A 20-Year Journey Through Painful Intimacy - with Shannon (Part 2) | Ep. 153
In Part 2 of her episode, Shannon opens up about the next chapter of her story. After meeting her husband, she eagerly took the lead in their relationship—from their first kiss to exploring intimacy together. Remaining a virgin until marriage was deeply important to her, so they waited until their wedding night to have intercourse.But the moment she had waited for her entire life turned out to be excruciatingly painful—and the pain didn’t go away. For two years, Shannon silently endured, until she was finally diagnosed with vulvodynia, a chronic condition causing pain around the vulva. What was supposed to be a joyful part of marriage became a painful obligation. She was overwhelmed with guilt and shame, feeling as though she had failed as a wife.Eventually, she found an incredible pelvic floor specialist who helped relieve much of the physical pain—but the emotional and sexual disconnection lingered. Despite her efforts, she still didn’t feel desire. Over the next 20 years, they struggled. A sex therapist left Shannon feeling blamed and broken. They even tried visiting sex clubs, hoping that new experiences might reignite her interest. Nothing worked, and Shannon sank into depression.Then she found Janna.For the first time, Shannon felt truly seen, heard, and understood. With Janna’s support, her relationship has completely transformed. Now, Shannon looks forward to the next 20 years with her husband—hopeful, empowered, and finally at peace.Janna's Wanting It More Foundations self-paced course for women is always open for registration. Learn more and join here.Join the waitlist for the Oct./Nov. 2025 round of Doing It Together here.Learn about the Doing It Together program details, schedules, testimonials, and Q&A.Leave a podcast review: We'd so appreciate your rating and review to help the podcast reach more couples.
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From Purity Promises to Parenting With Truth - with Shannon (Part 1) | Ep. 152
Shannon grew up in a conservative Christian household during the 1990s, at the height of the purity culture movement. At just 14 years old, she signed a contract pledging to remain a virgin until marriage.Now, Shannon shares what she was taught during that time, how she navigated the strict “rules” meant to preserve her so-called purity, and how those experiences have shaped the way she now talks to her 10-year-old daughter—especially in light of what she’s learned from Janna.Janna's Wanting It More Foundations self-paced course for women is always open for registration. Learn more and join here.Join the waitlist for the Oct./Nov. 2025 round of Doing It Together here.Learn about the Doing It Together program details, schedules, testimonials, and Q&A.Leave a podcast review: We'd so appreciate your rating and review to help the podcast reach more couples.
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Why You Don’t Know What You Like And How To Figure It Out - With Jess | Ep.151
Jess and her husband went through a slow but steady decline in intimacy, eventually reaching a point where they hadn't had sex for years. While her husband assumed she had no interest, Jess thought about it constantly—carrying deep feelings of shame and guilt. They never spoke about it, and Jess felt completely stuck, unsure of how to move forward.Then Jess discovered Janna’s podcast. She listened quietly for over a year before she ever mentioned it to her husband. She was drawn to Janna’s Wanting It More Foundations course for women, hoping to better understand why she had grown to dislike sex—and to begin figuring out what she might actually enjoy.The course gave her the words and insights she had been missing. For the first time, Jess realized she had no real understanding of what felt good to her—she had always been focused on other people’s needs and feelings instead of her own. With this new awareness, she was finally able to have an open, honest conversation with her husband.Together, they decided to take the Doing It Together course. Now, they’re learning how Jess can reconnect with herself and how her husband can support her in that journey.Janna's Wanting It More Foundations self-paced course for women is always open for registration. Learn more and join here.Join the waitlist for the Oct./Nov. 2025 round of Doing It Together here.Learn about the Doing It Together program details, schedules, testimonials, and Q&A.Leave a podcast review: We'd so appreciate your rating and review to help the podcast reach more couples.
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What Happened to the Spark? A Journey Through Marriage, Motherhood, and MS - with Kate (Part 2) | Ep. 150
In the second part of Kate’s story, we discover what shifted in her marriage that caused her once-strong sexual desire to disappear—and why sex became a low priority in her relationship.When Kate started dating her future husband, she worried the passion might fade. But to her relief, it didn’t. Their sex life remained fun, exciting, and free of guilt. Everything changed, however, after they had children.Following the birth of their second child, Kate found herself constantly exhausted. While sex remained a top priority for her husband, it became the last thing on Kate’s mind by the end of each day. Her husband felt hurt and began to believe she no longer loved him.For years, Kate went through the motions, having sex mainly to meet his needs—but she found little enjoyment in it. During this period, she was also diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), which only deepened her fatigue. As her symptoms worsened, she eventually had to leave her job, and any energy for intimacy vanished.Then, Kate stumbled across Janna’s Wanting It More Foundations program for women through an online ad. She took the self-paced course and recalls thinking, “I can’t believe I’m not the only one!” Understanding the real reasons behind her low desire was a breakthrough. She suggested they try Doing It Together, a couples’ version of the course—and her husband was fully on board.Now, Kate shares what they’ve learned and the steps they’re taking to build a mutually satisfying sexual connection—one that truly works for both of them.Janna's Wanting It More Foundations self-paced course for women is always open for registration. Learn more and join here.Join the waitlist for the Oct./Nov. 2025 round of Doing It Together here.Learn about the Doing It Together program details, schedules, testimonials, and Q&A.Leave a podcast review: We'd so appreciate your rating and review to help the podcast reach more couples.
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Shame-Free Sexual Freedom, Then Something Changed - with Kate (Part 1) | Ep. 149
Kate’s story differs from many shared on this podcast. She was raised by atheist parents in a non-religious household. Although sex was never talked about, she educated herself by stealing books about sex from her grandmother’s library. In her 20’s, she was part of the slam poetry scene and she and her friends “slept around a lot” having fun and feeling completely free of shame or guilt. When she met her future husband, she refused to officially date him for well over a year, because they were having such a good time (in and out of the bedroom) and she didn’t want things to change. But, despite her best efforts, something did change. Tune in next week to hear Part 2 of Kate’s story.Janna's Wanting It More Foundations self-paced course for women is always open for registration. Learn more and join here.Join the waitlist for the Oct./Nov. 2025 round of Doing It Together here.Learn about the Doing It Together program details, schedules, testimonials, and Q&A.Leave a podcast review: We'd so appreciate your rating and review to help the podcast reach more couples.
About Doing It Together: Making Sense of Low Libido, Sex, and Intimacy in Marriage.
Doing It Together is about empowering women and men to heal from cultural messages so that they can discover true pleasure and connection in their sexual relationship and marriage. This podcast addresses the common dynamic in a heterosexual relationship in which the wife doesn’t want and enjoy sex and the husband does.Too often, the focus is placed on labels like “low libido” and “low sex drive” without addressing the root issues including physical and emotional safety, shame, porn use, unintentional pressure, lack of emotional awareness, and many others.I’m Janna Denton-Howes, a Relationship Coach and Sex Educator who has specialized in this one area for the last 7 years, helping thousands of couples create a sex life that both partners can look forward to and genuinely enjoy. I’ve developed Doing It Together (formally known as “Wanting It More”), a unique program offering both men and women the tools, skills, and support to do the work required for a healthy and sustainable intimate life.If you’re looking for a fresh perspective on how to have a great sex life that is truly nourishing, connecting, and fulfilling without any feelings of obligation, duty, or guilt, this is the podcast for you!
Listen to Doing It Together: Making Sense of Low Libido, Sex, and Intimacy in Marriage., On Purpose with Jay Shetty and many other podcasts from around the world with the radio.net app
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