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Looking for helpful resources, guides, and support? I invite you to explore our blog, where you’ll find interesting authors, expert insights, and other resources dedicated to growth and connection.
Navigating mental health, relationships, and sexual intimacy can be complex, but the right resources can make all the difference. This curated list offers expert insights, practical guides, and trusted tools to support your journey toward emotional well-being, fulfilling relationships, and a healthy approach to intimacy.
In addition to books and multiple resources, most authors cited in this blog offer podcasts and interviews that you will find helpful and inspiring.
The list of resources below helps you explore, learn, and empower yourself with knowledge that fosters connection and personal growth.
Dr. Emily Nagosky Jennifer, our sex therapist on the team, and I love her approach to sexuality and intimacy, especially one of her latest books, Come Together: The Science (and Art!) of Creating Lasting Sexual Connections. In Come as You Are, she provided science-backed lessons that revolutionized how we think about women’s sexuality. The book Come Together takes on a misunderstood subject: sex in long-term relationships. She breaks down the myths many of us have been taught about sex—for instance, the belief that sexual satisfaction and desire are highest at the beginning of a relationship and that they will inevitably decline the more prolonged that relationship lasts. Nagoski assures us that’s not true.
Looking for an educational video to watch? How do you sustain passion throughout a long relationship? Is it possible to reinvent your sex life? Learn how to bring excitement, lust, and desire back into your life for longer, more satisfying relationships. With Emily Nagoski, Robin Rinaldi, author of The Wild Oats Project: One Woman’s Midlife Quest for Passion at Any Cost, and Ian Kerner, Health sex and relationship expert. I enjoyed reading his book She Comes First, which I recommended to men in heterosexual relationships.
Susan Crain Bakos has interviewed thousands of men and women about their sexual behaviour and attitudes. She is the author of The Sex Bible. This book is an authoritative, comprehensive, and beautifully photographed sex resource book that provides in-depth treatment of sexual topics in frank detail. The book is arranged into different sections, for example, “Foreplay,” “Sex Toys,“ and “Oral Sex.“ It explores sexual subjects you are either familiar with or, until now, never even knew existed. Couples will be captivated by personal anecdotes interspersed throughout.
Jessica Fern, author of Polysecure: Attachment, Trauma, and Consensual Nonmonogamy, breaks new ground by extending attachment theory into the realm of consensual nonmonogamy. Using her nested model of attachment and trauma, she expands our understanding of how emotional experiences can influence our relationships. Then, she sets out six specific strategies to help you move toward secure attachments in your multiple relationships. Jennifer, who offers therapy support to folx in polyamorous and diverse relationships, highly recommends this book.
Dr. Liz Powell, author of Building Open Relationships: Your Hands-on Guide to Swinging, polyamory, and Beyond! This book is an all-inclusive guide to beginning and maintaining a non-monogamous life, no matter where you fall under the umbrella. Complete with worksheets, discussion starters, examples, and hard-won lessons. This book will give you all the tools you need to succeed in non-monogamy.
Ester Perel is one of my favourite authors who presents the complexities of infidelity. In her book The State of Affairs, she examines modern relationships through the lens of infidelity. Affairs have a lot to teach us about the human heart. By examining illicit love from multiple angles, she invites you into an honest exploration of coupling in all its many variations.
A tradition in the field of couples therapists belongs to the Gottman Institute. Their website offers plenty of resources for couples and professionals. They address complicated issues using simple and accessible language. You can find numerous tools and tips to navigate relationships. Lisa’s and my approach to couples therapy is informed by the Gottman Method, among other theories and modalities.
Dr. Sue Johnson, on her website, offers several workshops for couples. One of the transformative books I’ve read is Hold Me Tight. Sue offers a groundbreaking approach to building stronger, more secure relationships. The book guides couples through seven pivotal conversations that foster emotional closeness, resolve conflicts, and create lasting bonds. With practical exercises, relatable examples, and insights rooted in the science of love, Hold Me Tight helps you understand and respond to your partner’s emotional needs. Dr. Johnson’s compassionate guidance empowers couples to break free from negative cycles and cultivate trust, intimacy, and resilience.
Dr. Lori Brotto is the author of Better Sex Through Mindfulness: How Women Can Cultivate Desire and The Better Sex Through Mindfulness Workbook. In this accessible, relatable book, she explores the various reasons for sexual problems, such as stress and incessant multitasking. She tells the stories of many women she has treated over the years. She also provides straightforward, practical exercises that readers can do on their own to increase desire and sexual enjoyment, whether their goal is to overcome a sexual difficulty or give their love life a boost.
Dr. Jessica O’Reilly’s book The Ultimate Guide to Seduction & Foreplay: Techniques and Strategies for Mind-Blowing Sex. This book takes you on a journey of sexual exploration. As you explore your own learning and seduction styles (and your lover’s), you’ll discover and experiment with new and exciting ways to stimulate arousal and deepen intimacy: verbal, emotional, and digital seduction, foreplay, eroticizing daily actions, games, fantasy play, mindfulness, and more. The book is packed with practical exercises, techniques, and creative ideas. This inclusive guide is a surefire way for folks of all genders to master the art of seduction.
Amir Levine, M.D., and Rachel S. F. Heller, M.A., put together Attached: The New Science of Adult Attachment and How It Can Help You Find and Keep Love. I have recommended this excellent book to numerous couples and single people looking to start a romantic relationship. The Attached book guides you in determining what attachment style you and your mate (or potential mates) follow. It also offers a wealth of advice on navigating relationships more wisely, given your attachment style and partner’s. The book offers a road map for building stronger, more fulfilling connections.
The book Healing Sex: A Mind-Body Approach to Sexual Trauma by Staci Haines. It’s a compassionate and practical guide that helps survivors of sexual abuse reclaim their sexuality in a way that feels safe and empowering. The book incorporates mindfulness, somatic (body-based) healing techniques, and exercises to support healing and pleasure.
An all-inclusive website geared to teenagers and young adults offers thousands of in-depth, original and reliable text-based pieces that provide everything from general to super-specific sex, bodies and relationship information, all of which you can access for free.
The Ultimate Guide to Sex and Disability: For All of Us Who Live with Disabilities, Chronic Pain, and Illness is a book author by Miriam Kaufman, Cory Silverberg, and Fran Odette. For sufferers of ailments from chronic fatigue syndrome and spinal cord injury to multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, and others, the book provides encouragement, support, and expert information on sex positions, orgasms, and sex toys. It also features illustrations and a resource guide with hundreds of books, websites, and organizations.
Sex After Grief: Navigating Your Sexuality After Losing Your Beloved (Healing After Loss, Grief Gift, Bereavement Gift, Senior Sex) by Joan Price is an honest approach to hard questions: Sex is complicated at the best of times―but when we’re overcome by grief, it’s especially mysterious and confusing. How do we nurture ourselves as sexual beings when we’re grieving the death of a partner? Why does taking care of ourselves sexually matter at a time when we’d rather hide under the covers and wail? How do we know when it’s time to open ourselves to the sexual phase of a new relationship? And how do we do it?
Don’t forget to play! Playing card games for couples and other relationship games can help build emotional (and physical) intimacy while keeping things lighthearted and fun. Cards are conversation prompts for discussing sexual topics openly and action cards that suggest playful, adventurous activities. Cards for couples aim to bring fun and connection into your intimate life, sparking meaningful and exciting interactions.
Need Help?
Sexual Education for Youth with Physical Disabilities Sexuality is an integral part of overall wellbeing for all individuals, including those with physical disabilities. It is linked to other aspects of health, including mental health, emotional health and social well-being in healthy relationships.
Dial 2-1-1. The helpline is answered by real people 24/7 and is available in 150+ languages. 211 is a helpline that easily connects people to the social services, programs, and community support they need.
ShelterSafe www.sheltersafe.ca
Assaulted Women’s Help Line 1-866-863-0511 / TTY 1-866-863-7868 www.awhl.org
Ontario Native Women’s Association (ONWA) www.onwa.ca
Ontario Coalition of Rape Crisis Centres http://www.sexualassaultsupport.ca Victim Support Line (Ontario Victim Services) 1-888-579-2888
Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse Provincial Crisis and Support Line (Ontario Victim Services) 1-866-887-0015
Trans Lifeline: 1-877-330-6366
Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline Call: 1-833-900-1010LLGBT Youth Line: Text: 647-694-4275 / Call: 1-800-268-9688