101 | How To Find Your Way Back To Pleasure: Healing Trauma With Brooke Bralove

About this episode

This episode explores the deeper reasons behind intimacy challenges in midlife women, featuring a discussion with trauma healing expert Brooke Bralove.

Have you ever wondered why intimacy feels harder than it should? Why desire feels distant, or why being fully present in your body during sex feels just out of reach — even when everything else in your life seems fine? Most women in midlife assume it is hormones. And sometimes it is. But sometimes the story runs deeper, back through experiences the body absorbed and quietly held onto. In this episode of Pleasure in the Pause, Gabriella sits down with licensed clinical social worker, psychothe...

People in this episode

Host: Gabriella Espinosa

Guest: Brooke Bralove

Topics covered

• intimacy
• desire
• trauma healing
• midlife
• sexuality
• hormones

Keywords

• intimacy
• desire
• midlife
• trauma
• sexuality
• hormones
• pleasure

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Pleasure in the Pause, licensed clinical social worker

More episodes of Pleasure in the Pause: Midlife Conversations About Menopause, Sex & Pleasure

• 107 | From Survival Mode To Self-Connection: A Nervous System Reset For Midlife Women · June 10, 2026 · 32 min
• 106 | The Menopause Gut: The Missing Link Between Hormones, Mood, Sleep & Energy with Cynthia Thurlow · June 3, 2026 · 49 min
• 105 | Hormone Therapy After Breast Cancer: Breaking Down The Fear, Myths & Research With Dr. Susan Hardwick Smith · May 27, 2026 · 47 min
• 104 | Untamed Pleasure: The Keys To Unlocking Desire In Midlife With Carly Mountain · May 20, 2026 · 1h 3m
• 103 | Learning To Trust Your Body Again After Surgical Menopause With Julie Parana · May 13, 2026 · 39 min
• 102 | When Mother's Day Hurts, Modern Loss, Grief, and Finding Meaning with Rebecca Soffer · May 6, 2026 · 1h 2m