Embodied Podcast: Recent Episodes

Anita Rao

Sex and relationships are intimate — and sometimes intimidating to talk about. Host Anita Rao guides us on an exploration of our brains and our bodies that touches down in taboo territory. #EmbodiedWUNC00000178-140d-ddcb-affb-d6ed62e60000Listen and subscribe on your favorite audio app:Apple PodcastsSpotifyStitcherGoogle PlayAlso available on NPROne and the WUNC appRead our review on Mashable's list of the best sex, erotica, dating and relationship podcasts!Read Anita's piece on the origin story of the Embodied series in The Huffington Post!Check out our gorgeously illustrated season one discussion guide!00000178-140d-ddcb-affb-d6ed62e60001About Anita RaoAnita Rao is an award-winning public radio journalist and the host and creator of "Embodied." She's also the managing editor of WUNC's on-demand content. She has traveled the country recording interviews for the Peabody Award-winning StoryCorps production department, founded and launched a podcast about millennial feminism in the South, and served as the managing editor and regular host of "The State of Things," North Carolina Public Radio's flagship daily, live talk show. Anita was born in a small coal-mining town in Northeast England but spent most of her life growing up in Iowa and has a fond affection for the Midwest.Follow her on Twitter @anisrao. Meet The TeamGrant Holub-Moorman, producerJenni Lawson, sound engineerAmanda Magnus, producerRebecca Martinez, producerLaura Pellicer, producerCharlie Shelton-Ormond, producerDana Terry, producerLindsay Foster Thomas, executive producer

Anita got friend dumped for the first time in 6th grade, and she's still not over it. She talks to folks about the distinct pain of a platonic breakup and gets some tools for building strong friendships, setting boundaries and figuring out when it's time to let go.

Meet the guests:

Michelle Elman is an author and life coach best known for her activism campaign Scarred Not Scared. She tells Anita about "the mass exodus" — a period of time in which she went through multiple friend breakups
Tony Liu is a medical student and former radio and podcast producer for NPR and "On Being." He shares how tenderness informs how he makes and breaks up with friends
KB Newtonis the founder and creator of HEART Convos. She talks about being a recovering "trash friend"

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Anita wouldn't have made it through her 20s without her work friends. But now that she's a manager and working in a hybrid office, she's noticed that work friendships don't come as easily as they used to. A psychologist answers her burning workplace relationship questions and dives into the surprising amount of data about work besties. Plus, a Gen Z writer urges her to re-think the importance of work as a primary social hub.

Meet the guests:

Dr. Marisa G. Franco, a psychologist and author of "Platonic: How the Science of Attachment Can Help You Make — and Keep — Friends," shares the benefits of a work bestie and talks about why employers are invested in these positive relationships in the workplace
Katherine Hu, assistant editor at The Atlantic, talks about how her generation is navigating the social scene at work

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Anita has no qualms about being an armchair therapist for friends going through a breakup. But sometimes she wonders how her advice aligns with what relationship experts say. Advice columnists Meredith Goldstein and Stacia Brown give guidance on breaking up "well," going no-contact, navigating social media and finding the right breakup anthem for the moment.

Meet the guests:

Meredith Goldstein, writer and podcast host behind The Boston Globe column and podcast "Love Letters," shares insights from her personal and professional experiences with love and heartbreak
Stacia Brown, writer and producer, talks about her own pandemic breakup and shares wisdom akin to what she delivers regularly in her role as a columnist for Slate's parenting advice column "Care and Feeding"

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Anita is confused about hook up culture. Is it a thing, and if so, who makes the rules? She talks to a recent college grad about her research on the sex lives of her peers, plus a therapist who shares her take on why it doesn't feel as liberating as we think it should. Then she dives into Celibacy TikTok — a space where Gen Zers are committing to being sex-free.

Meet the guests:

Sophie Aaron, a writer, researcher and 2021 graduate of Oberlin College shares insights from her senior thesis on hookup culture on her campus in the time of COVID
Dr. Cherlisa Jackson, a sexual health educator and counselor based in Atlanta, talks about the myths vs. realities of hookup culture
Cindy Noir, a motivational speaker and TikTok creator, talks about why she has experimented with abstinence in response to hookup culture

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Anita invites her parents back to Embodied for a special bonus episode. She hears their take on our recent episode "Mixed," about growing up biracial. Then she turns the tables and puts herself in the guest seat as her parents ask her a few questions.

Meet the guests:

Sheila Rao, Anita's mom, shares some of the context surrounding her marriage to Satish and how that influenced the way they raised their children — and asks Anita how she's thinking about these issues as she's building her own mixed race family
Satish Rao, Anita's dad, talks about the influence of where Anita grew up on their family and asks Anita about the strengths and weaknesses of being biracial

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Anita's nail habit has evolved in the past decade from $10 drop-in manicures to 90 minute appointments with a nail artist. That artist joins her for a conversation about how Black women have shaped nail culture. Plus a fashion historian details nail history from Egyptian mummies to ‘90s Chanel colors, and a Vietnamese-American woman tells the story of growing up inside her parents' nail salons.

Meet the guests:

Crystal Sanders, nail artist and entrepreneur, shares her business and artistic philosophy and talks about the overlooked role Black women have played in the history of nail art
Suzanne E. Shapiro, fashion historian and author of "Nails: The Story of the Modern Manicure," explains the historical context of manicures and nail art and ties both art forms into larger cultural forces
My Ngoc To, Vietnamese-American writer, talks about her experience growing up in the nail salons that her parents owned and how that has influenced her relationship with nail art today

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Dig deeper:

Crissy Shined Nails on IG

Blkgirlnailfies on IG

More context on Black women in nail art

NYT nail industry expose

My Ngoc’s piece about her family’s nail salons

Nailed It documentary

When Anita moved away to college, she experienced a big shift in her biracial identity. Turns out that the questions that emerged for her are ones that many mixed young adults still ponder today ...15 years later. She meets two college seniors and they talk through navigating everything from "Where do I belong?" to "How do I date?" Plus she hears wisdom from a life coach who helps mixed adults tell new stories about identity.

Meet the guests:

Adiah Siler, a senior at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, explains how moving out of her small town to go to college allowed her opportunities to explore her Blackness and has influenced her journey as a mixed race person
Claire Gallagher, a senior at the University of Michigan, shares her own experiences growing up as a mixed race person and brings up some of the anxieties she's had about her identity, especially since attending a predominantly white college
Sarah Lotus Garrett, a certified life and goal fulfillment coach, emphasizes the confidence and healing that being a part of a mixed race community can bring

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Dig deeper:

Sarah’s program for mixed adults

Claire’s piece on the fetishization of mixed race identities

Adiah’s piece on being a mixed teen

Anita does not work with her boo, but after sharing home office space for two pandemic years, she's started to wonder how couples who do work together make it work. She talks with two sets of couples in very different professional industries about their strategies for tackling finances, alone time and intimacy.

Meet the guests:

Sarah & Austin McCombie, the married duo behind the North Carolina-based band Chatham Rabbits talk about how they learned to give each other constructive creative feedback
Brandé Elise and Danielle Gray, co-founders of CBD product and lifestyle company Unoia share why they felt ready to start a business together just three months after they started dating

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Update: Chatham Rabbits is on tour this summer — learn more here. And Unoia is making more of a shift towards CBD for pets — learn more here.

Anita is a bashful sexter, and she's ready to get over her insecurities. A pleasure enthusiast advises her on the art of a good sext; a sexting expert traces the short and spicy history of sexting in this country; and a high schooler breaks down the relationship between sexting and consent.

Meet the guests:

Penda N’diaye, founder and CEO of Pro Hoe and pleasure enthusiast, shares tips to help Anita get more comfortable with sexting and outlines the importance of consent
Amy Hasinoff, associate professor in the communication department at the University of Colorado Denver, breaks down the legal landscape of sexting and puts the moral panic over this kind of communication into historical context
Aaliyah, graduating high school senior and peer educator, explains the role of sexting in her and her peers' relationships and talks about how she's navigated sexting

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Dig deeper:

More information about sexting laws by state

Penda’s “How to Talk Dirty Without Sounding Fake” workbook

Guest host Omisade Burney-Scott is well aware that gentle parenting is a divisive concept. So she's gets into it! Omi talks with two other Black mothers about their definitions of gentle parenting and how it can break cycles of generational trauma. Then her older son shares how he has seen her parenting evolve over the past three decades.

Meet the guests:

Destiny Bennett, a content creator and mother of three boys, explains why she chooses to describe her parenting philosophy as "intentional" and how important connection and communication is in her parenting
Trina Greene, mother and founder of the virtual community Parenting for Liberation, outlines her parenting evolution and breaks down how she creates consequences without using punishment
Ché Nembhard, Omisade's eldest son, reflects with Omi on her three-decade parenting journey

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Dig deeper:

Destiny’s TikTok and Instagram

Five Accounts to Follow If You’re Curious About Conscious Parenting

@supernova_momma

Natasha Nelson is a Certified Positive Discipline Educator, veteran and mother to two autistic Black girls. Follow her account for examples of how she practices positive parenting and autism acceptance with her kids.

@untigering

Iris Chen is a “deconstructing tiger mom.” Her account, blog and book, “Untigering,” share resources on peaceful parenting and describe the journey she’s gone on from authoritarian parenting to gentle parenting.

@raisingyourself

Shelly Robinson is a certified family wellness coach and mom of two. She helps parents understand their own traumas and vulnerabilities so they can better create the relationship they want with their child/ren.

@mrchazz

Chazz Lewis, or “Mr. Chazz,” is a parenting and teacher coach, helping those who educate and rear children to avoid power struggles and frustration with kids and find joyful, effective strategies for communicating and interacting.

@parentingforliberation

Parenting for Liberation is a virtual community offering resources and connections for Black families, founded by Trina Greene. P4L seeks to help Black families raise children without fear.

Male fertility issues make up half of all infertility cases … but you’d never know it from consuming fertility content through culture, media and even medicine. Anita meets three men breaking the silence in hopes that others get the help and support they need.

Meet the guests:

Jared Wright, journalist who wrote a piece about his infertility journey for VICE, talks through his first time in a fertility clinic, the treatments he and his wife have undergone since their marriage in 2020 and about his experiences in the infertility space as a Black man
Dr. Paul Shin, urologist at at Shady Grove Fertility in Washington D.C., explains some of the potential causes of male infertility and what treatments are available
James D'Souza, a teacher, blogger and podcaster, breaks down his decision to stop pursuing parenthood after a ten year fertility journey with his wife

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Anita passes the mic to our friends at the feminist documentary podcast "Bodies" for an exploration of ADHD and identity. Producer Hannah Harris Green talks about how getting an ADHD diagnosis helped her release the shame she'd been carrying since childhood.

Meet the guests:

Hannah Harris Green, contributing producer for "Bodies," shares her journey to an ADHD diagnosis as an adult and how the disorder has impacted her entire life
Matthew, Hannah's partner, talks about how Hannah's ADHD impacts their relationship and helps her come to terms with her diagnosis
Dr. Andrea Spencer, child psychiatrist and vice chair for research for the Psychiatry Department at Lurie Children's Hospital in Chicago, explains her research on the intersection of ADHD and PTSD

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Anita wouldn't have made it through her 20s without her work friends. But now that she's a manager and working in a hybrid office, she's noticed that work friendships don't come as easily as they used to. A psychologist answers her burning workplace relationship questions and dives into the surprising amount of data about work besties. Plus, a Gen Z writer urges her to re-think the importance of work as a primary social hub.

Meet the guests:

Dr. Marisa G. Franco, a psychologist and author of "Platonic: How the Science of Attachment Can Help You Make — and Keep — Friends," shares the benefits of a work bestie and talks about why employers are invested in these positive relationships in the workplace
Katherine Hu, assistant editor at The Atlantic, talks about how her generation is navigating the social scene at work

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Anita has not lived with her parents since leaving for college. But during the pandemic, many Millennials and Gen Zers returned home. For some of them, especially those with unpartnered parents, this meant new and unexpected insights into their parents’ love lives. Anita shares an episode of the podcast “Dating While Gray” that features conversations between parents and their adult kids about the ongoing search for a happily ever after.

Adult children of single parents … are they a source of emotional support and strength, or a disruptive influence in finding a “happily ever after”? We explore with guests including the millennial daughter of our ever-so-curious host.

After two divorces, Gia’s on the fence about getting back out there. Daughter Lauryn aims to help by sharing ideas and resources, including this podcast. Then there’s gray dater Laura, whose partner seems less than enthusiastic about moving their relationship along. Are his grown kids the reason, or an excuse? Finally, DWG host Laura Stassi and her daughter compare notes on living together while exploring individual romantic pursuits. (How did that no-sleepovers pact turn out?)

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Anita hasn't always loved getting her photo taken, but seeing herself through the artistic eye of a close friend and photographer has changed her perspective. She meets two intimate photographers who take her behind the scenes of their shoots and share their philosophies on capturing the erotic in an image. Plus, she talks with a model about her intimate work that explores disability and sexuality.

Meet the guests:

LaQuann Dawson, an artist and community organizer, shares his passion for documenting the Black, queer community through intimate photography and what it's been like to turn the lens on himself
Shoog McDaniel, a queer, fat photographer and artist, describes the process of guiding others through intimate, mostly-nude shoots in nature and what it's like to witness them discover new ways of being in their bodies
Trista Marie McGovern, a writer, photographer, speaker and model, talks about using intimate photography as a tool to explore the intersections of disability and sexuality

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Dive deeper:

LaQuann’s on Instagram
Shoog on Instagram
Trista on Instagram
Trista’s essays on disability and sexuality

Anita agrees to a suggestion posed by a listener: Explore why the hair-pulling disorder trichotillomania is so taboo. She talks with an artist who started pulling their hair more than two decades ago but only recently told her parents…after publishing part of their story in a national news outlet. A psychologist on the front-lines of studying trich treatment talks about the importance of acceptance; and a hairstylist with trich takes us into why her salon is a safe haven for other folks with hair loss.

Meet the guests:

Haruka Aoki, a writer and illustrator who recently published a comic about their trichotillomania journey in The Washington Post, shares what it was like to learn a term for the disorder later in life
Dr. Suzanne Mouton-Odum, a licensed psychologist and board member for the TLC Foundation for Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors, describes her counseling work with folks who experience trich
Dorin Azérad, a hair loss hairstylist, shares how her ongoing journey with trich shapes the services she offers to other folks with hair loss at her salon

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Dive deeper:

Self-Care Provider Directory for folks with BFRB
The TLC Foundation on Trich
Haruka’s children’s book “Fitting In”

Anita is getting married next year, which means she's been thinking a lot about money and what kind of spending aligns with her values. Turns out that her money behaviors (and yours) are shaped by experiences and beliefs that have accumulated since childhood. She talks with a financial therapist and a money coach about their work to help people better understand their money hang-ups and explores some unconventional ways to think about your money.

Meet the guests:

Steven M. Hughes, a financial therapist and money reiki practitioner, helps us go deep when we think about our relationship to money — and how that can help our relationships to each other
Morgan Curtis, an organizer and money coach, explains how we can translate feelings of shame or guilt about money into tangible action that can help our communities

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Dive deeper:

Morgan’s resource library
Net worth calculator

The first time we did an episode about the pelvic floor, Anita learned that y'all needed that education just as much as she did. She revisits the topic with a focus on access for trans and gender nonconforming folks. Two providers reflect on the sexuality education that has informed their approaches to treatment, and a patient shares his experience navigating pelvic pain with providers who weren't always well-informed about treating trans patients.

Meet the guests:

Markus Harwood-Jones, an author and TikTok user under the name @markusbones, shares his experience with pelvic floor physical therapy
Alex Papale, a pelvic health physical therapist and sex educator, talks about the barriers to pelvic PT for trans, nonbinary and gender nonconforming folks
Dr. Uchenna “UC” Ossai, a sex-positive pelvic health physical therapist and sexuality counselor, introduces ways that patients can advocate for themselves

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Anita is well aware that bringing a new baby into the world is a lotttttt of work (even though she's never done it herself). But when she heard about friends and family members choosing surrogacy to build their families, she realized how little she knows about that process — and how many misconceptions exist. She talks to a three-time surrogate about why she chose this path. A father who has had a child via surrogacy details how his family navigated the process from a financial, legal and emotional perspective; and a sociologist zooms out to give the big picture of the surrogacy industry.

Meet the guests:

Eloise Drane, founder of Family Inceptions, talks about her experience as a three-time gestational surrogate. Family Inceptions is one of the only Black-owned surrogacy agencies in the country
Brian McGunagle, founder of Westport Pride, shares his experience going through the surrogacy process with his husband to have their now-toddler son
Heather Jacobson, professor of sociology at the University of Texas at Arlington, shares her ethnographic research on gestational surrogacy in the United States

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Dive deeper:

Surrogacy law map state-by-state
Heather Jacobson’s book “Labor of Love”

After Anita watched the Netflix docuseries "Keep Sweet," it was on her mind for weeks. She sat down with Elissa Wall, one of the central figures in the series, to talk about growing up in an isolated, polygamist religious community in which everything was decided for her – from what she could wear to whom she would marry. Elissa talks about adjusting to life outside the FLDS Church, her process of healing after a traumatic childhood and her ongoing journey of embodiment.

Meet the guest:

Elissa Wall, speaker, advocate, mother and author, talks to Anita about her upbringing in the FLDS church, her forced marriage at the age of 14, and her ongoing journey to re-establish a relationship to her body after leaving the community. She is the author of the memoir "Stolen Innocence: My Story of Growing Up in a Polygamous Sect, Becoming a Teenage Bride, and Breaking Free of Warren Jeffs."

Please note that this episode contains references to religious trauma, pregnancy loss and sexual assault of a minor.

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For most of guest host Omisade Burney-Scott's life, she was a reluctant viewer of horror films — squinting through her fingers long enough to get to the closing credits. In recent years, that trepidation has turned into thrill as she's watched the Black horror genre evolve. She talks with a filmmaker, director and horror scholar about how they see their own experiences reflected in the Black horror renaissance.

Meet the guests:

Lana Garland, writer, director, producer and curator of the Hayti Heritage Film Festival, reminisces about the Black horror films that left their mark on her and how the genre has evolved
Dr. Kinitra Brooks, Leslie Endowed Chair in literary studies at Michigan State University, shares her own Black horror memories and examines key ingredients in the genre
Bree Newsome Bass, artist, organizer and filmmaker, talks about the evolution of the genre both on and off camera

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Anita pretty much stopped wearing bras in the pandemic, and she's likely not going back. But she knows that for many, a good bra is clutch for daily comfort. She traces the surprising history and technology of the brassiere with the inventor of the sports bra and an expert who consulted with the Army on their first-ever tactical bra. Then she meets two people whose bra stories bump up against how we define and redefine gender and social norms for ourselves and others.

Meet the guests:

Lisa Lindahl, an author and entrepreneur, tells the story behind the invention of the sports bra
Jené Luciana Sena, a bra expert, author and host of the podcast "Visible Panty Lines," explains the technicalities of bra fit and shares her work collaborating with the Army on their first-ever tactical bra
Destiny Liley, a freelance content creator, talks about the challenges of being a larger-chested person and her thoughts on bralessness
Ren Gutierrez, a first-generation Latine advocate for queer and trans mental health, reflects on going through his bra collection in the weeks before getting top surgery

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Dive deeper:

The origins and evolution of the bra
Behind the invention of the sports bra, via the National Inventors Hall of Fame

Anita has long taken a laissez-faire approach to digital security. But as she's learned (the hard way), just because she doesn't have something to hide, doesn't mean she has nothing to lose. She calls in experts, including an abortion doula and sex worker, to learn strategies for keeping personal information safe online.

Meet the guests:

Amanda Bennett, a project manager for Digital Defense Fund, walks us through the basics of digital security and shares practical tips
Kestrel, an abortion doula and member of the Mountain Area Abortion Doula Collective, shares what they and their collective members do to protect themselves
Dr. Olivia Snow, a sex worker and research fellow at UCLA’s Center for Critical Internet Inquiry, talks about what we can learn from sex workers when it comes to digital security

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Dive deeper:

How to keep your abortion private and secure, from the Digital Defense Fund
A report tracking abortion criminalization
Digital Security tools from the Electronic Frontier Foundation

Anita revisits a conversation with folks who've undergone facial feminization surgery as part of their gender confirmation process. FFS is a set of bone and soft tissue surgical procedures that reshape the forehead, brow, jaw and more. They share what the surgery meant for them, plus a medical anthropologist helps unpack who gets to decide what femininity looks like.

Meet the guests:

Emma Ward, songwriter, producer and community manager, shares her experience of facial feminization surgery
Eric Plemons, associate professor of anthropology at the University of Arizona, discusses some of the history of this set of procedures and how we define a "feminine" face

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Guest host Omisade Burney-Scott is a proud Aries Sun-Leo moon-Virgo rising and has been looking to the stars since the ‘70s. She and her best friend of over 50 years look back on how astrology influenced their relationship growing up and how they move in the world today. Plus, she talks to two astrologers about how this practice can play a role in social justice movements and in the intersections of our identities.

Meet the guests:

Cheyanne Headen, a community and de-escalation specialist and Omisade's cousin and best friend, talks about how astrology influences her work and parenting styles
Jessica Lanyadoo, astrologer and host of "Ghost of a Podcast," explains how our cultural understanding of astrology has evolved and how this practice can be applied to social justice
Zacchary Powell, astrologer and former president of the Association of Young Astrologers, explores how a spiritual practice of astrology can deepen self-understanding

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Anita shares an episode of “This Is Uncomfortable,” a podcast from Marketplace that explores the ways money messes with our relationships and life plans. Rebecca Danigelis never planned to stop working. Raising two kids as a single mom, everything she earned went to making sure they got the best education she could afford. But when her son Sian-Pierre's career took off, hers started to crumble.

Find “This Is Uncomfortable” wherever you get your podcasts. Look out for their next season in early October.

Anita grew up betwixt and between two religious communities and never felt like she fully belonged to either. The upside? She had a lot of room to figure things out on her own. She talks with two people who didn't find that freedom until they left their conservative religions. They tell her about extracting themselves from tight-knit religious communities and reconnecting with their sexuality and identity on their own terms.

Meet the guests:

Nicole Hardy, writer and author of the memoir "Confessions of a Latter-Day Virgin," tells Anita about why she left the Mormon church as a single woman in her mid-30s, and how that process shaped her sexuality and relationships.
Dr. Jon Paul Higgins, creator and executive producer of "Black, Fat Femme" podcast, shares their experience growing up as a Jehovah's Witness, what led them to leave, and their ongoing healing work to make sense of religious trauma.

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Before recording this episode, Anita would have turned to Google for her burning questions about abortion. But now, she knows better. She meets two abortion doulas who share the practical and philosophical components of their job. They reflect on what has changed for them since the overturn of Roe v. Wade, and what's stayed the same for their alternative and community-based networks of care.

Meet the guests:

KáLyn Banks Coghill, an abortion doula, writer, organizer, educator and doctoral student at Virginia Commonwealth University, shares their on-the-ground experience serving their community as part of the Richmond Reproductive Freedom Project
Raven Freeborn, full spectrum doula and community educator, brings us into their work training abortion doulas

If you’re interested in finding an abortion fund or practical support organization in your area and learning more about what they do, these sites may be helpful:

https://apiaryps.org/pso-list

https://www.ineedana.com/

https://abortionfunds.org/funds/

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Anita had a terrible 18th birthday (she'll tell you later), but not much changed for her when she legally became an adult. For tens of thousands of young folks in the U.S. each year who turn 18 while in foster care, "legal adulthood" brings a slew of new challenges. Two women who aged out of foster care tell Anita about their experiences and how they informed the relationships they're building today. Plus, she meets someone who's seen the foster care system from both sides — as a kid, and as a foster parent.

Meet the guests:

Stephani Smith, a mental health professional, shares how her time in foster care shaped her philosophy on relationships — especially the relationship with her stepdaughter
Ángela Quijada-Banks, holistic purpose coach and author of "The Black Foster Youth Handbook," explains how her foster care experience impacted her romantic relationships
Jessica Lloyd-Rogers, chair of the National Foster Parents Association Council of State Affiliates, talks about how her own time in the system informed how she parented her daughter and the young people she fostered

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Anita is a dog mom. Her wire-haired, bearded terrier Oliver has been her companion through heartbreak, job changes and pandemic turmoil. She's never going to feel ready to say goodbye, but she knows from watching others lose family pets, that pet grief can wreck you, and it's better to acknowledge this reality sooner rather than later. She talks with pet owners, a veterinary social worker, a vet and her own parents about making space for pet grief and memorializing the animal companions we have loved.

Meet the guests:

Corban Smith, adjunct professor at James Madison University, jail/emergency services clinician at Valley Community Services Board talks about being the pet guardian of the late Dallas
Sarina Manifold, certified grief recovery specialist and owner of Authentic Healing Counseling shares what it’s like to be a veterinary social worker
Dr. Erika Lin-Hendel, board member of Not One More Vet and a relief veterinarian, opens up about the veterinary mental health crisis and what community care for vets could look like

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Anita's idea of relaxation often involves a good book. She's begun exploring the vast world of romance novels and was surprised to learn how much more diverse the genre has become since the days when Fabio was the only inspiration for sexy book covers. Three neurodivergent authors tell her about writing the characters they longed for as readers and making space for new takes on the "happy ending."

Meet the guests:

E.S. Yu, author of the paranormal romance “Human Enough” talks about the way indie publishing has welcomed her as a reader and writer
Ceillie Simkiss, author of two romance novella series, including "Learning Curves" shares her favorite romance tropes to upend in her writing
Emery Lee, author of "Meet Cute Diary" talks about the art of writing neurodiverse characters in young adult books

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Anita does not work with her boo, but after sharing home office space for two pandemic years, she's started to wonder how couples who do work together make it work. She talks with two sets of couples in very different professional industries about their strategies for tackling finances, alone time and intimacy.

Meet the guests:

Sarah & Austin McCombie, the married duo behind the North Carolina-based band Chatham Rabbits talk about how they learned to give each other constructive creative feedback
Brandé Elise and Danielle Gray, co-founders of CBD product and lifestyle company Unoia share why they felt ready to start a business together just three months after they started dating

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Anita has not participated in a Dry January, but there are times when she's motivated to pay extra-close attention to her relationship with alcohol. Most recently: during the pandemic. While some of us started drinking more, another group of folks committed to sober curiosity: a movement encouraging introspection about your relationship with alcohol. She meets two people who are years into building sober lives and asks them to reflect on how their sobriety journeys have shaped everything from relationships to thoughts about the future.

Meet the guests:

J.Nicole Jones, co-host of the “Sober Black Girls Club” podcast and host of “The Grief Bully” podcast talks about choosing sobriety at age 23
Tawny Lara, co-host of “Recovery Rocks” podcast, shares what it was like to become sober after years working as a bartender

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Anita's now living in one of the few places in the U.S. South without an abortion ban. As her home state becomes the nearest safe provider for millions of people, she's observing how abortion providers here are preparing for the spike in demand. She reconnects with one of them, Dr. Rathika Nimalendran, who has been providing access to abortions in North Carolina for years, to talk about what action she's taking in the wake of the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.

Meet the guest:

Dr. Rathika Nimalendran, family physician with Planned Parenthood South Atlantic and a fellow with Physicians for Reproductive Health talks about what is on her heart and mind in this moment

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Anita comes from a tea-drinking family, but she's happiest when she's holding a mug of coffee the size of her face. For years, she's been reading headlines about why coffee is "good" for you, but she's not sure where myth ends and fact begins. So, she turns to the experts: Dr. Rao (her dad) is back to explain why coffee makes you poop, and how it affects your gut. A neuroscientist tells her about what her brain is doing once coffee hits her system. And two folks with deep ties to java talk about coffee culture, from bean to brew.

Meet the guests:

Dr. Satish Rao, gastroenterologist and professor of medicine at Augusta University (and Anita’s dad), gives Anita the coffee-gut advice she needs
Dr. Shannon Odell, science communicator and neuroscientist goes Magic School Bus on coffee science
Samuel Ngwa, founder of Safari Pride Coffee shares how his family’s story as coffee farmers in Cameroon inspired his coffee business today
Austin Jeffries, co-owner of Borough Coffee mobile coffee cart, talks about his hopes for a more slowed-down coffee culture in the U.S.

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Anita treasures sleep and moments of silence. So when she hears typical narratives of early parenthood that include unending cries and restless nights, she has concerns for the mental toll on new parents. But culturally there is a lot of silence around how challenging it can be and recognizing deteriorating mental health while caring for another person can be isolating. In part two of the postpartum series "Delivered," she meets a prolific artist whose experience with postpartum depression catalyzed a mental health journey and a diagnosis of bipolar II disorder. She also talks to a couple about what folks should know about sex and relationships postpartum and why the mental health of non-birthing partners should be part of the postpartum conversation.

Meet the guests:

A’Driane Nieves, artist and mother of two, talks about her personal story of postpartum depression
Shannon Purdy Jones, co-owner of Scuppernong Books in Greensboro and mother of two, talks about how her postpartum mental health impacted her marriage
Darren Jones, Shannon’s husband and director of Pricing at Mack Trucks, Inc, shares his mental health journey as a non-birthing partner, and how therapy has helped support their marriage

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Anita has been around enough postpartum folks to know that there's a whole lot they felt unprepared for when it came to how their physical bodies would experience pregnancy and childbirth. In part one of a two-part series, she hears from folks about meeting their new postpartum bodies. A postpartum doula talks about her trauma-informed approach to caring for the physical body; a photographer shares why they're trying to diversify the images we associate with postpartum bodies; and a former Marine talks about navigating the pressures of a highly physical job postpartum.

Meet the guests:

Lydia-Carlie Tilus, birth and postpartum doula at her practice, SageFemme Wellness, and a certified massage therapist talks about her philosophy on postpartum care
ash luna, social worker, photographer and founder of the 4th Trimester Bodies Project shares her experience photographing postpartum bodies for more than a decade
Letticia Solomon, teacher and mother of two takes us into her experience being a postpartum woman in the U.S. Marine Corps

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Anita got glasses young, and as a kid every time her prescription got worse, her anxiety about losing her vision spiked. She realizes now how much of that fear was ableism at work. Three artists who've lost their sight and found myriad ways to fortify a culture of blind pride show her it's about disrupting the binary and pushing for a more accessible, creative future

Meet the guests:

Dr. M. Leona Godin, writer, performer, educator, and the author of "There Plant Eyes: A Personal and Cultural History of Blindness" talks about the term occularcentrism
James Tate Hill, author of the novel "Academy Gothic" and the memoir "Blind Man’s Bluff" shares his personal story of hiding his low vision from most folks his life for almost 15 years
Lachi, award-winning recording artist, songwriter, and inclusion advocate shares how she is pushing to make the Grammy’s more inclusive

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Anita finally learned how to put on sunscreen properly and care for her body’s largest organ, thanks to medical and skincare industry experts who give advice she revisits in this episode. Their tips helped her figure out what to focus on in her skincare routine, and how to resist the temptation to fall down Tik-Tok beauty rabbit holes.

Meet the guests:

Dr. Chesahna Kindred, a board-certified dermatologist at the Kindred Hair & Skin Center in Maryland, teaches Anita about the science of the skin and why focusing on a few small things consistently will go a long way
Anay Castro is a certified physician assistant at the North Carolina Center for Dermatology. She talks about how our skin changes as we age, and why she works to give culturally-sensitive skincare advice
Leo Louie takes Anita inside the beauty and skincare industry. He shares insights from years working jobs ranging from Sephora brand representative to writer for the website Beauty Tap

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Anita turns the mic over to guest host Omisade Burney-Scott to explore the many ways folks are raising kids outside the nuclear family unit. First, Omi talks with her former romantic partner about their evolution from significant other to co-parents. Plus, she meets a woman who is part of a four-person parenting structure and hears from someone who is creating resources for folks in blended families.

Meet the guests:

Michael Scott, Omisade’s coparent and father of Taj talks about their evolution as partners in parenting

Zena Sharman, writer, LGBTQ+ health advocate and author of the book “The Care We Dream Of” shares her experience as part of a four-person coparenting structure

Trina Greene-Brown, founder of Parenting for Liberation, illuminates the existing and needed resources for folks in blended families

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Anita knows there's no way she can prepare herself or her loved ones for the ways a terminal illness can alter their lives. But meeting people with incurable conditions, and their loved ones, helps her understand what is possible when time suddenly becomes limited. A couple navigating a terminal ALS diagnosis share their story and how their definition of intimacy has evolved. Plus, a woman in her 20s talks about building a dating profile and keeping her sense of humor when her life expectancy is unknown.

Meet the guests:

Andrea Lytle Peet, triathlete, person living with ALS and creator of Team Drea Foundation talks about how her definition of intimacy has evolved
David Peet, Andrea’s husband shares how he and Andrea are constantly in conversation about how to best support one another
Megan Yaeger, blogger, contributing writer for theMighty.com and an aspiring photographer talks about dating with a life-threatening illness

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Anita's clocked hundreds of hours in therapy, and she's a fan. But there's a part of the profession she hasn't tapped yet: sex therapy. This kind of counseling is designed to support couples — and individuals — through challenges with their bodies and in the bedroom. Some experts join her to share how it can help people reconnect, plus she tests a smartphone app that helps folks broach uncomfortable sexual conversations.

Meet the guests:

Dr. Lauren Walker, a registered clinical psychologist and an associate professor at the University of Calgary, talks about the role of sex therapy for folks with cancer diagnoses
Dr. Donna Oriowo, a sex and relationship therapist based in Maryland, shares why she invites clients to work at the intersection of where their race meets their sexuality
Zoë Kors, a consultant for the sexual wellness app Coral, shares how new technology is making sexual wellness more accessible

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Anita sniffs out what's so fascinating about the science of smell — and gets her mind blown. A psychologist shares why smell is our most emotional sense, plus stories about the mental health consequences of anosmia (losing your sense of smell), and a scent designer describes how to re-create memories through candles.

Meet the guests:

Bonnie Blodgett, author of “Remembering Smell" talks about what it was like to lose her sense of smell
Rachel Herz, neuroscientist and author of “The Scent of Desire" shares how our brain processes scents
Christina Degreaffenreidt, founder and creator behind Multifaceted, a candle-making company based in Greensboro, talks about the art of scent design

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Anita shares an episode of a podcast produced by her colleagues that gets her teary every time she listens (but in a good way). “Black Widow” from the podcast Great Grief features Grammy-nominated musician Nnenna Freelon reflecting on what’s changed for her in the years since her husband Phil’s passing. Nnenna’s now grappling with a brand new identity: widow.

Anita has been inhaling the Netflix show "Sex Education." It's bold, not just in its approach to representation and inclusivity, but also sex. A critic, sex therapist and show superfans join her and guest host Anthony Howard (Embodied's intern) to talk about what the show taught them about self-pleasure, boundaries and methods for healthier sexual relationships.

Meet the guests:

Drew Gregory, screenwriter, staff writer for Autostraddle, and co-host of the podcast “Wait Is This a Date?” shares the reasons why she's (for the most part) been impressed with how the show handles representation
Dr. Rosara Torrisi, founding director and senior therapist at The Long Island Institute of Sex Therapy talks about what the show gets right and wrong about the sex therapy profession
Claire Holland, a writer and host of the Sexy Books Podcast talks about what the show taught her about self pleasure
Tyra Blizzard, a social activism influencer, shares what they want to see from the show in future seasons

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Anita remembers only a few things about her in-school sex education: humor-laden condom demos and pregnancy fear. It's safe to say, she had a lot to figure out on her own after class, and that's typical. Only half of U.S. students get info that meets national standards, so it's clear that something has gotta change! Two high schoolers share why they've taken it upon themselves to give their peers inclusive, shame-free sexuality education. Plus, an expert on college sex lives tells us how the sex ed we receive shapes our adult interactions. And we meet a sex therapist who details how she's talking to her kids without references to birds or bees.

Meet the guests:

Kyndia Motley, high school student and member of Planned Parenthood’s Teen Council talks about the sex ed she's helping her peers access
Linden James, high school student and youth advocate for SafeBAE and iNSIDEoUT shares what's at stake if our sex ed curriculums don't change
Dr. Lexx Brown-James, sex therapist, shame-free sex educator and founder of The Institute for Sexuality and Intimacy talks about the importance of starting conversations with kids early about sex and their bodies
Dr. Lisa Wade, associate professor at Tulane University and author of "American Hookup: The New Culture of Sex on Campus" shares how limited sex education shapes the experiences of college students

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Anita grew up in the 1990s, the era of Purity Culture. Unlike Britney (Spears) and Jessica (Simpson), she had no purity ring, but she's seen how abstinence messaging shaped her generation's relationship with sex, religion, pleasure and their bodies. She talks to two folks who've been unraveling their own indoctrination, and meets someone who's on an mission to help parents recover from purity culture and raise a more sex-positive generation.

Meet the guests:

Lyz Lenz, the author of "God Land: A Story of Faith, Loss and Renewal in Middle America" and "Belabored: A Vindication of the Rights of Pregnant Women," talks about growing up immersed in purity culture
Nathanael Novero, a former youth pastor, shares how he's exploring his relationship with purity culture through filmmaking in a new genre called holy erotica
Cindy Wang Brandt, author of "Parenting Forward: How to Raise Children with Justice, Mercy, and Kindness" and the creator of the "Parenting Forward" podcast talks about how her own break with purity culture informs how she is raising her kids.

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Anita declines invites to gender-reveal parties, but she gets why some expectant parents look to gender as a way of organizing the world — they've been socialized to do so. So what happens when a kid comes out as trans or gender nonbinary? Anita talks to three parents of gender-expansive kids about learning to support and advocate for their children. The parents, and one of their kids, share what it's looked like for them to push back on the gender binaries present everywhere: from doctors offices to summer camps and schools.

Meet the guests:

Harrison Casey Garcia, a member of the Youth Leadership Team at the LGBT Center of Raleigh, talks about their advice to other gender-expansive kids
Vincent Garcia, Harrison Casey's dad, shares their family's journey to embracing and affirming Harrison Casey's gender identity
Marlo Mack, a mom, blogger, the host of the podcast “How to Be A Girl" and author of the memoir “How To Be a Girl" tells us about documenting her daughter's transition and confronting her own assumptions about gender
DeShanna Neal, the founder of the Intersections of Pride Foundation and the co-author with her daughter Trinity of the children's book “My Rainbow" shares how her approach to parenting has evolved through raising two gender-expansive kids

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Anita is confused about hook up culture. Is it a thing, and if so, who makes the rules? She talks to a recent college grad about her research on the sex lives of her peers, plus a therapist who shares her take on why it doesn't feel as liberating as we think it should. Then she dives into Celibacy TikTok — a space where Gen Zers are committing to being sex-free.

Meet the guests:

Sophie Aaron, a writer, researcher and 2021 graduate of Oberlin College shares insights from her senior thesis on hookup culture on her campus in the time of COVID
Dr. Cherlisa Jackson, a sexual health educator and counselor based in Atlanta, talks about the myths vs. realities of hookup culture
Cindy Noir, a motivational speaker and TikTok creator, talks about why she has experimented with abstinence in response to hookup culture

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The name Embodied came to Anita in a dream, and she's on a quest to figure out how that happened. She talks to a dreamworker about strengthening the bridge between dreaming and creativity, unpacks weird COVID-19 dreams and learns about nightmare therapy.

Meet the guests:

Angel Morgan, an artist, filmmaker and the founder of Dreambridge, gives Anita a Dream Science 101 lesson and shares how folks can better connect their dreams to their creativity
Chris Ufere, the founder and CEO of uDreamed, a free online service for dream logging, talks about analyzing 3,000 COVID19 dreams and what patterns emerged
Michael Nadorff, an associate professor of psychology at Mississippi State University, shares his research on the link between nightmares and suicide

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Anita got friend dumped for the first time in 6th grade, and she's still not over it. She talks to folks about the distinct pain of a platonic breakup and gets some tools for building strong friendships, setting boundaries and figuring out when it's time to let go.

Meet the guests:

Michelle Elman, an author and life coach best known for her activism campaign Scarred Not Scared, tells Anita about "the mass exodus" — a period of time in which she went through multiple friend breakups
Tony Liu, a medical student and former radio and podcast producer for NPR and "On Being"shares how tenderness informs how he makes and breaks up with friends
KB Newton, the founder and creator of HEART Convos talks about being a recovering "trash friend"

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Anita has no qualms about being an armchair therapist for friends going through a breakup. But sometimes she wonders how her advice aligns with what relationship experts say. Advice columnists Meredith Goldstein and Stacia Brown give guidance on breaking up "well," going no-contact, navigating social media, and finding the right breakup anthem for the moment.

Meet the Guests:

Meredith Goldstein, writer and podcast host behind The Boston Globe column and podcast "Love Letters," shares insights from her personal and professional experiences with love and heartbreak
Stacia Brown, writer and producer, talks about her own pandemic breakup and shares wisdom akin to what she delivers regularly in her role as a columnist for Slate's parenting advice column "Care and Feeding"

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Anita has a close nuclear family unit but knows that's not the case for everyone. Meeting folks who — by choice or circumstance — are estranged from members of their family, she hears reflections on finding belonging elsewhere and seeking support from non-traditional sources. She also learns from two siblings who were estranged for more than 40 years that while reconciliation is possible, it's not for everyone.

Meet the Guests:

Raksha Vasudevan, a writer, talks about her estrangement from her father, mother and brother and how being an immigrant shapes how she thinks about her family story
Tiffany Scott's father left their family and stopped speaking with her in 2016. She talks about what it was like to be ghosted by her dad and how she's still making sense of her family's experience
Siblings Fern Schumer Chapman and Scott Schumer share their 40-year estrangement story and what led to their reconciliation eight years ago. Fern wrote the book “Brothers, Sisters, Strangers: Sibling Estrangement and the Road to Reconciliation"

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Anita figures out why everybody's talking about the pelvic floor. Turns out, getting-to-know the hammock-like structure of muscles we carry around has helped some people heal their relationships with sex and their bodies. She also uncovers the game-changing ways her own dad has contributed to pelvic floor medicine.

Meet the Guests:

Ijeoma Nwankpa, a certified specialist in pelvic health, trained sexuality counselor and owner of the Center of Pelvic Excellence Physical Therapy & Wellness LLC, gives us an education in pelvic floor health
Allyson Byers, a freelance writer and editor, shares her personal experience seeking help for pelvic floor pain
Dr. Satish Rao (Anita's dad), a professor of medicine at Augusta University and a specialist in gastroenterology, hares his work pushing for more collaborative study of the pelvic floor as it relates to the bowels

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Anita's voice is her bread and butter, but yours likely means a lot to you too. How we sound speaks volumes about our identities...but should it? A vocalist, a vocal coach and an artist sound out the links between voice and gender, and what our built-in instruments reveal about who we are.

Meet the Guests:

Tona Brown, a violinist and vocalist who founded Aida Studios, talks about becoming the first trans vocalist to headline at Carnegie Hall and the space she's creating for other students as a music instructor
Kevin Dorman, a speech-language pathologist and vocal coach at their business Prismatic Speech Services, talks about helping folks change their voice to better reflect their identity
Andrea Oliver Roberts, a multi-disciplinary artist based in Winnipeg, shares their work explores the intersections of technology, capitalism, and identity

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Anita applies herself to learning the fascinating history of her favorite item of makeup: bold red lipstick. Experts and aficionados tell her about influencers who have shaped makeup throughout history, from Rosie the Riveter to Rihanna, and how the cosmetics industry has evolved over time.

Meet the Guests:

Rae Nudson, the author of "All Made Up: The Power and Pitfalls of Beauty Culture from Cleopatra to Kim Kardashian," takes us through the history of products like bold red lipstick and blue eyeshadow
Dawn Mitchell, a licensed cosmetologist, talks about the history of inclusivity in the makeup industry and why she founded her own beauty and skincare line Pretty Till Dawn
Natasha Noir Nightly, an activist and the winner of the Miss Blue Ridge Pride 2018, shares her makeup philosophy and the technique behind her signature look as a bearded drag queen

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Anita brings the RESOLVED series to a close by revisiting a conversation about body neutrality. Fat activists teach her about radical reframes, including body positivity and a newer term to her: body neutrality.

Meet the Guests:

Virgie Tovar, a fat activist, host of the Rebel Eaters Club podcast and author of “The Self-Love Revolution: Radical Body Positivity for Girls of Color" talks about why body neutrality is a helpful step for some in their body liberation journey
Tigress Osborn, thee chair of the board of directors for the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance, shares the history of fat liberation and what's been lost as the movement has shifted away from its black, radical roots
Zoë Bisbing, a psychotherapist and co-founder of the Full Bloom Project, talks about building a research-informed resource for those who want to foster a body-positive next generation

Go deeper with the Anti-Diet series discussion guide

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The Self-Love Revolution: Radical Body Positivity for Girls of Color (The Instant Help Solutions Series)

Intuitive eating is an approach to food and health that encourages tuning into your body’s signals about when, what and how much to eat. Anita talks to a neuroscientist about how our brains respond to dieting and two registered dieticians walk her through the 10 principles of intuitive eating and what can change for folks when they relearn their body's food cues.

Meet the Guests:

Sandra Aamodt, a neuroscientist and author of Why Diets Make Us Fat: The Unintended Consequences of Our Obsession With Weight Loss, talks about the neuroscience of our how we response to food
Vincci Tsui, a registered dietician and certified intuitive eating counselor, shares her approach to coaching folks through the 10 intuitive eating principles
Christyna Johnson, a registered dietician and host of the podcast Intuitive Eating for the Culture, explores how moving away from diet culture can help you embrace your cultural heritage

Go deeper with the Anti-Diet series discussion guide

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Diet culture is the water we're all swimming in. Anita unpacks the science that props it up with a registered dietician and certified internal medicine physician. She also hears how folks are pushing back against the ways it manifests in the doctor's office, on the trails, and in the gym.

Meet the Guests:

Christy Harrison, an anti-diet registered dietician and a certified intuitive eating counselor takes us inside the history she explores in her book: "Anti-Diet: Reclaim Your Time, Money, Well-Being, and Happiness Through Intuitive Eating."
Dr. Louise Metz, an internal medicine physician and the owner of Mosaic Comprehensive Care in Chapel Hill, NC talks about being a Health At Every Size healthcare provider
Mirna Valerio, also known as "The Mirnavator," is an ultrarunner, marathoner and the author of "A Beautiful Work in Progress," which tells the story of her experience as an athlete in a fat body
Ilya Parker, a physical therapist assistant, certified medical exercise specialist, and the owner of Decolonizing Fitness, talks about building an online education resource for breaking down toxic fitness and diet culture
Natalia Petrzela, a historian and a professor at The New School in New York City shares the history of fitness culture

Go deeper with the Anti-Diet series discussion guide

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Athletes who push their bodies to muscular limits take Anita inside their physique sport. She explores their personal motivations and talks with a health professional about the toll this kind of training takes on competitors' physical and mental health.

Meet the Guests:

Coryne Butler, a bodybuilding lifestyle and transformation coach with FitBody Fusion, shares her experience as a woman in the sport of bodybuilding
Tommy Murrell, a personal trainer and former bodybuilding competitor, explains how his time in the gym helped him to improve his mental health — and grappled with his gender identity
James Leone, a professor of health and kinesiology at Bridgewater State University, talks about the consequences both physically and mentally of bodybuilding-style training

This episode also features the voices of bodybuilders Joshua Langbein, Alex Edwards, Luke Nathan, Elijah Busier and Alex Tilinca.

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Anita stopped wearing real bras in the pandemic. But that doesn't mean she's stopped eyeing lingerie. Lingerie aficionados — including a historian, model and designer — take her inside the world of undergarments: from the history of crotchless panties to how folks are rethinking intimate apparel design to fit a wider range of bodies.

Meet the Guests:

Cora Harrington, founder and editor-in-chief of The Lingerie Addict blog and author of "In Intimate Detail: How to Choose, Wear and Love Lingerie" shares the history of certain pieces of lingerie, like crotchless underwear
Jake DuPree, burlesque artist, fitness instructor and lingerie lover with killer intimate apparel photo shoots on Instagram, talks about the power he feels when he wears and performs in lingerie
Catherine Clavering, founder of the UK based lingerie brand Kiss Me Deadly, takes Anita into the lingerie design industry

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Anita doesn't slow down...until her body demands it. That's thanks in part to a culture that values productivity, making true rest a challenge for many, especially people from marginalized backgrounds. For Black folks in particular, sleep deprivation has roots in slavery and racial oppression — which makes rest a form of resistance. Hear from people who are reclaiming their right to rest and pushing back against hustle culture through art, therapy and activism.

Meet the Guests:

Gabrielle Zhuang-Estrin, clinical social worker and psychotherapist, explains how her own relationship with rest has evolved and why rest is so important
Dom Chatterjee, meditation and yoga teacher of South Asian descent and the community organizer behind Rest for Resistance, discusses the relationship between community and rest
Fannie Sosa, artist and co-creator of Black Power Naps, a sculptural installation and curatorial initiative, shares the history and philosophy behind their art
Navild Acosta, artist and co-creator of Black Power Naps, gets into the cultural roots of his art

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Anita's parents have told her that they want their aging process to be easy on her and her siblings. But how does that intention become reality? Anita talks to folks who are looking at the aging process head-on and thinking about how to build webs of community and care for their older selves.

Meet the guests:

Steven Petrow, journalist and author, talks about how watching his parents age has informed what he does and doesn't want for his older self and shares his tangible preparations and mindset shifts about aging
Vega Subramaniam and Mala Nagarajan, nonprofit social justice consultants, coaches and life partners, share their vision for creating a community in which they can age in place with other queer older folks

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Anita learns from folks who identify as the A on the LGBTQIA spectrum. It's a sexual identity that's long been ignored, minimized and misunderstood. They share their differing experiences of not being sexually attracted to anyone and a reminder we could all use: love and sex are not the same.

Meet the guests:

Angela Chen, journalist and author of “Ace: What Asexuality Reveals About Desire, Society and the Meaning of Sex,” talks about the range of experiences in the ace community, including her own
Yasmin Benoit, model and asexuality activist, pushes back on assumptions about asexuality with her campaign #ThisisWhatAsexualLooksLike
Sebastian Yūe writer, editor and model discusses how to increase representation of asexual characters in literature and fiction

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Anita meets folks who've undergone facial feminization surgery as part of their gender confirmation process. FFS is a set of bone and soft tissue surgical procedures that reshape the forehead, brow, jaw and more. They share what the surgery meant for them, plus a medical anthropologist helps unpack who gets to decide what femininity looks like.

Meet the guests:

Emma Ward, songwriter, producer and community manager, shares her experience of facial feminization surgery
Eric Plemons, associate professor of anthropology at the University of Arizona, discusses some of the history of this set of procedures and how we define a "feminine" face

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Anita sometimes fantasizes about no longer having to deal with having a period. But folks along the perimenopausal parkway remind her that menopause is no quick and easy road. Anita's mom and others navigating the change share how it's shaped their relationships with their bodies, sex and where they turn for support.

Meet the guests:

Sheila Rao, Anita’s mom, shares her experience of bodily changes once menopause set in
Dr. Anna Camille Moreno, certified menopause practitioner at Duke Health, explains what's happening in the body during menopause and some of the options for symptom management
Omisade Burney-Scott, Embodied guest host and creator of the Black Girl's Guide to Surviving Menopause, interviews Paris Hatcher, founder of Black Feminist Future, about her experience going through menopause in her 20s

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Anita learns about how the smart devices that keep many of us connected have also contributed to the rise of a new type of intimate partner violence. Survivors share stories of tech-enabled domestic abuse and a cybersecurity expert discusses what folks can do about it.

Meet the guests:

Ashley, a survivor of digital domestic abuse who runs a TikTok account under the name MerelyAshley
Kathryn Kosmides, a multi-time gender-based violence survivor and founder and CEO of Garbo.io, a background check nonprofit set to launch later this year
Audace Garnett, technology safety specialist with Safety Net at the National Network to End Domestic Violence
Eva Galperin, director of cybersecurity at the Electronic Frontier Foundation and a founding partner of the Coalition Against Stalkerware

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Anita now knows why sex scenes in some of her favorite recent TV shows look a whole lot more like real life: intimacy coordinators. Two of them join her to talk about their work choreographing intimacy and training everyone on set about how boundaries and structure makes things sexier and more fun.

Meet the guests:

Mia Schachter is a consent educator and intimacy coordinator who takes Anita behind the scenes of their work on set.
Teniece Divya Johnson is a stunt performer and intimacy coordinator who shares how we can expand our definition of intimacy.

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Anita finally learned how to put on sunscreen properly and care for her body’s largest organ, thanks to medical and skincare industry experts who give advice she revisits in this episode. Their tips helped her figure out what to focus on in her skincare routine, and how to resist the temptation to fall down Tik-Tok beauty rabbit holes.

Meet the guests:

Dr. Chesahna Kindred, a board-certified dermatologist at the Kindred Hair & Skin Center in Maryland, teaches Anita about the science of the skin and why focusing on a few small things consistently will go a long way
Anay Castro is a certified physician assistant at the North Carolina Center for Dermatology. She talks about how our skin changes as we age, and why she works to give culturally-sensitive skincare advice
Leo Louie takes Anita inside the beauty and skincare industry. He shares insights from years working jobs ranging from Sephora brand representative to writer for the website Beauty Tap

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Anita learns daycare for children can continue well into the night thanks to facilities open around the clock meeting the needs of parents working nontraditional hours. Two 24-hour care providers take her into their day-to-day operations and discuss the unique bonds they form with the families they work for. Plus a single mom shares her story of relying on a 24-hour facility to help meet her needs.

Meet the guests:

Deloris Hogan, co-founder of Dee’s Tots Childcare in New Rochelle, New York, talks about building and running a 24-hour childcare center for more than 30 years.
Evy Hart, co-owner of Molly’s Daycare Center in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, tells Anita about the unique needs of children and families who use overnight care.
Ayana Moore, clinical research manager, tells Anita about how 24-hour childcare has supported her schedule as a working single parent of two.

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Anita learns the science behind the most effective form of birth control and hears from a sociologist about how getting a vasectomy transformed his relationship with his masculinity.

Meet the guests:

Dr. Matt Coward, an associate professor of urology at the UNC School of Medicine, talks about the science of the vasectomy. He is also the director of Male Reproductive Medicine and Surgery at UNC Fertility.
Ryan Cragun is a sociology professor at the University of Tampa. He shares his experience getting a vasectomy — and the reflections on masculinity and manhood it inspired.

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Anita acknowledges that looking in the mirror and loving everything she sees may be unrealistic. Fat activists teach her about radical reframes, including body positivity and a newer term to her: body neutrality.

Meet the Guests:

Virgie Tovar, a fat activist, host of the Rebel Eaters Club podcast and author of “The Self-Love Revolution: Radical Body Positivity for Girls of Color" talks about why body neutrality is a helpful step for some in their body liberation journey
Tigress Osborn, thee chair of the board of directors for the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance, shares the history of fat liberation and what's been lost as the movement has shifted away from its black, radical roots
Zoë Bisbing, a psychotherapist and co-founder of the Full Bloom Project, talks about building a research-informed resource for those who want to foster a body-positive next generation

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The Self-Love Revolution: Radical Body Positivity for Girls of Color (The Instant Help Solutions Series)

Anita's only had a handful of up-close experiences with dying people, and it's something she'd rather not think about. It's the antithesis to the philosophy of some folks she admires: death doulas. They say: Spend more time looking head-on at the inevitable. Respect death, don't fear it. Turns out, this uncomfortable approach may make things more comfortable in the end.

Meet the guests:

Vivette Jeffries-Logan, a citizen of the Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation, a person who holds healing space for those processing death and dying and a founding partner of biwa| Emergent Equity, talks about how she learned to hold ceremonies for folks who are dying.
Angela Zimmer, a death doula based in Charlotte, talks about how her own experiences of grief informed her desire to help others.
Dr. Aditi Sethi-Brown, a hospice physician, end-of-life doula and co-founder of the Center for Conscious Living and Dying, shares how she builds relationships with clients like Sara who are in the end-of-life planning process.
Sara Jenkins, an editor and writer living in Western North Carolina, talks about working with Aditi and preparing for her death amidst a pandemic.

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Anita learns about non-sexual, social nudity and why opting to live life mostly in the nude could actually make her think about her body LESS.

Meet the guests:

Naomi Prioleau, a reporter and host at WUNC, talks about her personal journey to becoming a practicing naturist.
Jay Shapiro, lead coordinator and president of Triangle Area Naturists LLC, shares how to separate sex from nudity.
Sam and Aleah, creators of Our Natural Blog, share how they're working to bring more young folks into the naturist movement in Florida.
Earl runs the website Clothes Free Life, an online resource about naturism around the globe.
Patricka is one of the founders of the Black Naturists Association, which advocates nudity through naturist environments for those in the Black community.

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Anita shares an exciting announcement about the Embodied podcast and what you can expect in your feeds starting next week!

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Anita loves a good romantic story — especially when lovers prevail against all odds. There are a million reasons to give up on happily ever after when one or more people in a relationship are incarcerated. But for those who stay together despite prison walls, a special kind of connection is created, as we learn in the season two finale.

Meet the guests:

Monae and Adriel Alvarado share their one-of-a-kind love story — from meeting inside prison while they were both incarcerated and sending love notes while in solitary confinement to building a life together on the outside.
Sutina and Steven Green reflect on building a relationship and growing a family while Steven was serving a life sentence without parole in California.
Jenesee Green, Steven & Sutina's 17-year-old daughter, talks about growing up with an incarcerated father and what she's learned from her parents' love and relationship.

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Anita may not shy away when conversations get uncomfortable, but approaching difficult topics can depend on who you're talking to and which self you're bringing to the discussion. In this special episode, she exchanges notes and kinship with Anna Sale and Allison Behringer, hosts of the podcasts "Death, Sex & Money" and "Bodies" respectively.

Meet the guests:

Anna Sale, host of "Death, Sex & Money," shares lessons learned from 7 years of hosting hard conversations on the microphone and personal insights detailed in her new book "Let's Talk About Hard Things."
Allison Behringer, creator and host of "Bodies," a feminist documentary podcast, shares what exploring the mysteries of our health & bodies with has taught her about creating space for hard conversations.

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Anita has little trouble knocking out for a good night's sleep. But feeling well rested all the time? That's a little more complicated. Why do our bodies struggle to do what we know is good for us?

Meet the guests:

Jade Wu, a psychologist and sleep specialist, gives us some sleep science 101 and shares her top tips on battling insomnia.
Andre Royal Sr. shares how narcolepsy affects his relationships and why he's trying to help folks better understand what narcolepsy looks like through his organization Suddenly Sleepy.
15-year-old Jordan tells us about being diagnosed with narcolepsy in third grade, and how he's navigated friendships, school and life ever since.
Anita's parents talk about what they've learned from dreamland and making sleeping a priority.
Dayna Johnson, an epidemiologist, tells us about sleep disparities for Black folks and why we should think about sleep as a public health issue.

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Anita surprised herself with judgements she made about others with only a photo to go on during her years of online dating. Such bias and misconceptions are something folks with physical disabilities contend with every day on the apps...and IRL.

Meet the guests:

Julie-Ann Scott-Pollock, a performer and communication studies scholar, talks about living with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy and what non-disabled people can learn about consent and communication from the disabilities community.
D'Arcee Charington, a disabilities advocate and English doctoral student, shares stories about online dating as a wheelchair user and talks about how ableism shows up in romantic relationships.
Ariella Barker, an attorney and communications specialist, talks about how her approach to online dating has evolved and the intersection of gender discrimination and disability discrimination.

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Anita has the skin privilege of a white woman and the upbringing of an Indian-American girl. That can make belonging a challenge, something like what transracial adoptees often experience in their own families.

Meet the guests:

Shruti Shah talks about growing up as a transracial adoptee in a mixed-race family in Memphis. She also brings on her parents to ask them some lingering questions.
WriterAndrew Lee and his father are both Korean adoptees. Andrew shares how his family's story fits into the bigger, geopolitical history of Korean-American adoption in the U.S.
Rebekah Hutson talks about what it's like to be the "Only Black Girl" in a lot of spaces and how she hopes the adoption industry will do a better job supporting transracial adoptees moving forward.

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If Anita weren't boo'd up, she might wonder if there's someone in her life she already knows who is a good romantic match for her. But is it healthy to look to the past for a chance at future happiness? With help from the podcast Dating While Gray, we examine the pros and cons of "boomerang love."

Meet the guests:

Jeannie Thompson talks about her own boomerang heartbreak that led her to leading online discussion forums on reconnecting with former loves.
Grace shares what happened when she reconnected with a childhood crush after her long marriage had gone stale.
Mary and Del, who split after the flame of desire went out in their 20-year marriage, answer the question: Can living separate lives reignite a spark?

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Anita, like many of us, was essentially taught that a herpes diagnosis means the end of a good sex life. Now it's time for a real education about the sexually transmitted infection, which is extremely common and far less terrifying once you open the door to conversation about it.

Meet the guests:

Sex and culture critic Ella Dawson talks about her experience navigating a herpes diagnosis and how opening up about it publicly has shaped her life and relationships.
Infectious disease expert Dr. Peter Leone shares the science of herpes and clears up common misconceptions about the virus.
Anita's good friend shares the range of responses she's gotten while disclosing her diagnosis and how she hopes the conversation around herpes will evolve.

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Anita is over adulting and would love to lose herself in some serious play time. She's never been a gamer but is intrigued by how video games help us tap into the fun side of our brains while creating spaces designed to help us strengthen our connections with others.

Meet the guests:

Hadley Causey talks about founding Spectrum, a queer exclusive server on Discord (a social network for gaming communities) that helped them create a safe space they didn't have in real life.
Tess Tanenbaum, an assistant professor in the department of informatics at University of California, Irvine, talks about the link between game design and relationships that can form within games.
Adriana de Souza e Silva, a professor in the department of communication at NC State, talks about how location-based games like Pokémon GO can connect adults and kids and help everyone integrate more play into their lives.
Nikilesh, Anita's little brother, talks about his relationship with gaming, and how it was a lifeline for him when his family moved to the South while he was in high school.

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Anita appreciates how movies and TV are now more representative in portraying narratives about pregnancy termination. But those stories can't compete with talking to real people about their experience having an abortion.

Meet the guests:

Gretchen Sisson, a sociologist, talks about how television and real life diverge when it comes to abortion — and how fictional portrayals influence our understanding of the procedure and the people who get it.
Ruth and Margaret share their experiences terminating wanted pregnancies for medical reasons. Both women use pseudonyms in the conversation to protect their privacy.
Anita's parents on their own abortion story.

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Anita combs through her own tangled relationship with body hair and asks why so many of us invest time and money on removal methods.

Meet the guests:

ScholarRebecca Herzigexplains when and why we started caring so much about body hair and how hair removal practices have evolved over the centuries.
Sharan Dhaliwal, founder and editor-in-chief of Burnt Roti, talks about about coming to terms with being a hairy Indian woman.
Photographer Kristie DeGaris shares how she's raising her daughters to think about their own body hair and trying to normalize NOT removing it.
Anita's parents on how their upbringings and aging have shaped their views on body hair.

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Embodied is back for a second season!

Anita says all the time "what's personal is political." So, she's interested to see how a new presidential administration will affect the ability of transgender Americans to serve in the U.S. military, which has long suffered from barriers to equity for troops and veterans from marginalized communities.

Meet the guests:

Lt. Col. Bree Fram, the highest-ranking, out transgender officer in the Department of Defense, shares what it meant to come out after Obama lifted the ban on trans service members and the challenges with Trump's reversal of the policy.
Marine Sgt. Samson Gibbs talks about how he's experienced more support than transphobia as an active duty military.

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Watch "Uneven Battlefield," a live event sponsored by WUNC's American Homefront project to meet more people working toward fair treatment and equity for all U.S. military troops and veterans.

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Anita is all kinds of in love with her newborn niece, a relationship that has her thinking more about motherhood. Her thoughts on the matter are at least somewhat informed by listening to "The Double Shift" podcast, which challenges the status quo for moms. This episode explores the roles of gender and community in raising kids through the story of a transgender man named Ted. Plus, Anita extends an invitation for a virtual hangout.

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Anita is admittedly anxious about aging and what she'll have to re-negotiate about her body and her relationships as she gets older. Wisdom wanted.

Meet the guests:

Omisade Burney-Scott, creator and host of "The Black Girls' Guide To Surviving Menopause" talks about how aging has affected her mind, body and spirit
Pepper Schwartz, a sociologist, sexologist and relationships expert, talks about how the cultural myths around aging shape how people approach sex and relationships
Ellen Ashley, talks about getting divorced at 60 and her varied experiences of dating online
Laura Stassi, host and creator of the podcast "Dating While Gray," shares her personal story that inspired the project
Anita’s parents talk about the changes they’ve noticed in their aging bodies and how it’s affected their relationship

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Anita knows how frustrating it can be to find the right doctor and get good healthcare. Transgender people have to navigate all those challenges and take extra measures to advocate for their wellbeing with medical providers who are too often untrained to treat them.

Meet the guests:

Max Brown, a transgender teenager living in North Carolina, talks about being misgendered in the healthcare system and how finding a supportive healthcare provider has changed his physical and mental health.
Frances Brown, Max's mom, talks about advocating for her son and advice for parents of other trans teens.
Katherine Croft, nurse and program manager for the UNC Transgender Health Program, shares the importance of delivering gender-affirming care.
Rebby Kern, director of education policy at Equality NC, talks about the role in-classroom educators play in creating positive experiences for trans kids.
Morgan Givens, storyteller and audio producer, talks about his long road to finding a supportive healthcare provider and the difference that doctor has made in his life.

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Anita is thinking more and more about entering the club of motherhood. But first, she'd appreciate a reality check on things we don't often talk about — like child care and health concerns around pregnancy and labor.

Meet the guests:

Angela Garbes, writer and author, talks about the cultural baggage surrounding American motherhood and how she separates the signal from the noise
Dani McClain, journalist and author, outlines how racial bias shapes the personal and professional experiences of Black mothers
Katherine Goldstein, journalist and creator of "The Double Shift," talks about rethinking the nuclear family
Anita’s parents talk about the changes they’ve noticed in their aging bodies and how it’s affected their relationship.

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Anita loves podcasts, especially ones that make space for intimate, unexpected conversations. "The Only One In The Room," hosted by Laura Cathcart Robbins, is one of those shows. This episode explores the excitement and emotions of being in an open marriage.

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Anita has a gut feeling none of us know as much as we should about the connection between our intestinal health and how our minds work.

Meet the guests:

Ian Carroll, assistant profession of nutrition at UNC-Chapel Hill teaches us what we need to know about our gut microbiome.
Lin Chang, a gastroenterologist and co-director of the G. Oppenheimer Center for Neurobiology of Stress and Resilience, explains the science behind the "gut feeling."
Lydia Greene, a postdoctoral fellow at the Duke Lemur Center, explains what lemur poop teaches us about humans.
Anita's parents talk about why it was okay to talk about poop at their family dining table.

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Anita is a workaholic. Being overworked stresses Anita out. Too much stress leads to poor health. Don't be like Anita.

Meet the guests:

Amelia Nagoski, conductor and co-author of "Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle" talks about the physical and psychological signals our body sends when its in distress.
Emilio Vicente, activist and communications manager for Familia: Trans Queer Liberation Movement, shares the unique burnout challenges for activists and how changing his relationship with success has helped him experience less burnout.
Anita's parents talk about where Anita's tendency to overwork comes from (her dad) and how he's learned the health consequences of burnout the hard way.

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Anita questions whether her inner feminist will ever let her come around to enjoying porn without shame.

Meet the guests:

Monèt Noelle Marshall, an artist and activist, talks about creating an artistic project exploring sexual shame.
Shine Louise Houston, founding director and producer of Pink and White Productions, takes us behind-the-scenes of creating ethical porn.
Mia Little, an adult film actor and content creator, talks about challenging the sexual stereotypes about Asian people while they are hard at work.
Gina Gutierrez, co-founder and CEO of Dipsea, talks about why audio erotica can help folks access their sexuality.
Anita's parents talk about their relationship with porn...and Anita's dad surprises them both on mic.

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Follow Embodied on Twitter and Instagram CORRECTION: Mia Little uses they/them pronouns and identifies as Filipino-American. An earlier edit of this episode used incorrect pronouns to identify them. This has since been corrected. But we're still bummed about it.

Anita realizes she never got 'the sex talk' growing up. And even if she had, it probably wouldn't have gone like this.

Meet the guests:

Emily Nagoski, author and sex educator, introduces a new framework for thinking about sex and pleasure.
Carin Bondar, biologist and science communicator, talks about what humans can learn from understanding how sex works in the animal kingdom.
Anita's parents reflect on why they never gave her the sex talk and what they hope to do differently with their grandkids.

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Impolite conversations. Intimate connections. Important self-discoveries.

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