Jul 19, 2022
This week, I'm talking with Dr. Ryan Witherspoon, who if you've read my book Open, you'll recognize as the psychologist most quoted throughout. In our interviews, I found Ryan to be a treasure trove of knowledge about so much relevant to my book—non-monogamy, communication, gaslighting—and kink.
For this conversation, I wanted to really delve into kink. We spend some time talking about definitions and common misconceptions but then dive pretty quickly into the specific subtleties of the psychology of kink and BDSM. What do submissives and dominants each get out of the dynamic? How do you talk constructively about it when a scene doesn't work? What are some red flags in play partners to look out for? What if you're using kink to work through trauma? All this and so much more is discussed in this episode.
Even if you consider yourself vanilla--or a kink expert--I think you will learn some things about sexual psychology and communication in relationships from this episode.
***
Dr. Ryan Witherspoon received his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology (CSPP) at Alliant International University. In addition, he has Masters degrees in clinical and general psychology from CSPP and Pepperdine University, respectively. After finishing his doctorate he completed two years of advanced training in psychoanalytic psychotherapy at Rose City Center.
In addition to his private practice, he is also an active researcher, author, and speaker. He regularly publishes peer-reviewed research.