Conversations with Dr. Jennifer

Dr. Jennifer Finlayson-Fife

Dr. Jennifer Finlayson-Fife is a sex and relationship expert who has been interviewed for hundreds of podcasts. You can access all the amazing content covering issues of faith, sexuality, integrity, belonging, and more right here on the interview archive! Dr. Finlayson-Fife is an LDS relationship and sexuality coach as well as a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in the state of Illinois. Dr. Finlayson-Fife also has a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology. The advice offered through any and all podcasts in which she is featured is educational and informational in nature and is provided only as general information. It is not meant to establish a therapist-patient relationship or offer therapeutic advice, opinion, diagnosis treatment or to establish a standard of care. The information contained in these communications is not comprehensive and does not include all the potential information regarding the subject matter, but is merely intended to serve as one resource for general and educational purposes.

  • 23 minutes 55 seconds
    Having Sex vs Making Love

    The couples who approach Dr. Finlayson-Fife about sexual dissatisfaction often aren't struggling with frequency — they're struggling with meaning. The attraction, the aliveness, the passion that once came so naturally seems to have slipped away.

    In this NEW episode, Dan Purcell of the Get Your Marriage On Podcast asks Dr. Finlayson-Fife for her perspective on the difference between having sex and making love — and what couples can do to bring more soulfulness to their sexual relationship. 

    LAST CALL FOR SWITZERLAND — Learn more HERE! (Sales close on May 2nd)




    28 April 2026, 6:00 am
  • 54 minutes 57 seconds
    Sex with Soul

    We tend to think of eros as strictly about sex. But in its truest meaning, eros is the human soul's longing for communion — for connection beyond ourselves. It is the impulse that draws us toward God, toward truth, toward knowing and being known by another person. Eros is what enlarges our souls. And it is also the thing we most resist — because eros requires risk.

    In this episode, Dr. Finlayson-Fife joins Tim and Aubrey Chaves of the Faith Matters podcast to explore the powerful ideas at the heart of That We Might Have Joy. We are re-airing this popular episode to bring attention to Dr. Finlayson-Fife's book discussion and signing in Boston on April 23rd. Learn more and get your tickets HERE!

    19 April 2026, 6:00 am
  • 56 minutes 8 seconds
    Wired Differently | ADHD in Relationships Q&A

    Every relationship is a negotiation between two different minds. But when one of those minds is wired differently—more impulsive, more interest-driven, or more easily overwhelmed by the gap between intention and follow-through—that negotiation can become especially complex.

    In this live Q&A, Dr. Finlayson-Fife is joined by ADHD coach, educator, and advocate Kamden Hainsworth to explore what neurodiversity looks like inside intimate relationships. Together, they respond to listener questions about attention, overwhelm, responsibility, and connection—and what it really takes to build a strong, collaborative marriage when ADHD is part of the equation.

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    Join us for a one-day couples workshop in Alpine, UT - DETAILS HERE!

    Last call for the Switzerland Tour! Learn more HERE!

    7 April 2026, 6:00 am
  • 51 minutes 2 seconds
    Understanding the Enneagram | Q&A with Ian Morgan Cron

    We tell ourselves stories about who we are — and most of us have been telling the same ones since childhood. The Enneagram doesn't just teach us about our personality type, it exposes the story underneath it. Through the Enneagram we can learn why we cope the way we do, what we're afraid to lose, and what's possible when we're willing to loosen our grip on the narrative that's been organizing our life.

    In this Q&A episode, Dr. Jennifer Finlayson-Fife is joined by bestselling author, psychotherapist, and Enneagram teacher Ian Morgan Cron to explore how the Enneagram can transform the way we understand ourselves and the people we love.

    SAVE $200 on all of Dr. Finlayson-Fife's domestic multi-day retreats with code JFF200
    SAVE 15% on Ian's Enneagram Assessment and Online Courses with code ROOMFORTWO


    1 April 2026, 6:00 am
  • 42 minutes 15 seconds
    Should I Stay or Should I Go? | Q&A with Dr. Jennifer

    Couples who change in a real way are sometimes the ones willing to face the genuine possibility of ending their marriage. Not as a threat or a tactic, but as an honest reckoning with what they stand to lose and who they really are. After all, you can't give a meaningful yes to something if there's not a viable or real no.

    In this episode, Dr. Finlayson-Fife uses listener questions to guide a discussion about the decision whether to stay in or leave a marriage. She talks about what it looks like to be in a marriage without having truly chosen it, why ambivalence is never a neutral place, how to know when divorce is the right answer, what it means to put your marriage on the line as an act of honesty rather than control, and why desire can't exist where fear or obligation is running the show.

    ANNOUNCEMENTS:

    Intimate Exposures Workshop in Utah
    Couples' Workshop in Utah (tickets coming soon!)
    Starting Strong Workshop in Utah


    25 March 2026, 6:00 am
  • 31 minutes 40 seconds
    The Sex Talk Your Kids Actually Need

    Despite their reactions to our attempts to discuss it, our children are looking to us to help them make sense of their sexuality. And while talking to kids about sex can feel deeply uncomfortable — for reasons that are actually quite natural — avoiding these conversations comes at a cost.

    In this episode, Dr. Finlayson-Fife joins Holly J. Moore of the Made for Moore podcast to discuss how parents can approach conversations about sex and sexuality with their children in a way that is honest, ongoing, and shame-free. They explore why discomfort doesn't have to be a barrier, how to begin these conversations early and keep them going, and how offering values around sexuality — rather than fear or shame — empowers children to make informed, confident, and integrity-driven choices as they grow.

    Want to learn more? Enroll in Dr. Finlayson-Fife's How to Talk to Your Kids About Sex course!

    10 March 2026, 6:00 am
  • 43 minutes 27 seconds
    Using the Enneagram to Understand Your Relationship | Room for Two Teaser

    Join us for a FREE Q&A about the Enneagram - click HERE for details!

    Brad and Kate have been working to understand themselves and each other better, using the Enneagram to better understand how they each respond to stress and disconnection. They've been talking more openly and defending less—but when tensions rise, Brad moves toward action and physical closeness, hoping connection will bring relief while Kate pulls back, wanting to feel emotionally secure before opening up. This leaves Brad feeling rejected and Kate worried that intimacy is more about sex itself than truly being with her. Because Brad seems steady on the surface and Kate is openly emotional, it's easy for both of them to assume she's the problem—but they're equally dysregulated, just in different ways.

    Want to unlock the full episode and over a hundred more that are just as powerful? Subscribe to Room for Two!

    5 March 2026, 7:00 am
  • 40 minutes 59 seconds
    ADHD in Marriage

    You married a whole person. The spontaneity, the creativity, the aliveness — and yes, the forgotten appointments and the missed recitals too. But learning to love a whole person — both their virtues and their vices — is the real work of marriage.

    When neurodivergence is part of the picture, it's easy to get lost in what your partner isn't doing, or to lean on a diagnosis to justify your impact on the other. But a real partnership requires taking full responsibility for the gifts and burdens of the mind and body you were born with.

    In this episode, Dr. Finlayson-Fife joins Kamden Hainsworth of the Busy Brained Saint podcast to talk about what it looks like for both partners in a neurodiverse marriage to show up as whole people — owning what is theirs, releasing what isn't, and finding more freedom than they expected on the other side.

    Listen to learn more about:

    24 February 2026, 7:00 am
  • 31 minutes 11 seconds
    Keeping the Spark Alive

    The JFF Book Club starts 2/19, you can join HERE for six interactive discussions with Dr. Jennifer!

    Falling in love is easy. Staying in love requires our maturation. A few years (or decades) into marriage, it's tempting to wonder if we just married the wrong person—the passion has faded, the differences feel more irritating, and that deep sense of connection doesn't feel as natural as it once did. And while it is tempting to think that something is going wrong, really, marriage is just inviting us to stop chasing what was and to start creating something deeper.

    In this episode, Dr. Jennifer Finlayson-Fife joins the Date Your Spouse team to talk about what couples can do to bring a sense of aliveness to their marriage. She challenges the idea that going along to keep the peace is an act of love, explains why duty-based sex quietly destroys desire, and offers a surprisingly simple practice any couple can try TONIGHT to create more intimacy and connection.

    If you're looking to create more passion and connection in your relationship, enroll in Dr. Jennifer's new Sex Worth Wanting course!

    18 February 2026, 7:00 am
  • 34 minutes 23 seconds
    Making Peace with Our Sexuality

    Many of us were taught—directly or indirectly—that sexuality and spirituality are at odds, and that suppressing our sexual selves brings us closer to God. But what if that story is wrong? What if our sexuality is actually one of the primary ways we learn how to love?

    In this episode, Dr. Jennifer Finlayson-Fife joins Dan Purcell of the Get Your Marriage On podcast to discuss her book That We Might Have Joy and the role of eros energy—the aliveness that emerges when couples stop running their marriages from fear, control, and ego. Through stories from the book—like Samuel, whose fear of sexual feelings kept him stuck, and Bradley, whose relentless pursuit of sex was driven by shame—Dr. Jennifer shows how sexual repression doesn’t make us more spiritual. It just keeps us fragmented.

    Together, they explore why sexual integration—not suppression—is what leads to greater freedom, strength, and intimacy.

    10 February 2026, 7:00 am
  • 58 minutes 35 seconds
    New Year, Same You? | Creating Change That Lasts [Q&A with Dr. Jennifer]

     Change is hard and it's not just because you lack willpower. Change is hard because it asks you to step into a version of yourself that feels unfamiliar—the one who’s still learning to speak honestly, love wholeheartedly, and tolerate the discomfort that comes from facing ourselves honestly.

    The unease you feel when you start to change isn’t a sign that something’s wrong. It’s a sign that your brain is doing exactly what it needs to do to grow.

    In this episode, Dr. Finlayson-Fife uses questions submitted by listeners to drive a discussion about how we can create transformation in ourselves and in our relationships.

    Listen to the full episode to learn:

    • Why most resolutions fail (and what actually creates lasting change)
    • How to navigate the discomfort of growth without retreating to old patterns
    • The power of self-confrontation

      Learn more about your upcoming events HERE: https://buytickets.at/jenniferfinlaysonfifephd
    2 February 2026, 7:00 am
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