Why Good Sex Matters. Dr. Nan Wise Explains the “Brain Crotch” Theory, Trauma Healing & Pleasure as Medicine

Can better sex really re-wire your brain for calm, confidence, and joy? Clinical sexologist Dr. Suzanne Mulvihill sits down with behavioral neuroscientist and certified sex therapist Dr. Nan Wise, author of the award-winning Why Good Sex Matters, to find out. Drawing on her groundbreaking fMRI studies, Dr. Wise explains how stimulating the clitoris, vagina, cervix and even the nipples lights up a tucked-away area she nicknames the “brain crotch,” creating a flood of feel-good chemicals that boost mood, ease pain, and sharpen focus.

What you’ll learn in plain language:

• How pleasure rewires the nervous system

  • Regular sexual play (solo or partnered) increases blood flow, releases natural painkillers and endocannabinoids, and may even beat sudoku for brain health.

• Why stress is the real bedroom villain

  • Chronic cortisol keeps bodies stuck in “fight or flight.” A simple trick; inhale, then exhale a little longer, helps shift the brain into safety so arousal can build.

• Trauma-informed tips for reclaiming desire

  • From micro-dosing cannabis to gentle, curiosity-driven touch, Dr. Wise shares tools that foster neuroplasticity and dissolve old fear loops.

• The orgasm gap (and why women can have longer, multiple peaks)

  • Her research shows female orgasms last longer and recruit wider brain networks than male orgasms, and you can train those pathways at any age.

The real story behind her late-career PhD, the surprising role of the vagus nerve, and why she calls pleasure “essential healthcare, not a luxury.” Press play and discover science-backed ways to feel safer, happier, and more connected in and out of the bedroom.