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Conversations We Need To Have
Menopause & Masturbation
Season 1, Ep. 20
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In this episode of Conversations We Need to Have, Andrea opens up an honest, much-needed conversation about masturbation during perimenopause, menopause, and beyond — a topic many people were never encouraged to talk about, yet one that can be genuinely life-enhancing.
If masturbation feels awkward, embarrassing, or “not for you,” this episode gently invites you to pause and stay curious. Because masturbation isn’t just normal during menopause — it can support physical health, emotional wellbeing, sleep, mood, vaginal health, and your relationship with your body.
Andrea explains why sex therapists often recommend regular masturbation during menopause, how hormonal changes affect arousal and sensation, and why pleasure is not indulgent — it’s biological, accessible self-care.
This is a shame-free, practical exploration of how reconnecting with your body can help you feel more comfortable, confident, and at home in yourself during a time of significant change.
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22. Grief
10:22||Season 1, Ep. 22In this episode of Conversations We Need To Have, Andrea explores the deeply human experience of grief and bereavement.While we often associate grief with death, loss can take many forms — the end of a relationship, retirement, illness, changes in health, financial difficulties, or even grieving something we never had in the first place. Drawing on two widely respected grief models, Andrea explains why grief is rarely predictable, why there is no "correct" way to grieve, and how understanding the grieving process can help us offer ourselves and others a little more compassion.Because grief isn't something we get over — it's something we learn to carry.
21. ChemSex
11:35||Season 1, Ep. 21In this episode of Conversations We Need To Have, Andrea explores the complex and often misunderstood topic of chemsex — the use of certain drugs before or during sexual activity to enhance pleasure, connection, and intimacy. Rather than focusing on judgement, this episode looks at the psychological, social, and emotional factors that can make chemsex appealing, particularly within some LGBTQ+ communities. It also explores the risks, the realities of recovery, and why compassion is more effective than shame. Because understanding chemsex means understanding the human need for connection, belonging, and acceptance.Resources MentionedControlling ChemsexCOSRT (College of Sexual and Relationship Therapists)
19. Intro to Kink and BDSM
19:07||Season 1, Ep. 19In this episode of Conversations We Need To Have, Andrea explores the world of kink and BDSM — what it is, what it isn’t, and why conversations about consent, communication, trust, safety, and pleasure matter so much. BDSM is often misunderstood in mainstream culture. Many people assume it’s about pain, abuse, or dysfunction — but healthy BDSM is built on something very different: informed consent, negotiated boundaries, emotional awareness, and mutual respect. This episode offers a broad, shame-free introduction to BDSM and kink practices, including common terminology, relationship dynamics, fetish culture, community spaces, aftercare, and the role communication plays in ethical kink. Whether BDSM is personally relevant to you or not, understanding it without stigma helps us have healthier conversations about sexuality, intimacy, identity, and human diversity.
18. Fantasies
03:58||Season 1, Ep. 18Episode Title: Fantasies: Why They’re Normal, Healthy, and Worth Talking AboutIn this episode, Andrea opens up a playful, honest conversation about sexual fantasies — the private thoughts that many of us have, but few of us talk about.Fantasy isn’t a problem to solve — it’s a window into your erotic imagination.Resource:Come As You Are — Emily Nagoski, PhDTell Me What You Want — Justin Lehmiller, PhD
17. STIs
04:15||Season 1, Ep. 17In this episode, Andrea unpacks everything you need to know about STIs — from myths to management, prevention to empowerment.Lots of resources - Use them!Sexwise UK – Sexual health and STI testingBrook.org.uk – Information & clinicsTerrence Higgins Trust – HIV & sexual wellbeingNHS Sexual Health Services
16. Sexting and Talking Dirty
07:15||Season 1, Ep. 16In this episode of Conversations We Need to Have, Andrea tackles a topic that makes a lot of people nervous — sexting. If the idea of typing something sexual makes your palms sweat and your brain go blank, you’re not broken — you’re normal. Sexting isn’t instinctive. It’s a learned skill, shaped by culture, confidence, and comfort, and like all sexual skills, it’s awkward before it’s hot. Andrea explores why sexting feels so intimidating, how fantasy and reality can coexist safely, and why there’s no “right” way to sext — only the way that works for you and the person on the other end of the phone.Resource Mentioned: All the Fcking Mistakes* – Gigi Engle
15. Love
06:11||Season 1, Ep. 15In this episode, Andrea explores the messy, meaningful, and ever-evolving nature of love — how it starts, how it changes, and why it’s as much a daily practice as it is a feeling.She unpacks the difference between chemistry and compatibility, the psychology of long-term attachment, and how self-love sets the foundation for every other kind of love we experience.
14. Killing ANTs
09:42||Season 1, Ep. 14In this episode of Conversations We Need to Have, Andrea explores something that quietly shapes our mood, confidence, and behaviour every single day — Automatic Negative Thoughts, or as she likes to call them, ANTS. These thoughts show up uninvited. They sound convincing. And when left unchecked, they can overwhelm our emotional “picnic” — leading to anxiety, low self-esteem, and patterns of self-sabotage.Resources Mentioned:Healing ADD - Daniel G Amen