Explore every episode of the podcast The Confessional Booth

In this episode of the Confessional Booth, Marie Wagner explores the roles we adopt in relationships and how they can hinder true intimacy. She emphasizes the importance of presence and self-awareness in fostering genuine connections, urging listeners to recognize their performance patterns and embrace vulnerability.

Takeaways

• Performance in relationships
• Intimacy requires presence

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction to the Confessional Booth
• 01:11 The Roles We Play in Relationships
• 03:36 Understanding the Persona
• 05:39 The Tension Between Security and Desire
• 08:30 The Impact of Past Experiences
• 10:46 Authenticity vs. Attachment
• 12:01 The Cost of Chronic Adaptation
• 13:38 Cultural Scripts and Sexual Confidence
• 15:39 The Vulnerability of Authenticity
• 18:01 The Importance of Somatic Awareness
• 19:50 Presence in Relationships
• 21:25 Intimacy Intelligence
• 22:41 Moving from Performance to Connection

The episode delves into the complex relationship between sex and intimacy, exploring the layers of intimacy, the role of the nervous system, the importance of presence over performance, mental and spiritual intimacy, using sex to avoid communication, and the journey from shame to connection.

Takeaways

• Sex and intimacy are related but not the same.
• Intimacy is created by becoming more real, allowing oneself to be known.
• Intimacy can be improved with intimacy intelligence and sexual intelligence.

Chapters

• 00:00 Exploring Sex and Intimacy
• 03:11 The Layers of Intimacy
• 08:43 The Role of the Nervous System
• 12:35 Presence Over Performance
• 17:18 Mental and Spiritual Intimacy
• 20:00 Using Sex to Avoid Communication
• 25:27 Moving from Shame to Connection

The Confessional Booth is a space for exploring intimacy, vulnerability, and the fear of being seen. It delves into the psychological, emotional, physiological, and spiritual aspects of allowing oneself to be fully seen and known. This conversation covers the paradox of intimacy, the impact of shame and vulnerability on the nervous system, the role of persona in relationships, and the importance of self-trust and somatic awareness in developing intimacy intelligence.

Takeaways

• Intimacy requires visibility, which in turn requires vulnerability.
• The nervous system's response to vulnerability and intimacy is deeply rooted in past experiences and conditioning.

Chapters

• 00:00 The Paradox of Intimacy
• 03:01 The Impact of Shame and Vulnerability on the Nervous System
• 08:06 The Role of Persona in Relationships
• 11:11 Developing Intimacy Intelligence
• 20:50 The Fear of Being Ordinary
• 26:52 The Journey to Wholeness and Self-Acceptance

Why can it be easier to give love than to receive it? In this episode, Marie explores how shame, attachment, and the nervous system can make receiving love, affection, pleasure, and care feel surprisingly vulnerable. Drawing on Brené Brown, John Bradshaw, Layla Martin, Stephen Porges, Andrew Huberman, Robert Greene, and James Hollis, we look at what happens in the body when we are truly seen, cared for, or desired, and why learning to receive can be an important part of healing, intimacy, and reclaiming our capacity for pleasure.

The conversation delves into the multifaceted nature of desire, exploring its connection to shame, the nervous system, and the process of reclaiming it. It emphasizes the impact of shame on desire and the importance of creating a safe environment for authentic expression.

Takeaways

• Desire extends beyond sexuality
• Shame suppresses anticipation and curiosity

Chapters

• 00:00 Exploring Desire Beyond Sex
• 02:56 The Impact of Shame on Desire
• 05:55 Desire and the Shadow Self
• 08:51 The Role of Shame in Suppressing Desire
• 12:14 Desire and the Nervous System
• 15:04 Reclaiming Desire and Turn-On
• 18:13 The Healing Power of Desire

In this episode, Coach and Bodyworker Marie Wagner explores the transformative power of confession and speaking our truth. She discusses how releasing shame through language can lead to emotional, physical, and spiritual healing, emphasizing the importance of safety, boundaries, and self-awareness.

In this episode Marie looks at how the nervous system handles what you hold in your body.

In this solo episode Marie talks about secretas and how they don't simply disappear. They often become embedded in our bodies, influencing our nervous system, our relationships, and the choices we make without realizing it. In this episode, Marie explores the psychology and physiology of secrecy, why unspoken trauma and unmet needs continue to shape our lives, and how shame disconnects us from our authentic selves. Learn how hidden experiences affect the body, why expressing our truth can feel so difficult, and why integration begins with bringing the unseen into awareness.

Host Marie Wagner explores the deep connection between sex, power, shame, and visibility, revealing how societal conditioning impacts our relationship with sexuality and how healing can be achieved through understanding and regulation.

In this episode Marie explores the origins of shame and guilt and how that affects and imprints on our nervous system.

In this episode we explore the difference between guilt and shame as well as the difference each has on our physiology and nervous system.

Do you have a secret?

(Most people do.)

In this episode we look at the impact holding secrets have on our body, mind, emotions, and energetics.

In this episode Marie talks about shame that hides and underlies other behaviours.

This is my story of how a Kundalini activation turned my life around and set me on the journey of reclaiming myself as a sexual being. This life experience is the reason why I embarked on the journey of helping people address their shame and other obstacles, and to ultimately achieve their own sexual sovereignty and authenticity through coaching and touch work. The Confessional Booth Podcast has been created from my desire to help people live healthy, thriving, and exciting sexual lives.I presented this talk in Barcelona at The Sacred Impact Speaker Series in Barcelona, Spain, March 10, 2026.

What you can expect from The Confessional Booth Podcast.