Hi everyone!  Welcome to the A to Z of Sex.  I’m Dr Lori Beth and I am your host.  We are working our way through the erotic alphabet one letter at a time.  Just a reminder this podcast deals with adult content, so if you don’t have total privacy, you might want to put on your headphones. Today the letter is C and C is for Consent. Consent is an issue that has always been tricking when talking about sexual activity. 

Joining me today is Shula Melamed who is a Relationship and Wellness Coach located in New York City. She has been coaching individuals, couples and groups on topics of intimacy, sexuality, healthy relationships, social skills and adhering to health and wellness programs. In addition to working with her clients she has also done research on the popularity of pole dancing classes, has worked as an ethnographer of youth subcultures in New York City, on public health research on drug use and adherence to HIV medication and as a sexual health advisor for the sex positive underwear line Oddo. 

Shula thanks for joining me! So where shall we start on this tricky topic?

We talked about consent from the point of where we learn that our bodies belong to us through to consenting for complex sexual relationships. We talked about the Cup of Tea video and the link to this is here. We spoke about how heterosexual couples approach consent and how hard it can be for people to think about what they desire and to talk clearly about their boundaries and limits. We talked about how the wider culture influences our own beliefs about acceptable boundaries, limits and the necessity of consent. Ultimately we saw three steps – 1 Know your own limits and desires, 2 Communicate well about your limits and desires, 3 Negotiate consent clearly.

Shula offers listeners a complimentary 30 minute Skype session.

Head over to her website www.shulamelamed.com

She can be found on Facebook (shulamelamedmamph), twitter: @shulamelamed and linked in (shulamelamed).

Thanks for joining me this week for the A to Z of Sex. Write in with your questions to drloribeth@atozofsex.com and visit both websites www.atozofsex.com and www.the-intimacy-coach.com to learn about alternative sexual choices, types of sexual relationships and to learn to sizzle and create that ideal lasting intimate relationship. For a free 30 minute session with me, head over to www.atozofsex.com and click on the button that says ‘book now’.  Please join me next week when the letter will be D for Dating and Sex.