Host Jessa Zimmerman interviews New York City sex therapist and trainer Sari Cooper about how sexual stigma and shame are shaped by culture, religion, family dynamics, and implicit messages like silence or lack of affection modeling. Cooper shares her background from a liberal upbringing and modern dance into a helping profession where sex felt taboo, and discusses nuanced bicultural and first-generation experiences, including how differing immigration stories within the same culture can affect sexual expectations. They explore how shame can show up in issues like masturbation and orgasm avoidance, and how the internet can both improve access to sex education and distort expectations through porn and social media trends. Cooper describes helping clients evaluate which rituals and beliefs remain meaningful without dismissing heritage, emphasizes taking a thorough sexual history and practicing curiosity in couples work, and explains her Erotic Intimacy Academy training (SEEIT) and the value of SAR-style self-exploration for therapists.00:00 Show Intro00:44 Meet Sari Cooper01:26 Why Stigma Matters03:56 Culture Religion Messages07:19 Family Silence Modeling10:42 Rituals And First Period13:13 Hidden Shame In Therapy15:31 Internet Porn Social Shifts19:24 Midroll Quiz Break19:50 Gen Z Sex Dating Choices21:29 Parenthood Decisions Trauma22:51 Family Trauma And Genetics23:30 Dating Apps And Disconnection25:01 Avoiding Apps After Burnout25:20 Shame Stigma And Culture28:43 Purity Culture And Loss31:36 Couples Across Cultures34:33 Sex Seam Model And Training35:52 Therapist Comfort And SAR38:04 Where To Find Sari39:35 Podcast Wrap UpJessa's quizzes are available at
https://www.desirediscepancy.com
Bio:Sari Cooper is an AASECT-Certified Sex Therapist & Supervisor and Founder and Director of the Center for Love and Sex (CLS), a boutique group practice specializing in sex therapy, couples counseling, and individual clients challenged with erotic and sexual disorders. She created Sex Esteem, LLC to provide coaching, books, blogs, and Talks to the public on critical, cutting-edge insight on how to center one’s sexual pleasure in dating, ‘relationshipping,’ and mating. Her Sex Esteem® blog has been read by over 1,000,000 readers, and you can follow her @saricooperofficial on Instagram and FB and on Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/-sari-cooper-center-for-love-and-sex. www.centerforloveandsex.com
Want to learn more about my sponsored charity? Charity: Water is committed to providing clean water to every human on the planet, 100% of your contribution will be used directly for water projects around the globe. You can learn more at https://www.bettersexpodcast.com/water.More info and resources:Secret Podcast for the Higher Desire Partner: https://www.intimacywithease.com/hdppodcastSecret Podcast for the Lower Desire Partner: https://www.intimacywithease.com/ldppodcastHow Big a Problem is Your Sex Life? Quiz –
https://www.sexlifequiz.com
The Course – https://www.intimacywithease.com/iwecourseThe Book –
https://www.sexwithoutstress.com
Access the Free webinar: Intimacy Made Easy: 3 Secrets to Bridging Libido Differences: https://intimacywithease.com/masterclass
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