Ladies, We Need To Talk

Goddess Eliza, a financial dominatrix who runs findom scenes both online and in person, talks about the roles, rituals and logistics of financial domination. She recounts intense in-person sessions and how kink helped her reclaim power from a strict upbringing. The conversation also touches on consent, boundaries and the surprising prevalence of kink.

Psychotherapist Esther Perel is one of the most influential thinkers on sex and relationships in the world.She helps us make sense of how we relate to the people around us and what it means to be intimate. Is intimacy just in the bedroom? Or can we have intimacy with our closest friends? How about with the guy at the coffee shop?And when we do disrobe and have sex with someone, how can we get what we desire out of the experience, whether it's a one-time thing or for the hundredth time.Esther entered the zeitgeist with her book Mating in Captivity: Unlocking Erotic Intelligence, which gave us language for the opposing promises of marriage — romantic passion and long-term security.She's since drawn millions of listeners to her podcast, Where Should We Begin, where she publishes live couples therapy sessions. (R)

It's no surprise your sex life takes a hit as a parent. You're thinly spread. There are so many things to manage in your head, from cutting up cucumbers to potty training and paying the plumber on time. Getting it on with a partner, or even by yourself drops down the priority list, below napping.Masturbation can seem like a laughable indulgence. Because when, oh when, does a sleep deprived mum with a job, a partner and a kid get time, and a dimly lit room to bring herself to O-town?Yumi Stynes and self-pleasure coach Chloe Adriana talk about how to bring mazzing back on the menu when you’ve lost your appetite. 

Dr Tessa Copp, a University of Sydney public health researcher focusing on reproductive health, debunks fertility marketing. She explains what AMH tests actually measure and why egg freezing feels like a gamble. The conversation covers costs, low usage rates, real-world success odds, and the emotional and social pressures shaping reproductive decisions.

Samhita had it all. As the executive editor of Teen Vogue she was living the Devil Wears Prada life — fashion shows, fancy dinners and towering heels.She was a girlboss. But at the height of her success, cracks began to appear. She was anxious, burnt out and her body was falling apart.But Samhita was at New York Fashion Week in a fur coat and clutching a Gucci handbag, having just put Malala Yousafzai on the cover of her magazine, who was she to complain?After spending a lifetime trying to climb the corporate ladder, she started to wonder whether it was possible, as a woman, to have it all. And if so, was it worth the cost?Samhita sits down with Yumi Stynes to talk about redefining success and happiness.

There's an expectation that couples share a bed, but what if sleep isn't compatible with being in the same room as your other half? Maybe they snore, maybe they starfish, or maybe you just need a few hours without another human touching you.Is a sleep divorce, AKA, having separate bedrooms, the answer?There's a trend towards normalising sleeping separately from your partner. Cameron Diaz is doing it. So are the Beckhams. But does this arrangement spell the end of sex and intimacy? Or does it make for a better night's sleep and a better waking relationship?

In this engaging conversation, Tegan Taylor, an ABC health and science reporter known for her insightful commentary, delves into the Ozempic phenomenon. She discusses the societal obsession with weight loss, touching on the allure and consequences of rapid slimming solutions. Tegan highlights the disparities in access to these medications and the emotional complexities surrounding body image. The dialogue also addresses the stigma associated with fatness and the moral dilemmas surrounding beauty standards in a world increasingly fixated on thinness.

There aren't many people on your Instagram feed who are as loved and as loathed as Abbie Chatfield.Ever since Abbie shot to fame as the slut-shamed villain on The Bachelor Australia in 2019, she's been a public and controversial figure who's hard to look away from.Five years and almost 500K followers later, Abbie's built an empire on sharing her trauma dumps, UTIs, political rants and sexcapades.Abbie's openness has earnt her lots of fans but it's also made her the target of sexist and violent online threats.So how does this former real-estate girly from Brissy manage living a life in the spotlight while staying sane in the real world?

What if your man has another, equally important woman in his life: his mum?For some sons, the aprons strings are tied so tight, it’s impossible to compete with mummy. She’s his number one fan, dotes on him and interferes in his life, including his relationships. It’s not sexy.So, can a mama’s boy ever reform and stand on their own two feet in a relationship? Or will you always come off second best?Yumi Stynes and Jess McGuire lay down the law when it comes to being with a mama’s boy. Hint: they must be able to do their own washing. 

As we get older, wiser, more resilient, and better placed to back seat drive, the world does not reward us. Or our grey hair.If the advances of human progress can make a potato chip taste like a beef rendang curry, why are women still, after all this time and progress, so judged by the way we look?The Australasian College of Cosmetic Surgery estimates Australians spend around $1 billion a year on cosmetic procedures. We're talking facelifts, tummy tucks, brow lifts, neck lifts, rhinoplasties, breast implants. And the training bras of plastic surgery, Botox and fillers.So if we're spending so much money on looking young, are we complicit in society's obsession with youth?Women, young and old, tell us their stories of what drew them under the knife (or needle) while dermatologist Dr Ritu Gupta, marketing expert Karen Ferry, make-up artist Linda Jefferyes and beauty editor Cecily-Anna Bennett help to make sense of how we got here.This episode is one of the best from the grand cathedrals of the Ladies, We Need to Talk archives.Note: Karen Ferry is now an Advertising Executive Creative Director, no longer at Leo Burnett.