The Intimacy Inquiry

The Intimacy Inquiry

by Andrew Phipps
SexualityRelationships
Season 1
From Strip Club to Sacred Work: Tantra, Menopause, and Desire with Maria Merloni
What if everything you were taught about sex was designed to disconnect you from your own body? In this episode of The Intimacy Inquiry, Andrew Phipps sits down with Maria Merloni, psychotherapist, sex and relationship coach, and sacred spot massage practitioner, for one of the most honest and wide-ranging conversations the show has produced. Maria's story begins in a Catholic household where sex was never mentioned but nudity was ordinary. She became a nude model at university, then an exotic dancer, then a clinical social worker, and eventually a therapist specialising in sex, relationships, and somatic healing. Now 60, she says she is having the best sex of her life, a statement she backs up with both personal experience and clinical insight. The conversation moves across a remarkable amount of ground. Maria explains what men at strip clubs were really seeking when they broke down in front of her: not sex, but genuine connection, the same thing that brings people to dominatrices, OnlyFans creators, and therapists alike. She describes her journey toward what she calls her sacred work, including a course for women navigating perimenopause and post-menopause, built on the practice of self yoni massage, which she credits with eliminating her own vaginal dryness and restoring her libido after just a few weeks. Maria and Andrew explore why talk therapy so often fails to create real change, and how somatic techniques such as gentle reprocessing and EMDR work differently, rewiring the brain at a level where language cannot reach. Maria shares her own experience: years of unknowingly choosing partners with addiction issues, a pattern that only ended after she worked through the childhood trauma that was driving it. She explains how unhealed wounds do not disappear; they recruit new people to re-inflict them until something shifts at the cellular level. The pair dig into what tantra actually is, not the westernised caricature of exotic positions, but a philosophy that everything in the universe is sacred and connected, and that the deepest intimacy begins with presence. Maria describes simple practices, including eye gazing and synchronised breathing, that can transform a conversation or a sexual encounter in under two minutes. They also cover the psychology of erectile dysfunction, the real logistics of polyamory, why couples stop touching each other and what that costs them in oxytocin and closeness, and why redefining pleasure beyond a narrow heteronormative script opens up possibilities that many people close off prematurely, often in their forties or fifties, assuming their best years are behind them. This is a conversation for anyone who has ever felt that their desire was something to be managed or suppressed rather than understood and celebrated. Maria makes the case, calmly and from experience, that it is not too late. It may, in fact, be just beginning. Maria Merloni: mariamerloni.com Free five-minute guided yoni reconnection practice: mariamerloni.com/ritual Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and via RSS.
S1 · E127
Jun 10, 2026
1:00:02
Jesus Christ Porn Star: Healing Sexual Shame Through Spiritual Erotic Art | Shoshanna Blanca
What happens when a feminist writer, therapist, and sex educator takes an ibogaine trip and emerges with a calling to bridge the sacred and the sensual? Shoshanna Blanca joins Andrew Phipps on The Intimacy Inquiry to share the story behind Jesus Christ Porn Star, a spiritual erotic performance art project on OnlyFans that blends singing, prayer, worship, vlogging, and explicit imagery to challenge the religiously rooted sexual shame that has shaped Western culture for centuries. Shoshanna traces the journey from her first psychedelic encounter with Jesus in 2021, through her research into feminist biblical scholarship, to the creation of projects including Church in Bed, Coming to God, Uncovering Eve, and The Second Cumming. Her latest book, Eve's Blessing: Uncovering the Lost Pleasure Behind Female Pain, reinterprets the story of Adam and Eve, arguing that the curses of Genesis were not divine punishments but prophetic descriptions of patriarchy and capitalism, already redeemed by the crucifixion and waiting to be claimed. In this rich and wide-ranging conversation, Andrew and Shoshanna explore the philosophical and theological case for treating the body as a sacred portal to the divine, the difference between spiritual erotic performance art and conventional pornography, the ethics of the sex work industry, and why so many content creators and performers also hold deep spiritual lives. They discuss the virgin/whore dichotomy, the outdated laws governing the therapy profession, the politics of psychedelic prohibition, and Shoshanna's belief that the Rapture is already unfolding online through cancel culture and collective awakening. Shoshanna also shares her vision of the Second Coming: not a single figure descending from the sky, but a collective awakening led by women reclaiming spiritual authority and embodying Christ consciousness through non-judgment, unconditional love, and body acceptance. And she outlines her most ambitious project yet: staging the Rapture on Pornhub as a space for radical emotional honesty and conflict resolution. Thought-provoking, theologically curious, and genuinely unlike anything else in your podcast feed. This episode contains mature themes and explicit discussion of sexuality and adult content creation. Intended for adult listeners.
S1 · E126
Jun 8, 2026
51:52
She Films Her Real Sex Life, Loves Life As a Mom, and Holds Nothing Back | Michelena Rose | The Intimacy Inquiry
She films her real sex life, raises her kids, runs a spray tan and massage business, and just moved to Miami to build an empire. This is Michelena Rose, and she holds nothing back. In this episode of The Intimacy Inquiry, Andrew Phipps sits down with Michelena Rose, Playboy cover model and Playmate, international model, adult film star, licensed massage therapist, and sex and relationship coach. Based in Miami after building her brand in Myrtle Beach, Michelena films her actual sex life on her own terms, with zero compromise. She is also a mum, a business owner, and one of the most grounded, honest, and genuinely warm people you will hear on this show. This conversation goes exactly where you hope it does, and somewhere you probably did not expect. IN THIS EPISODE: Why what you see on camera is exactly who she is off camera How OnlyFans changed the power dynamic for women in adult content Why your man is not subscribing to her for the sex (and what he actually needs) Knives, swords, cacti, Roman candles: the shock and awe content explained How to ask your partner for what you really want, without shame Pegging: why more women should try being the one in control Bisexuality, non-jealousy, and where she draws her personal line What love means to her, and giving someone permission to break your heart The conversation she already had with her son at age 10 Her five to ten year vision: podcast, coaching, and taking the sex and relationship world by storm TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Introduction 01:30 What You See on Camera Is Exactly Who She Is 03:00 Filming Real Sex vs Performing: The Key Difference 04:30 Why She Never Considered Mainstream Studios 05:30 OnlyFans, Creator Control, and the Connection Economy 07:00 Why Her Fans Subscribe (and What Partners Miss at Home) 09:00 Social Media, Disconnection, and Making People Feel Alive 13:00 Growing Up Italian, Free-Spirited, and Body Confident 14:30 How Women React When They First Meet Her 17:00 What She Wants People to Feel Watching Her Work 19:30 Knives, Swords, Cacti, Roman Candles: Shock and Awe Explained 22:30 Every Object Is a First Time, Live on Camera 24:00 A Typical Day: 5AM Gym, Massages, Soccer, Dinner at 6 25:30 The Conversation With Her Son at Age 10 29:00 How to Ask Your Partner for What You Really Want 32:00 The Right Way to Bring Up Pegging 33:30 Why Pegging Is Empowering for Women 39:00 Partners on Camera: When Someone Was Not Comfortable 41:00 Bisexuality, Non-Jealousy, and Where She Draws the Line 42:00 What Love Really Means to Her 46:00 Giving Someone Permission to Break Your Heart 48:30 What People Misunderstand About Women in This Industry 51:00 Travelling Alone to Reset Her Mind 53:00 Her Vision: Miami, Podcast, Sex and Relationship Coaching ABOUT MICHELENA ROSE: Playboy cover model and Playmate. International model, adult film star, licensed massage therapist, sex and relationship coach. Owner of Get Naked and Glow. Based in Miami, FL. Website: itsmichelenarose.com ABOUT THE INTIMACY INQUIRY: Hosted by Andrew Phipps, exploring energy dynamics, authentic connection, and what intimacy really means. New episodes weekly. Subscribe on YouTube. Listen on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, search "The Intimacy Inquiry." Connect with Andrew on LinkedIn: Leave a review on Apple Podcasts if this episode moved you. #TheIntimacyInquiry #MichelenaRose #OnlyFans #AdultContentCreator #Intimacy #SexPositive #Pegging #BodyConfidence #SexAndRelationshipCoaching #PlayboyModel #WomenInAdultIndustry #KinkPositive #SexEducation #Podcast #MiamiCreator #SexualEmpowerment #OpenRelationships #ConsciousLiving #PodMatch
S1 · E125
May 27, 2026
57:06
Obsession, Toxic Chemistry and the Mirror That Healed Him | Dr. Stephen Paul Edwards |
What happens when desire becomes obsession, obsession becomes psychological warfare, and the whole thing turns out to be the mirror you needed all along? In this episode of The Intimacy Inquiry, Andrew Phipps sits down with Dr. Stephen Paul Edwards, PhD in Spiritual Counseling, international speaker, coach, and author of "The Venus Fly Trap: Sex, Lies, and Repercussions." Born in Blackpool, UK and now based in Florida, Stephen has spent decades helping people untangle the relational and sexual patterns that keep them looping through the same chaos. His memoir has been described as equal parts erotic, soul-stirring, and genuinely healing. This conversation goes deep: childhood trauma and gaslighting, running away from home eight times, electroconvulsive therapy at 16, four marriages, working with Tony Robbins, Deepak Chopra and Wayne Dyer, the relationship that became his mirror, shame, forgiveness, the sexual revolution, and why vulnerability is not a weakness. WHAT WE COVER: Childhood gaslighting, control, and running away from home eight times Electroconvulsive therapy at 16 and the shame that followed for years How working with Tony Robbins, Deepak Chopra and Wayne Dyer shaped his path Why he wrote "The Venus Fly Trap" and what radical honesty cost him Why you don't have a relationship problem, you have a pattern problem The letter to his parents he was told not to send (but mailed anyway) Social media, pornography, and why growing up is harder now The future of gender, androgyny, masculine and feminine energy His vision: Netflix, stage shows, and a shame-free sexuality movement ABOUT DR. STEPHEN PAUL EDWARDS: PhD in Spiritual Counseling. International speaker, coach and author. Born in Blackpool, UK, based in Florida. Worked alongside Tony Robbins, Deepak Chopra and Wayne Dyer. Author of "The Venus Fly Trap: Sex, Lies, and Repercussions." Leading voice in Quantum Wealth and conscious living. Book and website: vft23.com ABOUT THE INTIMACY INQUIRY: Hosted by Andrew Phipps, exploring energy dynamics, authentic connection, and what intimacy really means, with yourself, with others, and with life. New episodes weekly. Listen on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, search "The Intimacy Inquiry." If this episode moved you, please leave a review. It helps more people find the show. Dr. Edwards has created a unique link exclusively for you to access the complimentary first 3 chapters of The Venus Flytrap: Sex, Lies & Repercussion. . In addition, we’re including the link for the coaching and counselling sessions Dr. Edwards offers. Here is the Landing unique link for you: https://bit.ly/48uidPv Here is the Coaching unique link for you: https://vft23.com/coaching-and-counselling/?utm_source=Andrew+Phipps&utm_medium=The+Intimacy+Inquiry&utm_campaign=Podcast+Interview+-+Andrew+Phipps Discount Code: VFT23! #TheIntimacyInquiry #StephenPaulEdwards #VenusFlyTrap #ToxicRelationships #HealingTrauma #Intimacy #SpiritualHealing #VulnerabilityIsStrength #RelationshipPatterns #TonyRobbins #ShameFree #Forgiveness #MasculineAndFeminine #SexualRevolution #MindBodySpirit #Podcast
S1 · E124
May 25, 2026
1:11:33
Listening to Desire: Dark Nights, Relationship Myths, and Pleasure-Based Intimacy
Listening to Desire: Dark Nights, Relationship Myths, and Pleasure-Based Intimacy with LiYana Silver A transformational coach and author of "Feminine Genius" LiYana Silver discusses how she helps clients—especially women—rebuild self-trust, body connection, and desire after heartbreak or divorce, and explains why many people can’t safely access what they truly want. She outlines three common relationship myths: the “myth of romance” (partner above all else), the “relationship escalator” (preset steps toward longevity), and the belief that love equals merging and self-erasure, particularly for women. The conversation reframes divorce as not inherently a failure and emphasizes validating devastation before moving through phases of transformation. LiYana describes couple work as identifying entrenched patterns rooted in wounds, doing individual healing, and learning communication skills, while also normalizing shifts in sexual spark over time. They explore pleasure practices, de-centering orgasm and penetration, creating safer erotic conversations, reconnecting to bodily yes/no signals, parenting amid social media and pornography through open dialogue, and her own self-care and future goals, including a forthcoming divorce-focused book. 00:00 Meet the Coach 00:43 What Do You Do 02:27 Finding What You Want 04:46 Three Relationship Myths 09:57 When It Falls Apart 15:28 Divorce Is Not Failure 16:24 Dark Night or The End 21:12 Being Yourself in Love 25:25 Raising Kids Online 29:47 Talking About Sex 31:08 Listening to Your Body 32:07 Body Truths and Intuition 34:53 Yes No Body Signals 41:26 Relationship Escalator Talks 46:05 Pleasure Practice and Shame 53:39 Beyond Performance Sex 57:36 Therapist Self Care 01:00:26 Future Vision and Closing http://liyanasilver.com/map https://www.facebook.com/liyana.silver https://www.instagram.com/liyana_silver/ https://liyanasilver.substack.com/
S1 · E123
May 11, 2026
1:04:27
Ashmita Arora on Spiritual Awakening, Presence, and Breaking Repeating Patterns
Ashmita Arora on Spiritual Awakening, Presence, and Breaking Repeating Patterns Spiritual teacher and transformation guide Ashmita Arora discusses her intuitive practice supporting people through grief, heartbreak, burnout, disconnection, and awakening by helping clients identify the root of repeating patterns and create lasting inner shifts in safe, confidential spaces. She reflects on early sensitivity, anxiety about death and OCD-like repetitive thoughts, and how later miscarriages, family stress, and physical symptoms led her into meditation and a pivotal “pop” experience that opened intuitive communication and channeling, which she initially feared was postpartum psychosis. Arora critiques Western avoidance of death and a standardized, memorization-based education system, arguing AI will push people toward creativity, intuition, and individuality. She emphasizes presence over multitasking, describes common stuck patterns rooted in fear, guilt, and obligation, and explains relationship growth through communication, evolving “many relationships” within one partnership, and nonjudgment toward monogamy. 00:00 Meet Ashmita Arora 00:50 Formative Years Reflection 01:32 Early Magic and Death Anxiety 04:08 Why We Avoid Death Talk 08:06 School Dread and Body Signals 09:35 Meditation Pop Awakening 13:57 Education AI and Creativity 20:52 Birth of Intuitive Practice 24:15 Patterns Beyond Self Help 27:33 Intimacy Needs and Wholeness 32:14 Media Pressure and Burnout 35:21 Fluid Balance Mindset 36:36 Phones vs Presence 39:47 Slow Down Before Burnout 41:08 Mindful Pleasure Analogies 42:35 Energy Amplification Manifesting 45:21 Tuning Frequency Intuition 48:30 Protecting Your Energy 53:19 Evolving Relationships Communication 59:52 Monogamy Personal Choice 01:01:44 Future Path and Closing https://www.ashmitaarora.com/ https://www.instagram.com/the_intuitive_practice/
S1 · E122
May 5, 2026
1:05:29
Lacey Kelly on Unbecoming and Belonging,
Lacey Kelly on Unbecoming, Belonging, and Reclaiming Wholeness in a Hyper-Stimulated World Trauma therapist and author Lacey Kelly, founder of the Unbecoming Hub, discusses her work at the intersection of psychology, nervous system science, and existential questions of identity, burnout, and belonging. She reflects on being an anxious, ungrounded teen drawn to philosophy and meaning, and says she first felt at home in herself in her late twenties after an autoimmune illness and stepping off the “hamster wheel” of self-fixing. Lacey defines “unbecoming” as releasing constant striving to become someone else and returning to a grounded home base of ease and inherent wholeness. The conversation critiques self-help culture, isolation and loss of “third spaces,” and how technology provides accessible but often unsatisfying connection. They explore AI companions and attention addiction, the decline of religion/spirituality and shared meaning, therapy’s tendency to pathologize normal existential distress, and a practical step: get curious about the fear of stopping self-improvement and question the premise that you are the exception to inherent worth. 00:00 Meet Lacey Kelly 00:43 Teen Years Curiosity 01:51 Finding Home In Self 02:53 What Unbecoming Means 04:24 Why We Feel Broken 07:40 Tech Connection Paradox 11:59 AI Companions And Loneliness 17:56 Attention Economy Starts Young 25:11 Presence Memory And Phones 28:38 Smartphone Regret Ahead 29:11 Self Fixing Hurts Love 30:42 Self Help Relationship Rules 32:16 Spiritual Wholeness Seat 34:56 Losing Religion Meaning 38:08 Nature Reconnection Wisdom 43:08 Unbecoming Hub Future 46:52 Therapy Pathologizing Trap 52:23 Returning Without Shame 54:33 Try Unbecoming Curiosity 56:09 Closing Thanks Farewell https://www.theunbecominghub.com/ https://theunbecominghub.substack.com/
S1 · E121
Apr 20, 2026
56:27
Alexandra Beller on Body Image, Somatics, and Creating Embodied Art
Alexandra Beller on Body Image, Somatics, and Creating Embodied Art Choreographer, educator, and author Alexandra Beller discusses her early experiences coming of age in the 1980s amid intense diet culture, bullying, and body shaming, while finding wholeness and spiritual aliveness through dance. She describes how her body type limited casting and training opportunities, the power critics once held, and how joining choreographer Bill T. Jones’ company broke industry norms but increased public scrutiny of her body. Beller reflects on building chosen family in dance, developing internal guardrails for self-worth, and learning to receive praise without taking criticism as truth. She explores menopause as a neurological and personal rewiring that strengthened consent and self-advocacy, and shares creating a pivotal work based on her preverbal child’s developmental movement. She explains her somatic approach to helping clients access body-held emotion and why she wrote a book to support artists, creativity, and inner-critic work. 00:00 Meet Alexandra Beller 01:09 Teen Years and Body Image 04:38 Disordered Eating Pressures 06:08 Rejection and Breaking In 09:42 Critics Then and Now 11:58 Dance Community and Self Worth 16:06 Learning to Receive Praise 19:31 Love Mirrors and Self View 21:22 Menopause Rebellion and Renewal 25:22 Healthcare Gaps and Finding No 29:10 Starting a Dance Company 31:41 A Work Where Words Fail 34:03 Baby Movement as Spiritual Research 38:04 Inner Child Onstage 40:25 Why We Stop Moving 42:26 Undoing School Body Locks 45:51 Nature As Sensation 47:56 Breastfeeding And Wholeness 51:16 Helping Clients Embody 53:38 Somatic Patterns And Emotion 56:43 Why Write The Book 58:32 Writing Flow And ADHD 01:02:19 Vulnerability In Print 01:04:39 Pruning Ego And Therapy 01:06:14 Next Decade And Good Life 01:08:22 Closing Thanks https://www.alexandrabellerdances.org/ https://www.facebook.com/alexandra.beller.73/ https://www.youtube.com/@alexandrabeller9868 https://www.instagram.com/alexandrabellerdances/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandra-beller-0a56a57/ https://www.tiktok.com/@thelabanista?lang=en
S1 · E120
Apr 6, 2026
1:08:46
Embodying Pleasure: Patty Alfonso on Erotic Innocence, Nervous System Healing, and Expanding Intimacy
Embodying Pleasure: Patty Alfonso on Erotic Innocence, Nervous System Healing, and Expanding Intimacy Patty Alfonso, an “erotic priestess” and creator of the Embody Her mentorship, explains her trauma-aware, body-based approach to helping women integrate pleasure, power, and truth by reconnecting with the body rather than living solely “from the neck up.” She and the host discuss somatic healing for trauma responses, technology-driven disconnection, and how patriarchy and mixed cultural messages shame women’s sexuality while exploiting it. Patty shares her personal path from a sex-silent upbringing to feminine embodiment through S Factor movement, and reframes erotic energy as creative life force connected to nature and “womb wisdom.” They explore expanding the definition of sex beyond penetration, introduce erotic blueprints as a framework for pleasure, and emphasize communication, community support, and discernment in relationships, including ethical polyamory. Patty offers resources at pattyalfonso.com/innocence. 00:00 Meet Patty Alfonso 00:43 What Is An Erotic Priestess 02:08 Living In Your Head 05:44 Trauma Lives In The Body 08:37 Her Path To Sensual Movement 12:12 Patriarchy And Pleasure 21:06 Grounding Orgasmic Energy 24:47 Erotic Living Everyday 32:39 Redefining Sex As Pleasure 34:24 Erotic Blueprints Explained 37:45 Shame And Self Exploration 41:18 Can Women Have It All 43:04 Rebuilding Community Support 44:47 Feminine Values and Balance 46:49 Womb Wisdom Beyond Motherhood 49:30 Erotic Innocence Mindset 50:04 Monogamy vs Polyamory 59:45 Kink and Safe Sex Talks 01:04:04 Erotic Energy Fuels Life 01:08:24 Sensual Blueprint Senses 01:12:08 Discernment in Partnership 01:17:58 Future Visions and Pilgrimage 01:21:57 Closing and Listener Offer https://www.youtube.com/@PattyAlfonsoTV https://www.pattyalfonso.com/innocence https://www.facebook.com/pattyalfonsohealer https://instagram.com/thepattyalfonso
S1 · E119
Mar 30, 2026
1:23:16
#118 Cidney Green: Unfiltered, non-monogamous, empowered, and sexually liberated
Cidney Green on Sexual Liberation, Non‑Monogamy, and Power On Intimacy Inquiry, the host speaks with Cidney Green, creator of viral Atlanta alt orgy events, the Pussy Over Pain Movement, and author of the upcoming book All Three In Me. Green describes her private self as playful and affection-seeking, contrasts her teenage prudishness and dependence on male validation with an early fascination with sex, and discusses porn as entertainment rather than education. She argues society’s comfort with violence but discomfort with sex stems largely from religion and that sexual shame suppresses personal power, especially for women. Green explains her path into polyamory via a poly Facebook group and an open relationship, framing monogamy as illogical and historically tied to property and womb control. She shares why she wrote the book, reactions to her sex-party notoriety, her views on nudity, self-care practices, sex magic/manifestation, fantasies she hasn’t fulfilled, and her long-term desire for a compound with two to three husbands. 00:00 Meet Cidney Green 00:41 Who Is Cidney Really 01:45 Teen Years And Validation 03:58 Early Sexual Awakening 06:31 Why Violence Wins 11:43 Porn As Entertainment 17:18 Sexual Shame And Power 20:19 Defining Sexual Freedom 22:41 Discovering Non Monogamy 28:13 Monogamy And Womb Control 31:35 Writing All Three In Me 35:20 Backlash And Going Viral 40:18 Book Cover Meanings 42:11 Nudism And Authority 44:41 Body Shame Learned Early 46:33 Europe vs UK Nudity 48:29 Strip Clubs and Odd Laws 51:09 Private Sex Shops Era 51:56 Evolving Sexual Needs 53:39 Sex Magic Manifesting 58:02 Porn Preferences Unfiltered 01:00:11 Fantasies Threesomes and Anal 01:04:56 Pleasure Patriarchy and FGM 01:09:04 Religion Rape Culture and Orgasm Gap 01:14:55 Self Care and Saying Yes 01:17:31 Hollywood Casting and Poly Love 01:20:37 Wrap Up and Farewell https://www.all3inme.com/ https://x.com/thecidneyg https://www.youtube.com/@thecidneyg https://www.instagram.com/cidney_green?igsh=MTRlczF5eGpvOHcxaA== https://www.tiktok.com/@cidneygreen?_r=1&_t=ZP-94wGESSy5D4
S1 · E118
Mar 26, 2026
1:21:35
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