This week on Here’s What We Know, we’re diving into a fresh perspective on intimacy just in time for Valentine’s Day! Join us for an unfiltered, heart-to-heart conversation with therapist Stephanie Flood. She opens up about her journey in founding Los Gatos Sex Therapy and shares how her groundbreaking online course, A Flood of Love, is reshaping our understanding of relationships and emotional connection. With practical insights, warm humor, and genuine storytelling, this episode is sure to inspire you to embrace love in all its forms. Tune in now!
This episode is sponsored by:
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In this Episode:
- Discover Stephanie’s unique path from theater arts to becoming a licensed therapist specializing in sex therapy—a transformation fueled by passion and self-discovery.
- Learn why true intimacy is so much more than physical contact; it’s about forging deep, emotional connections that enrich our lives.
- Understand how couples can fall silent on their needs and why open, honest conversation is essential for lasting connection.
- Explore how men and women experience bonding differently—whether it’s through physical affection or emotional availability—and why both views are vital.
- Hear why demonstrating love openly, especially in front of children, is key to teaching the next generation what real connection looks like.
Quotations:
“A lot of us got some really strange messaging growing up about sex and intimacy. And that’s probably something that most people don’t really feel comfortable talking about.” ~ Stephanie Flood
“This is very much simplifying it for men, but ‘I like sex; I want to have sex; when I have sex, I’m nicer to her, and then I like her more.’ The women do the exact opposite. ‘If he’s nice to me and he’s attuning to me, then I could think about having sex with him.’” ~ Stephanie Flood
“There can be all kinds of things that create intimacy if you don’t want to do the actual thing.” ~ Stephanie Flood
“I think that we get caught up in the idea that it needs to be a certain thing. Sex. It does not have to be that way. It is the emotional connection between the two of you that does include physical affection.” ~ Stephanie Flood
“Physical contact is so important to our emotional well-being. We need it as a species. We are humans, and our humanness needs physical touch. It doesn’t have to be a sexual touch; it just needs a physical touch. And it needs it on a very regular basis.” ~ Stephanie Flood
“Men generally like to hear that you are attracted to them. Men want to feel wanted and desired like a lot, like a lot a lot.” ~ Stephanie Flood
“Affection is a big deal. In our household, in our relationship for sure.” ~ Stephanie Flood
Bio:
Stephanie Flood is a licensed marriage and family therapist and the founder of A Flood of Love, a private practice dedicated to intimacy issues. With over 15 years of experience, she has supported more than 1,000 couples through challenges such as mismatched desire, communication gaps, and infidelity. Raised in a conservative household with mixed messages about love and sex, Stephanie’s own journey—marrying her high school sweetheart, nurturing a 31-year marriage, and raising four amazing kids—ignited her passion for helping others keep the spark alive amid life’s chaos. Her warm, authentic approach empowers couples to embrace vulnerability and cultivate lasting intimacy.
Guest Contact Info:
Website: https://www.afloodoflove.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephfloodoflove/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephieas17/