Rise and shine, pleasure seekers!
Sarah Douglass here, the editor-in-chief of PSYN Media & founder of Pussynomics©, a women+’s pleasure advocacy company. From all of us at PSYN, may you stumble on joy, savor the little things, and let this Q&A be your midweek spark. xx.
This morning we’re waking up with Dr. Juliana Hauser. A licensed couples and family therapist, professional counselor, and bona fide sex expert, Dr. Juliana has spent decades helping people reclaim their sexual agency and connect to their truest selves. Through her clinical practice and flagship course, Revealed, she’s supported thousands around the globe in uncovering their essence and embracing pleasure without apology. Her expertise has been featured everywhere from Oprah and Women’s Health to Forbes and The Doctors. Based in Lexington, Kentucky, with a master’s from Auburn and a PhD from William & Mary, Dr. Juliana is as passionate about evolving sex education as she is about demystifying it. Let’s dive in…
Right now, what’s turning you on—culturally, creatively, or sexually?
My graphic of holistic sexuality has evolved over the years, but when I knew I was including it in my book A New Position on Sex (out now!), I knew I needed to nail it. With my design team, we came up with an 8-point star, with agency at the hub of it all. When I showed this to a friend, she said it looked just like the Star of Ishtar. Once I learned more, I couldn’t be more creatively turned on by all the ways this incredibly powerful symbol keeps showing up in my life. It seriously couldn’t be a more perfect beacon for my work, lighting the way forward.
I’m also energized by the conversation about perimenopause and menopause, not only for those it’s currently relevant to, but for men, for children, for everyone who loves the women that are or will go through this rite of passage. It gives me so much hope that the future generations of menopause-rs will have so much more support than we have had in the past.
Do you have a ritual, tool, or practice that helps you connect to your own pleasure?
Momotaro Apotheca tonic in the shower, the ritual of my daughter going to sleep, turning lights off, getting quiet, turning off my brain from work, and breathing. Listening to Othership breathwork practices before going to sleep.
What do you wish people talked about more openly when it comes to sex & pleasure?
I wish people didn’t reserve the “is that normal” just for a therapist. We have to normalize it… I gain so much by hearing other people’s sexual stories and I wish other people did, too. It’s not just about sharing and reducing shame by sharing.
I wish people celebrated good sex more and that people knew how to celebrate that part of life.
I wish more people in the 70s and 80s were talking about their sex lives. That came from a TikTok I saw. It was a woman whose grandmother died and found her grandmother’s sex box with new toys. I wish we had more of that.
If we peeked at your “pleasure playlist,” what’s on it?
Hermanos Gutierrez.
Three Women (it hits three very different sexual issues, characters, and casting — it’s a 10 for me).
Surrogate partners! Getting to see people going after their sexual lives with the work of a surrogate partner is awesome and profound.
What’s one myth or misconception about pleasure you’d love to debunk?
Your sex life declines as you age, or that it’s always awful in peri / menopause. That’s not the case. Many people tell me it’s much better.
If you like to be pegged and are a man it doesn’t mean you’re gay, it just means you like your ass fucked.
What’s one lesson you’ve learned on your pleasure journey that you’d want others to know?
Your self-pleasure practice needs the same kind of variety that partnered sex does. There are so many options, everyone has their go-to way and that is interesting but you don’t want to get into that routine rut. Surprise your neural pathways.
✨ Dr. Juliana’s Plug
Ready for a radical reframe? Dr. Juliana Hauser’s new book, A New Position on Sex, is a transformative guide to healing, self-discovery, and unapologetic pleasure. Packed with reflective “sexercises,” soul-searching questions, and hard-won wisdom from decades in practice, it’s the sex ed we all deserved but never got. Whether you’re navigating shame, exploring desire, or simply hungry for more joy in your relationships, this book invites you to shed what no longer serves you and embrace your sexual essence with confidence. Perfect for book clubs (yes, it even comes with discussion questions!), A New Position on Sex will change the way you see yourself—and your pleasure—forever.
🗞️ Fresh on PSYN