Episode 21: Disconnected, Burned Out & Still Expected to Want Sex: Reclaiming Desire

Dr. Kate Balestrieri

With Dr. Kate Balestrieri

What do you do when you realize you’re completely disconnected from your body, burned out, and expected to maintain a thriving sex life? In this episode, I sit down with psychologist, certified sex therapist, and author Dr. Kate Balestrieri to talk about her new book What Happened to My Sex Life?—a raw, real, and relatable exploration of desire, disconnection, resentment, and the slow road back to pleasure.

We talk about:

• How burnout, patriarchy, ADHD, and resentment erode desire

• What “reclaiming pleasure” really means (hint: it's not about lingerie and sex toys)

• Why sex therapists aren’t immune to desire struggles

• How to start reconnecting with your body without overwhelming yourself

• The emotional labor and invisible scripts tied to heteronormative desire expectations

• What it means to want intimacy but still feel "meh" about sex—and how that doesn’t make you broken

This one is honest, validating, and a powerful reminder that your sexuality isn’t gone—it might just be buried under all the bullshit.

More info on Dr. Kate Balestrieri: 

Dr. Kate Balestrieri, Psy.D is a Licensed Psychologist (Clinical and Forensic) in CA, FL, NY and IL. She is a Certified Sex Therapist, Certified Sex Addiction Therapist – Supervisor, and PACT III trained couples’ therapist. The Founder of Modern Intimacy, a nationwide therapy practice, Dr. Balestrieri is a passionate advocate for mental, relational and sexual health. Throughout her work, Dr. Balestrieri focuses on helping people build resilience and recovery from what ails them to move from a position of pain or discomfort to one of thriving, holistically in their lives. Dr. Balestrieri is the author of What Happened to My Sex Life? A Sex Therapist’s Guide to Reclaiming Lost Desire, Connection and Pleasure, and is the host of the Get Naked with Dr. Kate podcast.

You can find Dr. Kate Balestrieri on:

IG/Tik Tok: @drkatebalestrieri

YouTube: @ModernIntimacy

Website: https://www.modernintimacy.com/

Book: https://theexperimentpublishing.com/c...

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