Can You Feel Desire if You Never Risk Rejection? — with Christine Emba
We Need To Talk with Dr. Darcy Sterling · Mar 17, 2026 · 49:20
We Need To Talk with Dr. Darcy Sterling
We Need To Talk with Dr. Darcy Sterling · Mar 17, 2026 · 49:20
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https://weneedtotalkwithdrdarcysterling.supercast.com/
If you’ve ever had sex that was consensual and respectful but still left you feeling undesired, this is for you.
What happens in relationships when sex becomes so carefully negotiated that desire starts to disappear?
Because someone can do everything right — and still not make you feel wanted.
Christine Emba, author of Rethinking Sex, joins me for a conversation about the gap between consent and desire — and what gets lost when permission becomes the whole standard for intimacy.
• why consent and desire are not the same thing
• what gets lost when sex becomes overly scripted
• why removing risk can also remove erotic tension
• how safety and aliveness can pull against each other
• what it means to feel wanted, not just permitted
Because the real question isn’t whether someone asked — it’s whether you felt wanted.
REFERENCES/RESOURCES
www.alternativescounseling.com
CREDITS
“We Need To Talk With Dr. Darcy Sterling” is a Sterling Standard Production. Editing and sound engineering by Bart Migal. Our theme music is by Trending Music. Special thanks to Amanda Cristiani and Robyn Jaenchen.
Watch this episode here on YouTube.
https://weneedtotalkwithdrdarcysterling.supercast.com/
Episodes: We Need To Talk with Dr. Darcy Sterling
