Charting Toward Intimacy – Details, episodes & analysis

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Ellen and Kathleen tackle the common misconceptions about sex and intimacy within marriage, particularly the idea that sex should be effortless. 

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Did we mention a book on this week's episode? Click here for our recommended books!

Reach out at instagram.com/chartingtowardintimacy/ or email us at ellen@vinesinfullbloom.com

Ready to improve your sex life and take it to the next level? Check out our courses: vinesinfullbloom.com/courses

NEW Course Let's Talk About "It" is available NOW!

Ellen addresses the question of whether it is okay for couples to make out while trying to avoid pregnancy during the fertile window. She explains the role of sexual arousal in preparing the body for sex and discusses the potential physical and emotional discomfort of arousing each other without the intention to have sex. 

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Did we mention a book on this week's episode? Click here for our recommended books!

Reach out at instagram.com/chartingtowardintimacy/ or email us at ellen@vinesinfullbloom.com

Ready to improve your sex life and take it to the next level? Check out our courses: vinesinfullbloom.com/courses

Get the Catholic Sex Course for Women right here!


In this special episode, Ellen shares the powerful testimony of a woman named Victoria, who experienced profound changes in her marriage and sex life through faith and prayer. Overcoming personal struggles and the challenges posed by her husband's use of pornography, Victoria's story emphasizes the transformative power of God's providence, natural family planning, and intimate connection. This heartfelt narrative demonstrates how persistent devotion and understanding can turn a relationship filled with pain into one of love, joy, and deep intimacy.

Bloom for Women is an excellent resource if you are struggling in the same way that Veronica did.

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Did we mention a book on this week's episode? Click here for our recommended books!

Reach out at instagram.com/chartingtowardintimacy/ or email us at ellen@vinesinfullbloom.com

Ready to improve your sex life and take it to the next level? Check out our courses: vinesinfullbloom.com/courses

Kind of like the question of the chicken or the egg, which comes first physical or emotional intimacy? Well there are two basic camps that people typically fall into: (1) those who desire physical intimacy in order to feel emotionally close or (2) those who need to feel emotionally intimate before they are ready to be physically intimate.

Here's the fun part, a lot of times, couples are matched up where one spouse is one of those categories and the other spouse is the opposite!

This week we're breaking down what these categories are and giving you some tips to work on both your physical and your emotional intimacy.

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Did we mention a book on this week's episode? Click here for our recommended books!

Reach out at instagram.com/chartingtowardintimacy/ or email us at ellen@vinesinfullbloom.com

Ready to improve your sex life and take it to the next level? Check out our courses: vinesinfullbloom.com/courses

Teena is a product designed for teens and preteens to get them excited about cycle tracking and help them understand what is going on in their cycle. I'm really excited to share this completely honest review with you. Teena did provide me one of their devices for free to check it out, but my review is completely my own. 

Head over to Instagram to enter the giveaway! 

Want to purchase a Teena for your teen? Get $20 off here.

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Did we mention a book on this week's episode? Click here for our recommended books!

Reach out at instagram.com/chartingtowardintimacy/ or email us at ellen@vinesinfullbloom.com

Ready to improve your sex life and take it to the next level? Check out our courses: vinesinfullbloom.com/courses

We'd like to present the term "Responsible Parenthood" as the new word we start using when we are describing what Catholic married couples do when they discern children, use NFP, and really just live out their lives as married couples, regardless of fertility status.

The term NFP falls short when we have discussions about what Catholic married couples are called to. NFP, after all, is just a tool. Responsible Parenthood, according to St. Pope Paul VI is a way of life that all married couples are called to live.

Read along in Humanae Vitae with us.

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Did we mention a book on this week's episode? Click here for our recommended books!

Reach out at instagram.com/chartingtowardintimacy/ or email us at ellen@vinesinfullbloom.com

Ready to improve your sex life and take it to the next level? Check out our courses: vinesinfullbloom.com/courses

NFP Basics is an add-on marriage preparation module that any marriage prep/pre-cana program can easily implement into their program. NFP Basics covers the theology behind why the church teaches NFP for family planning and why the church has a prohibition on contraception and fertility treatments like IVF. Then the program covers basic fertility science and gives an overview of most of the major methods available to couples to track the woman's cycle and plan their family.

In this episode, Ellen is on to tell you a little more about the program and her experience implementing this in a number of dioceses in California.

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Did we mention a book on this week's episode? Click here for our recommended books!

Reach out at instagram.com/chartingtowardintimacy/ or email us at ellen@vinesinfullbloom.com

Ready to improve your sex life and take it to the next level? Check out our courses: vinesinfullbloom.com/courses

Do you still struggle with reconciling that sex is good and holy? It's so common for us to think of sex as something bad or dirty, but it's not, I repeat NOT bad and dirty. Sex is good, it's better than good, it's HOLY.

If you're wondering what we meant by unity cross, click here! Sorry that Googling "unity cross" doesn't actually give you what we meant!

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Did we mention a book on this week's episode? Click here for our recommended books!

Reach out at instagram.com/chartingtowardintimacy/ or email us at ellen@vinesinfullbloom.com

Ready to improve your sex life and take it to the next level? Check out our courses: vinesinfullbloom.com/courses

Let's chat about the marital debt! Who owes who sex? Who is supposed to be the one to sacrifice? What even is sacrificial love?

We'll get into all these questions and more in this week's episode.

Here's the book we mentioned called Theology of the Body in Simple Language

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Did we mention a book on this week's episode? Click here for our recommended books!

Reach out at instagram.com/chartingtowardintimacy/ or email us at ellen@vinesinfullbloom.com

Ready to improve your sex life and take it to the next level? Check out our courses: vinesinfullbloom.com/courses

Your marriage is a battleground. Truly, the forces of good and evil are fighting against each other in your marriage and in all marriages. If you've ever felt like something is just fighting against you having a calm, peaceful, and good marriage.... it's because there is. Today in the episode we're talking about the particular difficulties of living in marriage in today's world.

My Delight is open February 13-15, sign up at this link here. Listening to the episode after Feb 13-16 2023? Sign up at the link above to get on the waitlist to be the first to know when the course opens again!

Here's the letter from "St. Valentine" (Thanks Chat GPT)

Dear Married Couples,

Greetings to you on this special day in honor of love and commitment. I am St. Valentine, and I am writing to encourage you in your journey as a married couple.

I know that being married in today's world can be filled with many challenges, but I want to remind you to always trust in God and His plan for your marriage. He has brought you together for a purpose, and He will be with you every step of the way.

Lean on your faith in God to provide you with the strength and wisdom you need to navigate the ups and downs of marriage. Seek His guidance in every decision you make and turn to Him in prayer when you face difficulties.

Remember that God is the source of all love and that He is the foundation upon which your marriage should be built. Trust in His love and grace to sustain you, and you will find peace and joy in your relationship.

I pray that God will bless your marriage and fill it with love, joy, and peace. May your love for each other continue to grow and flourish, and may you always find comfort and support in your faith in Him.

With Love, 

Your Valentine

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Did we mention a book on this week's episode? Click here for our recommended books!

Reach out at instagram.com/chartingtowardintimacy/ or email us at ellen@vinesinfullbloom.com

Ready to improve your sex life and take it to the next level? Check out our courses: vinesinfullbloom.com/courses