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Foreplay Radio - Couples & Sex Therapy Weekly podcast on love and sex by cohosts Laurie Watson & George Faller, LMFTs

Withdrawers often think they’re keeping the peace — but silence can feel like abandonment to their partner. 🫢Chapter 5 o...
21/09/2025

Withdrawers often think they’re keeping the peace — but silence can feel like abandonment to their partner. 🫢

Chapter 5 of Laurie & George’s new book dives into the withdrawer’s world:

🔸 Silence is their shield.
🔸 They retreat to survive, but their partner feels starved.
🔸 When one feels safe, both end up alone.
🔸 ‘No needs’ becomes the need.

Understanding the withdrawer’s retreat is the first step to breaking the cycle and building connection instead of distance.

Do you identify more with the pursuer or withdrawer in conflict? 👇

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We often say we want s*x to feel closer, more intimate—but so often the thing that kills that possibility is the fear of...
18/09/2025

We often say we want s*x to feel closer, more intimate—but so often the thing that kills that possibility is the fear of speaking up.

‘What if I’m judged? What if I say the wrong thing? What if it’s never enough?’

Laurie & George talk about why talking about s*x still feels risky—especially for women—and how we can build emotional safety first.

🔸 Naming shame is power.
🔸 Asking for what you need is brave.
🔸 Connection begins when we risk being seen.

If you’ve ever avoided talking about s*x because you were worried about how you’d be perceived… you’re not alone. This is for you.

💬 Tag someone you trust enough to be vulnerable with.
💡 Save this post for your next honest conversation.

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Every relationship has its dance—sometimes one of us pursues, sometimes one of us withdraws. Neither role is “wrong,” bu...
30/08/2025

Every relationship has its dance—sometimes one of us pursues, sometimes one of us withdraws.

Neither role is “wrong,” but both can keep us stuck in cycles of conflict if we don’t grow.

The Pursuer often craves closeness, intensity, and reassurance.

The Withdrawer often needs space, calm, and safety. When these collide, disconnection happens.

Growth begins when we see our patterns clearly and take small steps to shift them—containing anxiety, respecting differences, and finding balance between closeness + space.

The goal? Not to change who we are, but to love with more security, freedom, and connection.

👉 Which role feels most like you—Pursuer or Withdrawer?

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Laurie and George define secrets as issues, fantasies or alliances that block connection. We certainly have a right to p...
22/08/2025

Laurie and George define secrets as issues, fantasies or alliances that block connection.

We certainly have a right to privacy and sometimes our private erotic thoughts makes our world s*xier and makes us more available to our partner.

Certainly some people choose and open marriage but they do it with… openness. 

We think talking about your fantasies or actual affairs with your a partner while incredibly difficult makes it possible for YOU not to be carrying the guilt of a secret that you find unethical and against your promise. 

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Laurie and George dive deep into an incredibly important topic in Foreplay Replay- Women Who Don’t Like S*x: women who d...
12/08/2025

Laurie and George dive deep into an incredibly important topic in Foreplay Replay- Women Who Don’t Like S*x: women who don’t like s*x anymore — whether it’s due to life changes, communication breakdowns, body image challenges, or loss of pleasure.

They break down the three main blocks holding many women back—and even role-play how to begin that difficult but necessary conversation.

Perfect for anyone looking to deepen understanding and connection in their relationship. Tune in now for a real, heartfelt discussion.

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“I’m afraid that coming your way—even a little—means I’ll end up doing things I don’t want to do.”That’s not resistance....
30/07/2025

“I’m afraid that coming your way—even a little—means I’ll end up doing things I don’t want to do.”

That’s not resistance.
That’s self-protection.

In today’s Stage 2 language series (pt. 4), we’re unpacking what it means when one partner fears that any movement toward intimacy will lead to pressure or crossing boundaries.

The fear:
“If I give in a little… I’ll lose control.”
The response:
“It makes sense that you pull back—not because you don’t care, but because you’re trying to stay safe.”

These conversations aren’t easy—but they’re transformative.
They shift blame into compassion.
They open the door for consent, safety, and reconnection.

Tag someone who’s learning to navigate intimacy with care.

Save this for your next brave conversation.

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S*x is not a marital obligation.But it is a meaningful way couples stay attached.You have the right to say no.Always.Eve...
22/07/2025

S*x is not a marital obligation.
But it is a meaningful way couples stay attached.

You have the right to say no.
Always.
Even in marriage.

But avoiding the deeper conversation—why saying no is happening, or what the pursuit of s*x is trying to express—can leave both partners feeling disconnected.

Because s*x is rarely just about s*x.
It’s about closeness.
It’s about feeling chosen.
It’s about knowing you matter.

The goal isn’t pressure.
It’s curiosity.
It’s choosing connection—physically and emotionally—in ways that feel safe and honoring to both of you.

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21/07/2025

Couple's Retreat for S*xual Healing

We invite you to explore the way your relationship can be changed by understanding your cycle and finding tools to get reconnected – emotionally and s*xually.

Consider spending a whole day to focus on enhancing your relationship, intimacy, and understanding of each other. Join podcast Foreplay, co-hosts Laurie Watson, PhD, LMFT and George Faller, LMFT. Expert teaching, fun exercises with just you and your partner!

We believe that s*xual connection is imperative to a romantic partnership. If you are in a negative push-pull cycle about s*x, we can help you resolve this dilemma with research-driven methods.

Lecture is followed by questions and talking exercises just between you and your partner. No group participation necessary.

Identify your cycle, have a thorough plan to talk about every aspect of your s*x life for deep understanding of each other, hear the s*x talk you always needed!

♥ Has your marriage or partnership become functional but not exciting and loving?

♥ Do you want to deepen your connection and improve intimacy with your partner?

♥ Is s*x something to just check off your list now?

♥ Have you been trying to get that “sizzle” back?

♥ Do you want to want to break the negative emotional and s*xual cycles in your partnership?

The workshop will be a safe place for just you and your partner to discuss issues around your s*x life and intimacy. We’re going to talk about desire, arousal, and or**sm in men and women as well as where we differ. We’ll discuss great s*x and what it means and give you exercises to improve how your mind, body, heart, and spirit can be more involved so that you and your partner can find deeper connection.

Examining how s*xual pursuers and withdrawers feel about s*x and how the cycle between them can frustrate both, George and Laurie will talk about how resolving this dilemma can improve a couple’s bond. Lastly, we’ll discuss how having a safe conversation of looking at things from your partner’s perspective can increase vulnerability and create change in your relationship!

https://foreplayrst.com/product/fall-2025-couples-retreat/

11/07/2025

500th episode!!

11/07/2025

NEW NAME COMING: BRAVE LOVE FOR COUPLES!) Over the years, our podcast Foreplay has featured countless stories of couples who have transformed their relationships through courage and vulnerability. George Faller, Marriage & Family Therapist and I have shared our expertise, offered practical advice from our practices and strategies from EFT and beyond to help couples build strong, intimate connections. The podcast for committed couples has fostered a community of listeners who want to keep love safe and s*x hot!!! Keep it hot y'all!
(For my North Carolinian friends) - the name Foreplay came after I was offered a radio slot before the Chapel Hill football and basketball games. The show was pulled because it was too s*xual. I decided to heck with radio and started podcasting... and here we are... Valentine's Day 2026 will be 10 years!!
We've been asked to soften the name though the show will continue to be about emotional connection and s*xual intimacy. We believe BRAVE LOVE for couples captures the essence of our focus on vulnerability. We hope you will share with your friends when our name change comes out!
Thanks to Dr. Adam Mathews - for his 3 years of hard work beginning this podcast, his velvet voice, his expertise and his lasting friendship! Also to the many behind the scenes workers: Social Media Managers: Madison Nicole Henley, Erin Bostrom Creel, Joe Davis (edited all 500!), Reed Watson - who helped in numerous ways at the beginning and continues with editing our book, Rebecca Becca McDermott, my ever patient husband who has posted them all!, Christy Warner - who has tirelessly done our accounting and helped in sundry different ways, Sally Wagner - who has supported from the beginning, tracked down countless details for our retreats, bought g pizza!, etc, And artist/friend Timothy Walsh for new LOGO for Brave Love!!!!!

“I worry you’ll find someone who’s a better s*xual fit…”⠀This kind of fear can feel raw and vulnerable — but when we res...
05/07/2025

“I worry you’ll find someone who’s a better s*xual fit…”
⠀
This kind of fear can feel raw and vulnerable — but when we respond with empathy instead of defense, healing starts to happen.
⠀
Stage 2 responses invite deeper connection: acknowledging the fear, naming the hurt, and reassuring commitment.
⠀
Want to grow your emotional and s*xual intimacy? Tune into our conversation on navigating s*xual fears — now on the Foreplay Podcast.
⠀
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Ever had this fear pop up in your relationship? 👇“I’m afraid I’m not a s*xual enough person for you…”It’s vulnerable. It...
26/06/2025

Ever had this fear pop up in your relationship? 👇

“I’m afraid I’m not a s*xual enough person for you…”

It’s vulnerable. It’s raw. And it’s more common than you’d think.

The worst thing we can do?

Rush past it… get defensive… or minimize it with a quick “That’s not true!”

A better way?

Slow down.
Breathe.

And meet the fear with emotional safety:
“It must leave you anxious to worry about this… I can imagine it would be hard to relax and enjoy the moment with those thoughts in your head.”

This kind of response does two huge things:

1️⃣ Validates your partner’s fear (without fixing or denying it)
2️⃣ Creates room for connection instead of shutdown

Because navigating s*xual fears isn’t about saying the “right” thing…

It’s about staying present with the hard thing.

Save this if you or your partner has ever wrestled with this fear.

👇 Drop a comment: Have you had this convo before?

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