your Therapist on the LaidOPEN Podcast. Allison and I explore the journey she took on her unique career path from working with the FBI and Rikers Island inmates to her current role as a therapist specializing in anxiety, trauma, and sex/intimacy in New Jersey. We discuss Allison's experiences in forensic psychology, her transition to private practice, and her passion for helping clients overcome shame and build confidence. The episode delves into the challenges of navigating significant career changes, personal relationships, a...
2024-08-13
54 min
LaidOPEN Podcast
Redemption, Bravery, and Forgiveness featuring Christian Branscombe
In this incredibly moving episode of LaidOPEN Podcast, Charna engages in a powerful discussion with Christian Branscombe, who, after being sentenced to life in prison for murder, transformed his life through meditation, reading, and community healing initiatives. This profound experience led him to become an advocate for transformative justice and healing initiatives in the prison system and beyond. Together they delve into Christian's transformative journey and his work developing prison programs to provide healing. Christian also recounts an emotional courtroom experience highlighting the power of forgiveness in healing from trauma. A key focus in this ep...
2024-07-30
1h 07
The Embodiment Coaching Podcast
Sexual Trauma Green Flags - with Charna Cassell
Therapist and sexuality coach Charna joins me to talk Healing Sex, Staci Haines, somatics, trauma, PTSD, Good Vibrations, armouring, bodywork, boundaries, Love Island, p*n, “green flags”, online offerings, her podcast, d*k pics, and more! A deep but fun and useful one for all. Find more about Charna here: https://passionatelife.org/ and www.charnacassell.com ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Charna Cassell, an LMFT, and a Trauma-Trained Psychotherapist and Sexuality Coach, helps clients heal from trauma and find bodily joy, emotional regulation, vitality, and hope. For over two decades, first, as a sex ed...
2024-07-23
49 min
LaidOPEN Podcast
After The Rainbow: Healing Harmonies with Amy MacClain & Molly Kittle
Join us on LaidOPEN Podcast as we dive into the world of transformational theatre and healing practices with my sometimes co-host Amy MacClain and her creative partner Molly Kittle. Discover the magic of the collaborative work that’s resulted in their highly anticipated mid-life musical “After The Rainbow,” which will be debuting at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival this summer. Together Molly and Amy discuss their transformational musical about overcoming trauma and finding purpose while detailing their unique backgrounds in experimental theater, social-emotional learning, and music. Molly and Amy share their journey of finding each other, emphasi...
2024-07-16
41 min
LaidOPEN Podcast
The Craft of Healing: Trauma, Healing & Authentic Expression with Mathew Boudreaux aka Mx. Domestic
Please welcome, Mathew Boudreaux, also known as Mx Domestic to his millions of crafting fans from around the globe. During the pandemic, Mathew’s crafting projects left them with a wide following. However, the interaction they were sometimes having speaking their truth led to conflict on their social media channels. Mathew muses on this while also sharing their transformative healing journey, detailing the emotional and psychological challenges they faced, including childhood PTSD, ADHD, and CPTSD. They also discuss navigating corporate America while being authentic and the difficulties encountered due to their identity and social stance. Mathew opens up...
2024-07-02
1h 04
LaidOPEN Podcast
Trigger Talk: Insights for Rewiring Our Reactions with Susan Campbell, PhD
In this episode of the Laid Open Podcast we welcome Dr. Susan Campbell PhD, an esteemed psychologist and relationship coach who delves deep into the essence of understanding and managing what triggers us in intimate relationships. Dr. Susan provides practical steps for self-awareness, emotional regulation, and effective communication to foster healthier relationships. Plus, she emphasizes the importance of self-compassion, safety, and understanding attachment styles. Together, Charna and Dr. Susan discuss the profound impact of individual healing on a collective scale. The episode wraps up with Dr. Susan guiding an exercise on recognizing one’s Trigger Si...
2024-06-18
1h 15
LaidOPEN Podcast
Making Trauma Funny: The Power of Humor and Healing with Mark Walsh
In this episode of LaidOPEN Podcast, host Charna Cassell welcomes guest Mark Walsh an embodiment coach and host of The Embodiment Podcast, to discuss their shared history and Mark's extensive work in the field of embodiment and trauma education. He's also the author of Embodiment, Working with the Body in Training and Coaching, and Embodied Meditation. He led The Embodiment Conference (1000 teachers, 500,000 delegates) and has trained over 2000 embodiment coaches in over 40 countries. Mark, situated near Stonehenge in England, shares insights from his extensive travels and training, including his work with trauma-affected communities in Ukraine. The conversation spans...
2024-06-04
50 min
LaidOPEN Podcast
Unlocking Healing Power: Dr. Keesha Ewers on Emotional Trauma, Sexual Energy, and Autoimmune Recovery
In the season 4 finale of LaidOPEN Podcast, Charna welcomes Dr. Keesha Ewers, an expert in integrative medicine, functional sexology, and a survivor of autoimmunity induced by trauma. And shares her personal journey from starting as a conventional nurse to exploring alternative healing modalities like Ayurveda, hypnotherapy, and EMDR after being diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. She illuminates the profound connection between unresolved trauma and physical health, including autoimmune disorders and sexual vitality. The discussion delves deep into the science of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), highlighting the impact of trauma on long-term health and well-being. Dr. Keesha als...
2024-03-19
1h 02
LaidOPEN Podcast
Beducated: The AI Revolution & Sex Education with Mariah Freya
In this latest episode of LaidOPEN Podcast, Charna Cassell speaks with Mariah Freya, a sex coach and founder of Beducated, an online platform for sex education that offers a vast library of resources for pleasure-focused sex education. Mariah delves into the innovative role of AI technology in revolutionizing sex education, making it more accessible and tailored to individual needs. Highlighting how Beducated’s AI sex coach aids users in navigating their expansive library and provides personalized sex education resources. She also shares the challenges and experiments involved in developing their AI-powered tool. She also speaks on t...
2024-03-05
50 min
LaidOPEN Podcast
OPEN Advocacy: Pioneering Legal Rights for Non-Monogamists with Brett Chamberlin
This week, Charna interviews Brett Chamberlin, the founder and executive director of OPEN, the Organization for Polyamory and Ethical Nonmonogamy. Brett opens by sharing his journey of transitioning from environmental activism to the advocacy for more awareness and legal rights for non-monogamists. This includes anyone who subscribes to relationship designs outside the norm of one man and one woman, including single people. He also discusses the cultural implications of nonmonogamy, the impact of societal norms, the progressing nonmonogamy movement, and the importance of community, consent, and cooperative living in practicing non-monogamy. When it comes to...
2024-02-20
1h 04
LaidOPEN Podcast
From Heartbreak to Happily Ever After: Dating Insights with Celeste Moore
Get ready for Valentine's Day with Celeste Moore, a personal image and dating consultant in the latest pre-Valentine's Day episode of LaidOpen Podcast. In this episode, Celeste offers invaluable guidance for those navigating new beginnings, particularly men who are navigating the complexities of dating post-long-term relationships or marriages. She also explores the importance of communication and authenticity in relationships, strategies for building confidence, and the art of crafting effective digital dating profiles. Discover how Celeste's experience as a sole parent informs her approach and the invaluable insights she offers for single parents dipping their toes b...
2024-02-06
1h 04
LaidOPEN Podcast
Mapping Pleasure: Navigating Trauma, Healing, and Sexuality with Freya Graf
In this episode of LaidOPEN Podcast Charna is joined by holistic sex educator and Yoni Mapping therapist, Freya Graf to discuss Freya's approach to dismantling shame and taboos around sexuality. She also explains the practice of Yoni Mapping Therapy, a method she uses to help people with vulvas and vaginas understand their bodies, relationships, and the impacts of trauma. Additionally, Freya opens up about her personal journey with sexuality, offering a unique perspective on holistic sexual practices. The discussion delves into the realm of sex education, focusing on reconnecting individuals with their bodies, enhancing pleasure, and challenging s...
2024-01-23
59 min
LaidOPEN Podcast
Navigating Life's Path Using The Wisdom of Human Design with Evelyn Levenson
Join us this week on LaidOPEN Podcast, for an insightful conversation with certified Human Design expert, Evelyn Levenson. In this episode, Evelyn shares her journey of discovering Human Design and its profound impact on her life. She recounts how understanding herself as a Projector within Human Design redirected her path from a successful yet unfulfilling business career to a deeper exploration of Human Design's transformative possibilities. She also sheds light on how uncovering her Human Design type propelled her towards a fulfilling pursuit of assisting others in navigating their unique paths. Throughout the e...
2024-01-09
1h 02
The Labia Lounge
Overcoming Sexual Shame and Trauma with Charna Cassell
This week in The Labia Lounge I had Charna Cassell on to talk about all things sexual trauma and shame. Charna is an LMFT, and a Trauma-Trained Psychotherapist and Sexuality Coach who helps people heal, connect, and find pleasure in their bodiesWe discuss what constitutes sexual trauma, how it presents in our lives and bodies, the nuances behind the actual word 'trauma' and how it can be over-used, how sexual shame comes to effect us and live inside of us, how to overcome the crippling effects of these in our sex lives, the mind-body connection and...
2023-12-31
1h 17
LaidOPEN Podcast
Magical Realism, Inner Wisdom and Divine Connection with Aline Ra M
Welcome back to LaidOPEN Podcast. Today, we're joined by Aline Ra M., a remarkable spiritual guide sharing her unique journey of self-discovery and spiritual growth. At the age of 12, Aline found herself attuned to voices from the other side, an experience that led her to an enigmatic island school off the Brazilian coast, a sanctuary where she began unraveling the mysteries of her gift. In her late 30s, facing significant discontentment, Aline underwent a profound transformation. She ingeniously blended her mystical knowledge with the profound teachings of Buddhism, creating a practical and meaningful approach to...
2023-12-26
39 min
LaidOPEN Podcast
Somatics as the Antidote for a Polarized Society with Staci Haines
This week on LaidOpen Podcast I’m joined by renowned somatic expert Staci Haines. Together we delve into transformative methods to mend our fractured society, exploring the power of somatic practices in fostering unity and healing. Staci and I talk about the journey from individual healing to collective transformation, and unraveling the intersections between somatics and spirituality. We also explore the pivotal shift from fragmentation to wholeness and how to navigate the path from polarization to love through somatic principles. Listen in as Staci candidly reflects on her evolution as a leader, acknowledging personal limitations wh...
2023-12-12
1h 18
Moore Style
Unpacking Sexual Trauma, Libido, and Chemistry with Charna Cassell
Trauma is more than meets the eye and whether you are aware of it or not, it has a big impact on every aspect of our lives. Charna Cassell, a trauma-trained psychotherapist and sexuality coach, joins us today for a deep conversation about somatic bodywork, personality development, and creating new habits and patterns within our bodies. She even gets into the nuances of trauma and how it impacts our sex lives and libido. Charna and Celeste also talk about dating challenges as bisexual women and whether chemistry can grow over time. Charna is an amazing expert with s...
2023-12-11
54 min
LaidOPEN Podcast
Suffering As A Portal To Creative Awakening with Adrienne Shamszad
Hey there! Have you ever thought about how we discover ourselves through the different voices we try on in life? I'm excited to share an amazing conversation in this episode where we explore exactly that. I sit down with Adrienne Shamszad, a talented musician I got introduced to through my friend Ned Buskirk from You're Going To Die. Adrienne's story is truly inspiring—she found her true voice when she began losing it. That struggle led her on a journey to uncover the ways she'd been silenced, and it changed everything for her. We dive de...
2023-11-28
1h 00
LaidOPEN Podcast
Disorientation, Eroticism, and Traumatophilia with Dr. Avgi Saketopoulou
Dr. Avgi Saketopoulou is a New York-based psychoanalyst and therapist with extensive experience with trauma, queerness, gender diversity, and the nuances of consent. In her latest book, “Sexuality Beyond Consent: Risk, Race, Traumatophilia,” Dr. Saketopoulou argues that we have become culturally obsessed with healing trauma and points to the ways traumatized people synthesize their pain. In her book, she also makes an important distinction between limit and affirmative consent, which we dissect as concepts through art and creative expression at large. This leads to an enriching conversation about the evolution of self, coming out whole after trauma, how t...
2023-11-14
48 min
LaidOPEN Podcast
Navigating Callouts, Cancelation and Accountability with Misha Byruck
This season, we have been loosely exploring “cancelation” what it means for the canceled person if it works, and how we can integrate the canceled person back into society. This week’s episode continues with that theme and is an extension of our last episode featuring canceled sexuality coach Charlie Glickman. This episode features Mischa Byruck, a sexual integrity coach who works to support people to live their sex lives in line with their values. He specializes in supporting subjects of public callouts and cancelations and assists over three dozen men to take accountability for sexual harm and re...
2023-10-31
1h 03
LaidOPEN Podcast
The Process of Repairing When You’ve Been Canceled with Charlie Glickman
As a society, we are struggling with how to hold people accountable. The trend of cancel culture is public shaming with the hope that those who are canceled will lose their power and position. Often, they regroup anyway and do the same thing again in a new place and a new community. This is the cycle of abuse at play. This week, I welcome Bay Area sex educator Charlie Glickman on the podcast to talk about being canceled and the self-discovery that unfolded in the multi-year accountability process of healing himself, his relationships, and his place in his community.
2023-10-17
1h 05
LaidOPEN Podcast
The Impact of Systemic Dis-ease on the Collective with Fariha Róisín
These days, lots of us are being forced to see how the ways we exist in the world both help and harm. Today’s guest is queer, Bangledeshy author and artist, Fariha Róisín aka @fariha_roisin. Her latest book “Who Is Wellness For?” does a tremendous job of tackling this topic through the narration of her own life. She uses her story of surviving childhood sexual abuse and a mentally ill mother to guide us through the resources that aided in her healing. While also, attributing all of our traumas to the lack of wellness within society and how...
2023-10-03
1h 20
LaidOPEN Podcast
The Complexity of Desire, Shame, and Trauma with Dr. Lori Beth Bisbey
It is such an honor to welcome this week’s guest onto LaidOPEN Podcast. Dr. Lori Beth Bisbey (@drbisbey) is a clinical psychologist, acclaimed sex/intimacy coach, author, podcast host, and GSRD (gender, sexuality, relationship diversity) therapist with over 30 years of experience. She’s also the Specialist Relationship Therapist on the UK show “Open House: The Great Sex Experiment,” (you have to watch!) and host of the weekly podcast “The A to Z of Sex®.” In this episode, we talk about her journey moving from a trauma victim to a survivor and how she integrated her life into her work t...
2023-09-19
58 min
LaidOPEN Podcast
The Magical Art Of Self Acceptance with Christina Carlson
This week we welcome Christina Carlson, an embodiment and energetic coach, speaker, teacher, and the host of the podcast, “Bitches, Witches & Queers." Christina and I talk about her experience of being raised as an Evangelical Fundamentalist Christian, leaving the church, and how dance helped free not only her body but her mind. Eventually, Christina discovers another church, and falls in love, but over time signals in her body help her to recognize that the church environment is not for her. We also talk about how this paved the way for what she currently does, working as...
2023-09-05
1h 07
LaidOPEN Podcast
Healing Ways To Love Yourself with Catherine Drysdale
Welcome back to LaidOPEN Podcast! This week we welcome Catherine Drysdale, a pleasure activator and sex & relationship coach. She’s also the host of Your Pleasure Path Podcast, which went viral on TikTok earning over 16 million monthly listens. It’s easy to see that helping bring joy and vibrancy into people’s lives is Catherine’s calling. We chat about life as a sex educator and all the roads that can lead to healing–even though not all healing roads are meant for everyone. We also talk about her success as a coach, finding a sex-positive audience at Cosmopol...
2023-08-22
47 min
The Wellness Lab with Nick Palladino-King
EP# 35 "Trauma, Acceptance and Spiritual Awakening" w/ Charna Cassell
We've got a great guest today, Charna Cassell. She's a licensed trauma trained psychotherapist and certified embodied leadership and sex educator. We go super deep into trauma, how it can help us wake up to ourselves, how it can help us increase our ability to be more empathetic, to grow, to learn, and really to live better, more fulfilled lives. We have such a fun conversation. We go deep in our own struggles, our own traumas, our own pains. There's so much information in this episode for you, the listener to learn about...
2023-08-09
1h 06
LaidOPEN Podcast
The Art Of The Conscious Conversation with Nick Palladino
On today’s episode, our guest is certified conscious executive and leadership and life coach Nick Palladino-King (@nickpalladinoking). In addition to coaching Nick’s spent his career training and teaching movement, breathwork, meditation, and entrepreneurship to clients. He brings these tools to his podcast Conscious Conversations with Nick and Nintin. Together with his co-host, Nick focuses on having conversations with guests that elevate the consciousness of the planet through conversations that change people's lives. Nick brings his conscious conversations to LaidOPEN Podcast where we talk about the matrix of coaches, teachers, and therapists that have begun to emer...
2023-08-08
56 min
LaidOPEN Podcast
Cumming As You Are with Sexpert Susan Bratton
Welcome back to LaidOPEN Podcast. This week we have renowned intimacy expert Susan Bratton, author and publisher of 34 books and programs, including “Relationship Magic,” “Revive Her Drive,” “The Steamy Sex Ed®️ Video Collection,” and her Amazon #1 International Bestseller, “Sexual Soulmates: The Six Essentials for Connected Sex, as well as, FemiWave. Susan joins us this week to talk about her expanded orgasm practice, which can help you to have better and better big Os your entire life. She also speaks with Charna about female arousal, embracing ageless sexuality and how getting off is a learned skill any of us can accomplish...
2023-07-25
1h 02
LaidOPEN Podcast
Putting An End To Socially Acceptable Medical Rape with A’magine
Did you know that you can go in for any kind of surgery at a teaching hospital, and while under anesthesia receive pelvic exams, from multiple students, (yes this happens to men with anal or prostate exams) without your consent? Most people are shocked to discover that they could go in for a knee surgery and be given an anal or pelvic exam they did not consent to. However, let’s call it what it is, medical rape and 85% of medical students currently report having done this. On today’s episode I speak with activist, author...
2023-07-11
52 min
LaidOPEN Podcast
The Curious Case Of The Bait & Switch with Sabrina Cognata
On the season opener of LaidOPEN Podcast, we welcome LaidOPEN Podcast producer Sabrina Cognata as our guest. When Charna receives a message from a listener who wants to potentially work with her and then sends a sexually explicit message, Charna reaches out to producer Sabrina who says, “Make art, not war. In addition to being a producer of a variety of podcasts and projects, @sabrinasee is the creator of The Dickoupage Project aka @thedickoupageproject, which you can find on IG. Initially, the dick pic art project was available online, but you can sign up to read it vi...
2023-06-27
51 min
LaidOPEN Podcast
One Taste into the World of Cults with Rebecca Farrar, William Winters & Tyson Adams
This week we welcome, William Winters, Rebecca Ferrar, and Tyson Adams to talk about their various experiences with cults or cult-like communities with a special focus on the One Taste community. Tyson Adams is an integrated men’s work practitioner and happens to have done a lot of searches around cults after having his own experiences in different communities. You may also remember @tysonadams_ as a returning guest from Episode 55. William Winters is the founder of the Bonobo Tribe, @bonobotribe on IG, a sex-positive community that throws parties, teaches workshops, and offers general resources to poly people. And Rebecca Fa...
2023-02-28
50 min
LaidOPEN Podcast
From The Mixed Up Files of Sara J. Benincasa
For our penultimate episode of Season 3, we welcome author, actress, comedian, and mental health advocate, Sara Benincasa. She’s the author of four books, "Agorafabulous!: Dispatches From My Bedroom," which explores her journey with anxiety, depression, and agoraphobia. You may also have seen her on the hit drama “Law & Order: SVU.” Sara and I sit down to talk about the importance of therapy and all the different ways we heal. Plush, we explore generational trauma, substance abuse, and watching your parents do their own work. We end this episode with a great little exercise led by Sara.
2023-02-21
1h 15
LaidOPEN Podcast
Happy Valentine’s Day: A Relationship Advice Episode with Charna Cassell
Hello! Happy Valentine’s Day. Today I am going to do something a little bit different. I’ll be doing this episode all by myself where I answer the questions you’ve sent in looking for advice. I love being able to connect with my listeners, especially on a day like today, Valentine’s Day, which can often put a lot of societally based pressure on people to feel like they should be coupled up, or simply feel like their relationship should be at a certain place. We’re going to do a deep dive into questions like “How...
2023-02-14
44 min
LaidOPEN Podcast
Journeying Into the K-Hole with Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy with Carrie Katz
Today’s episode is a special one. I’m joined by my friend and birthday twin, Carrie Katz, on our birthday, February 7th. Carrie’s a fellow somatic psychotherapist and as you’ve probably surmised, my birthday twin extraordinaire. Together we celebrate our birthday and discuss ketamine-assisted psychotherapy and answer listeners' questions about the ins and outs of determining whether you could benefit from ketamine. I candidly share how I’ve benefited from ketamine-assisted journeys to reboot my nervous system. While Carrie shares about her client work, using her knowledge to answer all your questions. We discuss the recent...
2023-02-07
1h 10
LaidOPEN Podcast
Becoming An Expert Witness with Dr. Walter Sipe
Please welcome this week’s guest, Dr. Walter Sipe. He’s a beloved colleague and friend of mine, who started his career as a pediatric gastroenterologist, before switching gears and becoming a psychiatrist. He has a private practice where he works with adolescents and adults. More importantly, he’s inherited the unusual legacy of being an expert witness around cases of institutional abuse of power and child sexual abuse. Walt was born to parents who met when they were both members of the Catholic clergy. His mother was a nun and his father was a priest w...
2023-01-31
1h 04
LaidOPEN Podcast
Claiming Your Cock: Semen Retention and Healing the Earth with Tyson Adams
This week’s guest wants to help men unlock their soul force. Tyson Adams is an integrated men’s work practitioner. His leadership program for accelerated self-awareness is aimed at giving men the tools to lead better lives. With over 2 years of celibacy, Tyson developed a self-practice to release himself from and heal himself from an addiction to porn. He uses this work to help men in this same way, but also in their relationship with their cock, and claiming their cock. In the time we were together, we talked about how certain ailments can be rel...
2023-01-24
1h 02
LaidOPEN Podcast
Healing Birth Trauma: Repattern Your Life with Annie Brook
If you haven't heard of Annie Brook before, you should have. She has a Ph.D. in perinatal psychology and is a seasoned somatic psychotherapist who works with birth trauma and developmental trauma. Her work is key to discovering why you repeat the same behaviors, resulting in the same disappointing outcomes over and over again. If you are curious about why you keep repeating the same patterns, and want to change but don’t know how--this is the episode for you. Annie explains the different courses she offers so anyone can become ready for the relationship they’ve a...
2023-01-17
1h 24
LaidOPEN Podcast
Using Breathwork To Connect To Yourself with Nathaniel Hodder-Shipp
This week we welcome Nathaniel Hodder-Shipp, a drug and alcohol counselor, breathwork practitioner, and founder of the American Breath Work Association and Breathwork For Recovery, an 800-hour breathwork clinician that provides more intense training for teachers and practitioners. We sit down and talk about Nathaniel’s journey of becoming involved with breathwork, his decision to help create Breathwork For Recovery, and the necessity of developing equity, ethics, and regulation in the field of breathwork. I also share my story about attempting to learn breathwork and that it was a traumatizing experience. Nathaniel offers a compassionate take on wh...
2023-01-10
53 min
LaidOPEN Podcast
Ascending Multiple Lifetimes with Sarah Strong
This week we welcome Sarah Strong. She is a star seed coach, divine feminine activation coach, medium empath, telepath, and psychic. She also channels star beings, beings from other dimensions, and many other beings of the light, including the ascended masters angels, and fairies. Together we speak about how trauma can be a gateway to spiritual awakening, paranormal phenomenon, how trauma is associated with spiritual awakening and what can happen when you push a young person well beyond what they’re capable of handling, and how a reaction to that manifests in a variety of ways. S...
2023-01-03
1h 02
LaidOPEN Podcast
Transformation Through Movement with Lucy Wallace
I was thrilled to have Lucy Wallace, the founder of Dance to be Free, as a guest. I strongly support her mission of bringing dance to incarcerated women to help heal trauma. I share a little about my own experience growing up with a father who was in prison and my own volunteer work teaching kids in an orphanage in Nepal so they could teach their peers. This coincides with Lucy’s program, as she identifies the importance of the teacher training program for the prisoners rather so they can continue to help people instead of going in to “save...
2022-12-27
1h 19
LaidOPEN Podcast
Accepting You’re Going To Die with Ned Buskirk
Our guest this week is a dear friend of mine. Ned Buskirk is the founder of You’re Going to Die, which started as an open mic that offered a communal space to share stories about death, loss, and grieving. It progressed, as most things do, eventually becoming a nonprofit that brings music to the bedside of hospice patience, operates grief groups, delivers resources to help people in the prison system process their own grief and loss, and even a podcast of the same name, You’re Going To Die. I truly believe in Ned’s work and pur...
2022-12-20
1h 09
LaidOPEN Podcast
How the Stars Can Help with Julia Loken
I am so honored to have Julia Loken, a comedian, podcast host, and astrologer from Los Angeles, as my guest this week. I really enjoyed our conversation because Julia is one of those people who can talk about anything while making you feel like you’ve been friends forever. Because of this, we discuss a variety of topics including her astrology podcast @whatsyoursign, her discovery of astrology, and how astrology can be used to gain perspective in our own lives, as well as, how it can be used to look at cultural and political trends. Plus, we...
2022-12-13
1h 34
LaidOPEN Podcast
Addressing When Your Pleasure Is Neglected With Jessica Graham
This week’s episode of LaidOPEN Podcast features former guest Jessica Graham. She returns to help me answer a listener's question on the topic of having our pleasure matter in the context of a sexual relationship. This leads us into an extremely interesting conversation between two sex educators about what sex is, how to be an advocate for your own pleasure, what attunement and connection are, how we can freeze up in a sexual situation or hard conversations, how to become present, and how to practice speaking up on your own behalf when you want your sexual ne...
2022-12-06
49 min
Creative Status: Live Your REAL Life
#9: Charna Cassell: Trauma & Transcendence
Creative Status is a podcast about using creativity as a vehicle for improving your life by deconstructing ego, integrating the shadow self, and designing and manifesting a real life. Every episode explores how the creative process can help you GROW REAL by moving towards wholeness in yourself by making the unconscious conscious. Charna Cassell is the host of the Laid Open Podcast and the founder of the Center for Passionate Living - she uses a lot of holistic and somatic techniques to support people in this area but her work ultimately explores bridging the gap between the...
2022-12-05
1h 05
LaidOPEN Podcast
Becoming an Authentic Man with David Chambers Part 2
Welcome back to Laid OPEN, this week we’re continuing our conversation with David Chambers, a relationship coach and host of the podcast, The Authentic Man. We finish our conversation by talking about a variety of interesting topics relevant to men looking to lead authentic lives. This includes, the nature of women to ask for and then recoil at when experiencing a man's vulnerability, sexual shame as it affects men and of course, we speak about sexual freedom and what it means to David. He also speaks to his experience in the ISTA training, which he calls, “incre...
2022-11-29
48 min
LaidOPEN Podcast
Becoming an Authentic Man with David Chambers Part 1
This is part 1 of a special two-part interview with David Chambers, who is a relationship coach and host of The Authentic Man Podcast. David and I engage in a fascinating conversation that explores how to find healthy models of masculinity when you grow up without a dad. he shares about the commitment issues and fear that held him back from not only fulfilling relationships but living a joyful, fulfilling authentic life. We also explore what it takes to grow beyond what your parents are capable of and partnership as a spiritual path. Plus, David ends this episode with a min...
2022-11-22
1h 19
LaidOPEN Podcast
The Power of the Humble Coach with Anton Wisbiski
After a decade of seeking, life coach Anton Wisbski found himself guiding small groups of friends through breathwork practices. Soon, a coaching career followed. A disinterested student growing up, Anton followed an entrepreneurial path and started his own successful social media business. After working closely with Dr. Joe Dispenza, Bob Proctor, and Tony Robbins–among other seminal teachers– Anton felt he was saturated in the wisdom needed to manifest and create the life of your dreams. In doing this, he healed his own chorionic anxiety and depression. However, much of his own self-work and growth was instigated by us...
2022-11-15
1h 04
LaidOPEN Podcast
Overcoming Pelvic Pain with Sara Reardon aka. The Vagina Whisper
This week, we're welcoming Sara Reardon, a pelvic floor physical therapist who's also known as The Vagina Whisperer. You may know her from her viral TedX talk on rethinking postpartum care. One of the most important things we cover is that everyone has a pelvic floor (men/women/non-binary people) and that pelvic pain is not only a condition that impacts pergnant or postpartum women. That's because oftentimes, it isn’t until we experience pelvic floor pain or issues that we become aware of this part of our body. Sara's mission includes normalizing conversations about the...
2022-11-08
51 min
LaidOPEN Podcast
Who Told you Crying Made You Weak with Mark Tanaka
If Mark Tanaka sounds familiar to you that’s because he’s a past guest of LaidOPEN Podcast and featured on Episode 28. Untying the Knot. Mark’s a Qi gong and Yoga teacher, who specializes in nervous system regulation, parts-work, attachment coaching and one of my absolute favorite people. This week he returns as an expert to help answer your anonymous questions. The question this week is about the discomfort we can feel in being vulnerable. Especially, in relation to our significant other and the decision to have children and why we want them. An import...
2022-11-01
45 min
LaidOPEN Podcast
Just the Tip: Trauma informed Tantra with Dominique D’Vita
Welcome back to LaidOPEN Podcast! More and more I feel like I am magnetizing potential lifelong friends and like-minded collaborators I feature on my podcast. People like this week’s guest, @yestantra better known as Dominique D’Vita, spent her life as a cardiovascular RN until she found tantra and found her calling as a trauma-informed tantra coach. Dominique has been a repeated guest on The Playboy Channel where she’s featured as a tantra expert. Together we chat about sex as a spiritual practice, the different kinds of tantra, what tantra is exactly, and how it can inc...
2022-10-25
1h 18
LaidOPEN Podcast
A Feeling Man is a Liberated Man with Logan Cohen
While I don’t know Logan Cohen personally his authenticity, the deep work he has done on himself, and his willingness to feel his feelings and allow his vulnerability to shine through. I’m moved by the vital offering Logan contributes to the world as an author, a psychotherapist, and a trauma professional. He is bringing quality content to TikTok and IG, as well as through his work with couples and individuals in private practice. Logan Cohen is a remarkable man driven by a purpose, being of service, helping men develop emotional intelligence, and educating people about the i...
2022-10-18
58 min
LaidOPEN Podcast
Using Magic To Metablize Trauma & Pain with Amanda Yates Garcia
For our Season 2 finale, please welcome Amanda Yates Garcia aka the Oracle of Los Angeles. In one of my most enchanting conversations, we speak about her book “Initiated,” being born into witchcraft, the trauma of colonization, surviving a legacy of trauma, and using witchcraft as a tool for healing. Amanda also talks about her own excellent podcast (which I can’t recommend enough) “Between the Worlds,” where she interviews new guests each week on the topic of divination, tarot, and magic. I don’t like to play favorites, so I won’t, but there’s so much good stuff packed...
2022-09-06
1h 10
LaidOPEN Podcast
The Joy Of Creative Liberation with Ahri Golden
This week we welcome Media Midwife, Ahri Golden. She’s an award-winning artist, producer, podcast coach, professor, and mother of two. Ahri’s work is informed by a passion for making meaning through stories and creative responses to the world that is unfolding within and around us. Together we talk about her journey of becoming the Media Mid-Wife and what that entails. Plus, she speaks about her anti-hustle perspective, the importance of listening to our bodies, and making embodied art. Ahri ends the episode with an exercise she uses with her clients on how to use...
2022-08-30
1h 03
LaidOPEN Podcast
Shapeshifting & the Erotic Blueprint with Melissa Louise
Our guest this week is Pleasure Advocate, Erotic Blueprint Coach, & Sex, Intimacy & Relationship Expert, Melissa Louise. Together we talk about the journey that led her to this field. We also speak about supporting women to reclaim their divine birthright of feeling aliveness, the ability to be orgasmic and turned on, no matter what their age or relationship status. Don’t worry, we also talk about the ways she helps men by supporting them to feel more attractive, powerful, trustworthy, make more money, and find freedom by lasting longer in bed. Plus, Melissa guides an exercise in genital bre...
2022-08-23
1h 13
LaidOPEN Podcast
Finding A Path To Freedom with Chelsea Coleman
This week, I chat with Chelsea Coleman, a brilliant musician, and storyteller. I first met her at an event called, “You’re Going To Die” which creates room for people to talk about death, dying, and grieving. Together, Chelsea and I talk about her journey to healing Fibromyalgia and how having a baby helped her develop the embodied boundaries to do that. We also speak about growing up in Fundamentalist Christianity, the structure and safety found in the black and white thinking of the church, learning to suppress your own needs, sacrificing your own wellbeing, abusive relationships, and hea...
2022-08-16
1h 25
LaidOPEN Podcast
Facing The Unknown & the Art of Fighting Fire with Aaron Quinn
This week our guest is Aaron Quinn, an Oakland Firefighter for over 20 years, a yoga teacher as well as an advanced Wim Hof method instructor. We speak about his journey as a firefighter, which led him to develop a whole-body wellness program, including meditation, physical fitness, and nutrition for new firefighters. This program also helps recruits learn tools to aid in the parts of the job that can be psychologically taxing. Additionally, we touch on a variety of topics and stories that have impacted Aaron’s life. This includes his participation in brain research done on the impa...
2022-08-09
1h 18
LaidOPEN Podcast
Building the Relationship You Want with Kate Loree
When it comes to relationships, most of us have realized one size doesn’t fit all. My guest today is Kate Loree. She’s a sex-positive licensed marriage and family therapist who specializes in the non-monogamous, kink, LGBTQ, and sex worker communities. Kate’s also the author of “Open Deeply: A Guide to Building Conscious, Compassionate Open Relationships,” which i think everyone should read regardless if they’re poly or not. Kate’s story is an interesting one. She spent a decade in the poly lifestyle and uses those experiences to contribute to her wisdom as a therapist. In t...
2022-08-02
1h 05
LaidOPEN Podcast
Sensual Intelligence & Our Lost IQ with Shawnrey Notto
Our guest this week is sensual intelligence educator and author of The Lost IQ, Shawnrey Notto. She has created a set of sensuality archetypes for you to self-reflect and discover your own style of relating. We discuss a variety of topics centering around sensuality including how dance and embodiment have been a path of healing for us. Additionally, we cover everything from how to deepen sensual awareness, the gendered challenges implicit in our conditioning, healing sexual shame and abuse, and the importance of community in healing. As always, we end the episode with an exercise from me o...
2022-07-26
1h 06
LaidOPEN Podcast
Making Peace With Your Pussy with Jessica Pin
Please welcome activist Jessica Pin as our guest on this week’s episode of LaidOPEN Podcast. She’s an activist and a biomedical engineer, whose life work is advocating for the inclusion of detailed clitoral anatomy in medical literature and curricula, training standards for vulvar procedures, and correction of medical misinformation about vulvas. Together we discuss what contributes to the shame women feel about their larger vulva and the misinformation distributed by the medical field about the reality of how 50% of the population has “outties”. Jessica came to this cause because of her personal experience with a l...
2022-07-19
1h 03
LaidOPEN Podcast
Sexual Healing and Opening to Orgasms with Paloma De La Hoz aka MoM
Meet Paloma De La Hoz, aka “MoMa” @awaremoma, she’s a sex educator from the Dominican Republic, who uses her experiences to help people reconnect with their sexuality. Her passion is helping women have their first orgasms, whether it’s alone or with their partners. MoMa works internationally and sees clients from around the globe through intimate 1:1 coaching and group programs. Primarily, she helps her clients explore how to connect to their bodies, emotions, and desires, whether in or out of the bedroom. In this episode, we talk about her course on sexual healing she created, how her own sexu...
2022-07-12
39 min
LaidOPEN Podcast
The Art Of Surrender with Author Kate Sloan
You may have heard of this week’s guest from her two podcasts, blog, or books. Kate Sloan is a writer and podcaster specializing in sex, kink, and relationships. We talk about her books '101 Kinky Things Even You Can Do' and '200 Words to Help You Talk About Sexuality & Gender,' the latter of which was recently released. Plus, we do a round robbin covering her two podcasts (The Dildorks and Question Box), sex-ed, and the perks of the daddy-little girl dynamic. We also chat about the fine art of surrendering to pain, as well as, pain as a t...
2022-07-05
58 min
LaidOPEN Podcast
Curious Girl and the Making of a Sexual Explorer with Layla London
On LaidOPEN podcast this week, we’re welcoming Layla London, better known by her podcast moniker, Curious Girl Diaries, a podcast dedicated to her sexual awakening and adventures. However, she wasn’t always a podcast host. Layla started as a high-powered businesswoman married to her job. After a 3.5-year dry spell from sex, she decided to reprioritize sex by way of a sex bucket list. Layla documents all the cumming and going in her podcast. Together we talked about the unexpected benefits and openings her sex bucket list has delivered. Plus, we talk about...
2022-06-28
1h 09
Welcome to the Wiederlife
Laid Open With Charna Cassell
Such a fabulous conversation with the amazing Charna Cassell. We went deep on topics such as defining trauma, safety, and what it means to listen to your body. This episode is filled with deep education, nourishment and juicy conversation. Charna Cassell an LMFT, and Trauma-Trained Psychotherapist and Sexuality Coach, helps people heal and find pleasure in their bodies. You can find her work in Oprah magazine, TeenVogue.com, InStyle.com, Psychcentral.com, and Askmen.com. She is also the host of LaidOPEN Podcast. You can learn more about her at www.passionatelife.org and www.ch...
2022-06-22
50 min
LaidOPEN Podcast
Finding Peace When You've Been Cheated On with Stephanie Ragazzo
Recently my friend Stephanie Ragazzo had a TikTok go viral where she was expressing grief and rage at having been cheated on. Join us for an exploratory conversation about why people cheat, what happens when you're cheated on, and what a holistic view of cheating might be. Our conversation also covers what to do when lines get crossed, how to recover after your partner has had an affair, the experience of being the cheater and then being cheated on, and the emotions that arise and need to be processed afterward. We also explore complicated topics like how att...
2022-06-21
1h 21
LaidOPEN Podcast
Untying The Knot with Mark Tanaka
I am so happy to introduce you to Mark Tanaka, a teacher, and coach that specializes in helping people with nervous system regulation, somatic attachment/developmental trauma repair, and inner child work. Mark is a beloved friend and colleague whom I met during a 2-year shamanic energy bodywork training. He has a background in teaching Qi Gong and Yoga, which he applies to his somatic attachment and development trauma repair practices. Through his process of helping people unwind the physical body, he discovered that relationship trauma patterns left an imprint. This made him dive deeper...
2022-06-14
1h 17
Touch Podcast: Conversations of Spirit and Body
Touch 4.8 Charna Cassell: Men, Trauma and Dysregulated Intimacy
During Touch 4.8 Charna Cassell: Men, Trauma and Dysregulated Intimacy, Ryan Clark and Nathan Novero interview LMFT, and a Trauma-Trained Psychotherapist and Sexuality Coach, Charna Cassell who helps people heal and find pleasure in their bodies. For over two decades, first, as a sex educator and sex toy clerk at Good Vibrations located in San Francisco. Then, as a Master Somatic Coach and bodyworker, and now, a licensed psychotherapist. We talk about trauma and intimacy, especially how it impacts our ability to be in the moment. Please support our podcast on Patreon and don't forget to share this episode with your...
2022-06-12
1h 01
LaidOPEN Podcast
The Evolution of the Love Languages with Anne Hodder-Shipp
This week Anne Hodder-Shipp, a renowned sexuality educator, joins me to discuss her new book "Speaking From the Heart: 18 Languages for Modern Love." Her book offers an alternative perspective and response to what we have come to accept as the 5 Love Languages, which is focused on heteronormative monogamous relationships. Anne’s book offers a refreshing new take on intimacy and safety building in all types of relationships. In this episode, she invites you into creating additional love languages of your own while recognizing hers is based on 6 years of research with clients but not exhaustive. Plus, she offers up a dr...
2022-06-07
1h 03
LaidOPEN Podcast
Undoing 8 Minutes in the Backseat Of A Car with Lauren Dollie Duke
Lauren Dollie Duke is a yoga teacher and author of a compelling memoir, "Sh!thouse." It tells a story of healing from developmental trauma, PTSD, sexual trauma, and addiction. Lauren and I have shared childhood experiences of growing up in an addicted household, with an incarcerated father and a mom who chose toxic relationships. Her story is incredibly honest and human and she eventually finds liberation through somatic therapy, mind-body connection, and yoga. All that and Lauren also shares some practices for managing fear and anxiety in this episode of LaidOPEN Podcast.
2022-05-31
1h 20
LaidOPEN Podcast
The Body Holds The Answers with Gail Blair
Today’s guest, Gail Blair, is a remarkable being whom I am incredibly grateful to call my mentor. A near-death experience led to her seeing the energy fields of everything. She synthesizes what she’s discovered through her own awakening process and helps teach this to others. She leads us in a grounding practice and discusses different kinds of love, celibacy, child sexual abuse, and evolution with Charna. We’re so lucky to have her share her story and gifts with us in this episode.
2022-05-24
1h 28
LaidOPEN Podcast
Mr Domestic and The Arts and Crafts of Self-Soothing and Discovery
This week’s episode was a joy to record and features crafting expert Matthew Boudreaux, better known as Mr. Domestic. He’s committed to creating an inclusive online community that bridges cultural gaps through quilting and crafting. Matthew shares his journey to rediscover his love of crafting and how it helped him manage his anxiety, panic attacks and how he even uses it to self-soothe. Plus, we speak about how having a child helped him understand what had been lost when his family asked him to reject a core part of his identity. And how the experience led h...
2022-05-17
1h 02
LaidOPEN Podcast
Feminism, Sexology and the Eco-Sex Movement with Annie Sprinkle
This week’s guest is a great one, I’m speaking with sexologist Annie Sprinkle, who has had an epic career as a sex-positive and feminist porn star, a performance artist, filmmaker, eco-sex activist, and most recently the co-author of Assuming the Ecosexual Position—Earth as Lover. With her wife Beth Stephens, she launched an eco-sex movement, in addition to working with the founder of Sexological Body Work founder Joseph Kramer. I can’t wait for you to hear Annie speak about her incredible body of work.
2022-05-10
1h 02
LaidOPEN Podcast
Mindful Porn Use & How It Can Be Healing with Sexologist Joseph Kramer
Sexologist and ex-Jesuit, Joseph Kramer, Ph.D. is the founder of Body Electric School for Massage as well as Sexological Bodywork. Over the years, Joseph’s ushered in the next wave of Sexological Bodywork practitioners who offer sexual healing, such as Jaiya from Sex, Love, and Goop fame. He also created a variety of educational videos with Annie Sprinkle that teaches the practice of erotic massage. It’s this technique that led him to create the Body Electric School burning the onset of the AIDS epidemic. Plus, Joseph is a well of knowledge on the topi...
2022-05-03
53 min
LaidOPEN Podcast
Accepting All Our Parts with Janel Vitale
Welcome back to Season 2 of LaidOPEN Podcast. I am elated to kick off the season with sex and relationship coach, Janel Vitale. Janel specializes in relationship design, which is the concept that you and whoever you're with can build a mutually-fulfilling intimate life around your authentic needs and desires, even if unconventional. She leads an exercise on core erotic themes, that I participate in and you can too. We explore Janel’s journey to helping people discover a relationship design that works for them, plus so much more including somatics, sexual healing, and living authentically.
2022-04-26
53 min
LaidOPEN Podcast
Liberatory Love, Liberatory Spaces featuring Carvell Wallace
This week’s episode of LaidOPEN Podcast is the season finale and one of my favorites that I’ve recorded so far. Please welcome Carvell Wallace, a New York Times Bestselling author, memoirist, and award-winning podcaster who covers race, arts, culture, film, and music for a wide variety of news outlets. During our chat Carvell shared his journey navigating dissociation in a cis-male body, not feeling he had a right to say “No”, experiencing fear in anticipation of sex, and the lack of training around consent offered to men, and consent as an ongoing collaboration versus a contract. There is so mu...
2022-03-08
1h 23
LaidOPEN Podcast
Lyvonne Briggs And The Divine Design Of Pleasure
I am really excited for you to hear this week’s episode of LaidOPEN Podcast. It features the remarkable Lyvonne Briggs, better known as “Pastor Baé,” who is an Emmy Award-winning, body and sex-positive womanist spiritualist. She’s also a writer, pastor, preacher, spiritual life coach, and highly sought-after transformational speaker and seminar leader. We sit down and talk about her experiences working in the church as an advocate of pleasure as its connection to resiliency, as well as, the divine design of pleasure. There’s so much to learn and grow from in this conversation for all of us.
2022-03-01
1h 05
LaidOPEN Podcast
Sexual and Spiritual Awakenings with Jessica Graham
Sexual and Spiritual paths are often intertwined, which is the case with this week’s guest Jessica Graham. They are a mindfulness teacher and author of “Good Sex: Getting Off Without Checking Out.” Join us as we discover we’re both proponents of somatic therapy and the journey of a spiritual awakening. Additionally, we talk about shifting identity, connecting more in and expressing anger, and using sex and romance as an escape. I loved speaking with Jessica and hope it’s as engaging and uplifting for you as it was for me.
2022-02-22
1h 09
LaidOPEN Podcast
The Comedic Life of a Queer Ex-Youth Pastor with Steve Hernandez
This week on LaidOPEN Podcast Charna welcomes ex-youth pastor, podcaster, and comedian Steve Hernandez. Steve takes us on a journey through his awakening from working in the church to finding the comedy community and the realization that he’s poly and queer. We also talk about being an artist, connected sober sex, emotionally connected gay sex, machismo in Mexican culture, and finding the humor in it all. Tune in to learn more about Steve and his hilarious stories about life, love, and sexual freedom.
2022-02-15
1h 01
LaidOPEN Podcast
Stepping into Erotic Wholeness with Darshana Avila
In this episode of LaidOPEN Podcast we welcome Darshana Avila, an Erotic Wholeness Coach you may have seen on this past season of Goop. She believes we are erotic by nature and is dedicated to helping people feel truly at home in their bodies. We also talk about what an Erotic Wholeness Coach is and what it entails. You’re not gonna want to miss this. Especially, if you’re looking to learn more about intimacy and the hard work of healing.
2022-02-08
1h 00
LaidOPEN Podcast
TRANSforming & Living More Authentically with Raj Bandyopadhy
On the latest episode of LaidOPEN Podcast, Charna invites former Data Scientist & current photographer and Sex and Relationship Coach, Raj Bandyopadhy onto the podcast. Raj defines himself as a straight man in a queer poly marriage with his partner Andy. Together, Charna and Raj discuss a variety of topics related to this experience including: identity, authentic creative expression, the rigidity of marriage in a heteronormative culture, poly relationships vs ethical nonmonogamy & creating your own rules.
2022-02-01
1h 01
LaidOPEN Podcast
Our Capacity to Bounce Back feat. Amy MacClain Part 2
This is part 2 of Amy and Charna’s conversation from last week. They left off discussing the value of compassion to transform abuses of power and navigate parental relationships. While exploring how essential denial and dissociation can be, Charna shares how her mom’s addiction, birth trauma, and mentally revisiting abuse impacts the physical body long-term. She also answers the question “What does expansive sex as well as empath sex feel like?” Charna guides a meditation on how to be with your whole self. This episode features royalty-free music from https://www.fesliyanstudios.com
2022-01-25
51 min
LaidOPEN Podcast
Our Capacity to Bounce Back featuring Amy MacClain Part 1
Amy and Charna talk about #Metoo, gender equity, and power dynamics in the workplace. Charna explains the window of capacity to be with, the difference between self and coregulation in relationships, and how learning to track yourself and others benefits your relationships. They dig into what resilience is and how it might be hard to understand, feel or identify with as a trauma survivor. There is also an exercise to help bring the unconscious material behind triggers into consciousness.
2022-01-18
57 min
LaidOPEN Podcast
Living an UnRepressed Life featuring Tara Nicholle-Kirke
In today’s episode of LaidOPEN Podcast, Charna welcomes a powerhouse guest, Tara Nicholle-Kirke, a globally recognized unrepression expert and former CMO of MyFitnessPal. Together they explore mindful parenting, befriending criticism, and spiritual dating. Plus, they tackle some very big topics including defining trauma, how productivity is rooted in slavery, as well as, Marie Kondoing your whole life. Charna explains her concept “Asshole Angels” and Tara prescribes an exercise for dating with freedom.
2022-01-11
59 min
LaidOPEN Podcast
Skin Starved During Covid featuring Amy MacClain
Happy New Year! This week Charna reunites with Amy MacClain to talk about dating during covid and how it’s left so many of us starved for physical contact. This includes the fleeting nature of intimacy when you haven’t been touched in a really long time, empty nest syndrome, moving through transitions, and ambivalent attachment. Also included is an exercise on attuning to self, the challenge of receiving and learning to cope with the changes around connection while in isolation.
2022-01-05
53 min
LaidOPEN Podcast
Using Mindfulness, Magic, and Creativity to Flow Through Fear featuring Andrea Scher
Andrea Scher and Charna swam in the same circles for years but never met, and LaidOPEN podcast finally brought them together. The two connect on a variety of topics including, Andrea’s new book, “Wonder Seeker: 52 Ways To Wake Up Your Creativity And Find Your Joy.” They discuss the use of creativity to manage anxiety and access more of what you want. Andrea also shares about her process of embracing being a woman, getting in touch with her sexuality, and embodied ways to pick dates on tinder.
2021-12-28
1h 00
LaidOPEN Podcast
The Role Curiosity Plays in Releasing Sexual Shame featuring Amy MacClain
This week’s episode starts with a listener question that leads Amy & Charna to dive into the somatic shape of shame and how to unwind it. They explore the impact of family conditioning, trauma, and religion. The discussion guides them to sexual abuse, the function of shame, being with shame versus turning away from it, and how remaining curious plays an essential role in overcoming fear-based modes. Plus, Charna assigns a simple practice for shame you can do daily, within minutes.
2021-12-21
1h 04
LaidOPEN Podcast
Running Away To Discover Yourself featuring Farid Yusof
Farid Yusof is a student of the world. They speak with Charna about the way culture impacts our freedom of self-expression and how they use their art as a resource to find healing. Farid’s travels were a mechanism for finding themselves and they use social media as a tool for coming out as gender nonbinary while quarantining with their conservative family. This conversation highlights how developing rituals around self-care can help anyone thrive, even in isolation, during the pandemic.
2021-12-15
54 min
LaidOPEN Podcast
Breaking Your Heart Open aka Stockpiling Grief Versus Allowing It To Move Through You
This episode was recorded before the pandemic. Charna opens this episode talking about grief on the somatic level--regardless if it’s the loss of a relationship, a death, a friendship or a pet--the physical sensations of grieving are the same. Charna offers some practices that can be useful in being with loss.
2021-12-08
1h 16
LaidOPEN Podcast
Mothers, Daughters and the Evolution of Healing From Trauma featuring Laura Davis
On today’s episode, we welcome Laura Davis bestselling author of “The Courage To Heal,” her seminal book about healing from sexual trauma. She waxes philosophical on a variety of topics, including her new memoir, “The Burning Light Of Two Stars,” (which I cannot recommend enough). We talk about the relationship between reader and author, how life experience changes our perception of the past, and what it's like when you have a parent who refuses your reality. We end with an exercise on forgiveness.
2021-11-30
1h 02
LaidOPEN Podcast
The Art of Dearmoring the Cervix and Transcendent Sex featuring Olivia Bryant
This week on LaidOPEN Podcast, Charna speaks with Olivia Bryant, the founder of Self:Cervix. Self:Cervix is a movement dedicated to educating and experiencing the orgasmic cervix. Olivia’s mission is to share this information with cervix owners, their partners and people worldwide to aid in shifting and expanding the conversation around female sexuality. They discuss the value of practice, the connection between spirituality and sexuality, how to heal, surrender and have more connected sex with self and other. Olivia guides us through an exercise in discovering your cervix and gaining pelvic presence.
2021-11-23
53 min
LaidOPEN Podcast
Spinning The Lazy Susan of Sex & Dating featuring Amy MacClain
Amy directs conversation to the topic of Charna’s private life. They visit a variety of stories from Charna’s past including how much she hates swiping right, kissing tips, hairy chests and finding your Cinderella aka the perfect fit. There’s also mention of the elusive Sex Ninja, voicing your desires, and learning to ask for what we want. There’s also an exercise for managing dysregulation and how to come back to the present moment. Amy MacClain is a social storyteller and healer, committed to building a more resilient, equitable and accountable world. She trains, consults and designs to help o...
2021-11-16
47 min
LaidOPEN Podcast
Dating in the 4th Dimension featuring Amy MacClain
Amy is back for this episode and she has questions for Charna about dating and sex. Together the two of them discuss defining sex in broader terms than Penis In Vagina (PIV), the importance of mindful self-touch within self-care, and why Charna’s writing her book. Charna also leads a guided embodiment meditation in length, width, and depth.
2021-11-09
40 min
LaidOPEN Podcast
Holy Erotica and Shaking off Shame After Religion featuring Nathan Novero
In this week’s episode Charna talks with Nathan Novero, ex-youth pastor, and the genius behind the seminal work, “Holy Erotica.” Together they touch on a variety of topics that intersect between religion, sex and shame. Nate speaks candidly on the topic of expectation versus reality in a relationship that’s influenced and guided by the church. Additionally, he interviews Charna about her drastically different upbringing, growing up in hippy, addict culture.
2021-11-02
1h 33
LaidOPEN Podcast
Mind, Body & Sexual Freedom featuring Amy MacClain
Charna Cassell, a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist and Master Somatic Coach talks with her friend Amy McClain, a master facilitator, executive coach, and curriculum developer, about the ways in which her life story has informed her belief that all different kinds of trauma shapes sexuality. Charna also explains how she uses her somatic work to help people discover what sexual freedom means to them. Plus, she guides a pelvic floor practice for grounding and managing anxiety. Amy MacClain is a social storyteller and healer, committed to building a more resilient, equitable, and accountable world. She trains, consults, a...
2021-10-16
55 min
The Embodiment Coaching Podcast
Sex and trauma - with Charna Cassell
Somatic sex therapist Charna Cassell joins me to discuss trauma and sex. This one gets quite full-on in places and could be triggering. We chat about childhood trauma, windows of tolerance, numbing, hyper-arousal, the six F’s, being gay, sexual self-medication, attachment, what a “healthy” sex drive is, BDSM, Peter Levine, practical tools for healing, meditation and trauma, celibacy, and top tips for a great sex life. Charna also leads an exercise to help if you get triggered during the episode. A juicy, deep and practical one. https://www.passionatelife.org/
2019-09-27
1h 10