Jennifer Matesa the author of Sex in Recovery: A meeting between the covers joins us today on The SHAIR Podcast.
Sexuality in the context of recovery is rarely talked about openly, in part because our broader culture may inhibit us from sharing our true experiences. For some, the prospect of sober sex feels like uncharted waters--in the past, we've rarely had sex without first numbing ourselves with drugs and alcohol. What does it mean to have an intimate relationship in sobriety? Exploring that question deepens our recovery journey.
With this groundbreaking work, Jennifer Matesa uncovers the challenges real people encounter when they start taking their clothes off--without drinking or using in order to do so. Providing readers "a meeting between the covers," Matesa blends first-person accounts bravely shared by diverse members of the recovery community, insights from experts, and her own perspectives. The result is a book that creates a space for a vital, new dialogue about sexuality and intimacy. As we find a common language for this more hidden aspect of our healing, we can truly "practice these principles in all our affairs."
Jennifer Matesa has written about health for more than twenty years and authors the award-winning blog Guinevere Gets Sober. She is a regular contributor to TheFix.com, and in 2013 she became a fellow of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. She is the author of The Recovering Body (Hazelden, 2014).
“Sex In Recovery is a work long overdue. In a frank, personal and highly personable way Jennifer Matesa opens a topic usually only whispered about: the essential role of sexual healing in sobriety. Many readers will be grateful to her.”
—Gabor Maté M.D., author of In The Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters With Addiction
“In this beautifully written work, Jennifer Matesa accomplishes a herculean task. For decades, clinicians have struggled to assist patients to integrate healthy sex lives into robust recovery programs. At the same time, traditional 12 Step programs have promulgated rules that shamed and denied their members’ sexuality. Sex in Recovery resolves this disconnect. Through compelling narrative descriptions, it gives its readers a map to navigate, resolve and embrace their sexuality in its most rewarding expression.”
—Dr. Paul Hokemeyer, America’s Family and Addictions Therapist
Join us now as Jennifer takes us through her battle with Drugs and Alcohol and her inspiring journey into recovery. You don't want to miss this episode!