About this episode

Jay Stringer joins Sheila Gregoire to discuss the importance of understanding and developing our desires, particularly for those from church backgrounds.

Send us Fan Mail Jay Stringer, licensed therapist and author of Unwanted, is back to talk about his brand new book Desire: The Longings Inside Us and the New Science of How We Love, Heal, and Grow. Together, we unpack why so many of us — especially those from church backgrounds — were taught to fear and suppress our desires rather than develop them. We dig into enmeshment, the "provisional self," why differentiation is actually the secret to intimacy and a healthy sex life, and why low libido...

People in this episode

Host: Sheila Gregoire

Guest: Jay Stringer

Topics covered

• desire
• intimacy
• low libido
• church backgrounds
• self-development
• mental health

Keywords

• desire
• intimacy
• low libido
• enmeshment
• provisional self
• differentiation
• mental health
• Christianity

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Desire: The Longings Inside Us and the New Science of How We Love, Heal, and Grow, Unwanted

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• Episode 322: Why Is Every Man's Battle So Creepy? A Harrowing Example · April 2, 2026 · 26 min
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