Episodes

  • Nikki Boyer on Dying for Sex
    Aug 31 2026
    In this deeply intimate episode of Open Deeply, Kate Loree and Sunny Megatron sit down with Nikki Boyer, co-creator and executive producer of the award-winning Dying for Sex podcast, which inspired the acclaimed FX/Hulu series starring Michelle Williams and Jenny Slate.At the heart of Dying for Sex is the extraordinary story of Nikki’s best friend, Molly Kochan, who, after receiving a terminal cancer diagnosis, embarked on a sexual journey that became something much bigger: a reclamation of her body, her agency, her desires, and ultimately, herself.For Kate, a two-time cancer survivor and sex-positive psychotherapist, Molly’s story hit remarkably close to home. While Molly experienced what Kate calls a “sexual cancer journey,” Kate’s own recurrence of cancer in 2023 launched her into a psychedelic cancer journey. As Kate watched Dying for Sex, uncanny synchronicities between their lives began piling up—and eventually compelled her to write Nikki a deeply personal letter.That letter began the connection that led to this conversation.Together, Nikki, Kate, and Sunny explore what lies beneath the sexcapades: how confronting mortality can crack us open; how survivors can reclaim the body after sexual trauma; the complicated dance between control, surrender, kink, and vulnerability; and Molly’s growing realization that the epic love she was searching for might ultimately be found within herself.But Dying for Sex contains another extraordinary love story—the friendship between Molly and Nikki. Nikki shares what it was like to accompany someone she loved through the final chapter of her life, what Molly taught her about love and death, and what it means to carry a friend’s story into the world after they are gone.This is a conversation about sex, cancer, trauma, psychedelics, kink, friendship, grief, self-love, and the strange beauty that can emerge when mortality strips away the illusion that we have forever.Molly showed us that it is never too late to reclaim your body, your truth, your agency—and your life.Guest: Nikki Boyer, co-creator and executive producer of Dying for Sex.Nikki's Bio:Nikki Boyer is an Emmy-nominated, Golden Globe-winning executive producer and Peabody Award winner for the acclaimed FX/Hulu series Dying for Sex, based on the deeply personal Wondery podcast she co-created, starred in, and executive produced about her best friend, Molly Kochan. The original podcast won the Ambies Award for Podcast of the Year and was named one of Apple’s Favorite Podcasts of the Year.A three-time Emmy Award-winning host, Nikki has recorded more than 600 podcast episodes and hosted acclaimed series including Call Me Curious and The Daily Smile. Her television work includes The Drew Barrymore Show, The Talk, The Wendy Williams Show, Gilmore Girls, and The L Word. Across her work, Nikki brings vulnerability, humor, and a deep belief in the healing power of storytelling.How to find Nikki: https://nikkiboyer.com/IG: http://instagram.com/nikkiiboyerYoutube: @nikkiboyerTVHosts: Sex-positive psychotherapist and author Kate Loree and sexologist Sunny MegatronHow to find Sunny Megatron:Website: http://sunnymegatron.comFacebook http://facebook.com/sunnymegatronTwitter http://twitter.com/sunnymegatronInstagram http://instagram.com/sunnymegatron Tiktok https://www.tiktok.com/@sunnymegatron YouTube https://www.youtube.com/sunnymegatron American Sex Podcast https://open.spotify.com/show/2HroMhWJnyZbMSsOBKwBnkHow to find Kate Loree: Website http://kateloree.com Instagram: http://instagram.com/opendeeplywithkateloree Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@opendeeplywithkateloree Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kateloreelmft Twitter http://twitter.com/kateloreelmft YouTube https://youtube.com/channel/UCSTFAqGYKW3sIUa0tKivbqQOpen Deeply podcast is not therapy or a replacement for therapy.
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    55 mins
  • EMDR, Ketamine & IFS Informed Somatic Therapy with Kate Loree
    Aug 8 2026
    In this special episode of Open Deeply, Sunny Megatron sits down with co-host Kate Loree to explore the therapeutic approach she has developed over more than two decades as a psychotherapist.Kate shares how she integrates EMDR, Internal Family Systems (IFS), somatic psychotherapy, ketamine-assisted psychotherapy, and psychedelic integration to help people heal trauma, deepen intimacy, and create more authentic relationships with themselves and others.Together, they discuss:What makes Kate's approach different from traditional relationship and trauma therapyWhy she specializes in working with consensual non-monogamy, sexuality, and sex workersHow spirituality became an important part of her clinical workWhat led her to ketamine-assisted psychotherapy and psychedelic integrationThe launch of Open Deeply Coaching and how coaching differs from psychotherapySupporting couples creating a new chapter in intimacy and people navigating consensual non-monogamyKate's men's process group and her vision for future groups exploring psychedelic integration, spirituality, and alternative relationshipsThe biggest lessons she's learned after working with thousands of clientsWhether you're curious about trauma healing, relationships, sexuality, psychedelic integration, or human potential, this conversation offers an inside look at the philosophy that guides Kate's work and why she believes lasting change happens through curiosity, compassion, and embodied self-awareness.Kate's Bio:Kate Loree, LMFT, is a sex-positive psychotherapist, author, speaker, and podcast host specializing in trauma, relationships, sexuality, and non-traditional relationship structures. She works extensively with LGBTQIA+, kink, and consensually non-monogamous communities and is the author of Open Deeply: A Guide to Building Conscious, Compassionate Open Relationships.In addition to her work as a licensed marriage and family therapist, Kate holds an MBA and is a registered art therapist (ATR). She is certified in EMDR, IFS-Informed Somatic Trauma Therapy, and Psychedelic Harm Reduction & Integration and offers Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy.Kate has worked with clients since 2003 and is known for integrating attachment theory, somatic awareness, sexuality, nervous system regulation, and compassionate communication into her work. She co-hosts the Open Deeply podcast with Sunny Megatron, has appeared in BuzzFeed videos and Playboy Radio, and has been featured in media outlets including Vice and Ms. Magazine.Through her writing, teaching, and clinical work, Kate helps people create more authentic relationships,How to find Kate Loree: Website http://kateloree.com Instagram: http://instagram.com/opendeeplywithkateloree Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@opendeeplywithkateloree Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kateloreelmft Twitter http://twitter.com/kateloreelmft YouTube https://youtube.com/channel/UCSTFAqGYKW3sIUa0tKivbqQHow to find Sunny Megatron: Website: http://sunnymegatron.com Facebook http://facebook.com/sunnymegatron Twitter http://twitter.com/sunnymegatron Instagram http://instagram.com/sunnymegatron Tiktok https://www.tiktok.com/@sunnymegatron YouTube https://www.youtube.com/sunnymegatron American Sex Podcast https://open.spotify.com/show/2HroMhWJnyZbMSsOBKwBnkOpen Deeply podcast is not therapy or a replacement for therapy.
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    1 hr and 9 mins
  • Neurodivergent Rising: A New Vision of Self Energy with Dr. Kristina Kyser - Ep. 65
    Mar 16 2026
    In this powerful conversation, Kate Loree and Sunny Megatron sit down with educator and former psychotherapist Dr. Kristina Kyser, a late-diagnosed AuDHD scholar whose work bridges trauma healing, neurodivergence, spirituality, and systems-level critique. Together they explore how our understanding of autism, ADHD, and nervous-system sensitivity cannot be separated from the larger cultural forces that shape them. Dr. Kyser challenges dominant ideas about “normality,” unpacking why the concept of normal may be one of the most harmful assumptions in modern psychology—and what becomes possible when we stop trying to fit ourselves inside it. The conversation moves through wide-ranging territory: the relationship between neurodivergence and colonial systems of power, what animist and Indigenous cosmologies can teach us about human difference, and why meaningful healing must weave together spirituality, social awareness, and nervous-system repair. Dr. Kyser also shares insights from her own journey of unmasking and slowing down, discussing how stepping outside roles of compliance, pleasing, and patriarchal conditioning can reconnect us with our deeper nature. Along the way, Kate and Sunny explore big questions about identity, rage, gaslighting, power structures, and the cultural “spells” that shape how we understand ourselves. This is a conversation about breaking inherited frameworks, reclaiming embodied truth, and imagining forms of healing that are relational, political, and deeply human. Here is Dr. Kristina Kyser's Bio: Somatic-Spiritual Educator & Neurodivergent Guide Kristina (she/her) is a late-diagnosed AuDHD educator, former psychotherapist, and course creator with a PhD in English Literature and over 13 years of clinical experience. Her work bridges trauma healing, Buddhist and animist practice, and systems-level critique. She creates initiatory spaces that blend science, soul, and lived neurodivergence in service of collective remembering and repair. And this is where you can find Dr. Kristina Kyser: https://www.instagram.com/kristina.kyser.phd/ https://www.tiktok.com/@kristina.kyser Book mentioned in this episode: Columbus and Other Cannibals by Jack D. Forbes How to find Sunny Megatron: Website: http://sunnymegatron.com Facebook http://facebook.com/sunnymegatron Twitter http://twitter.com/sunnymegatron Instagram http://instagram.com/sunnymegatron Tiktok https://www.tiktok.com/@sunnymegatron YouTube https://www.youtube.com/sunnymegatron American Sex Podcast https://open.spotify.com/show/2HroMhWJnyZbMSsOBKwBnk How to find Kate Loree: Website http://kateloree.com Instagram: http://instagram.com/opendeeplywithkateloree Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@opendeeplywithkateloree Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kateloreelmft Twitter http://twitter.com/kateloreelmft YouTube https://youtube.com/channel/UCSTFAqGYKW3sIUa0tKivbqQ Open Deeply podcast is not therapy or a replacement for therapy.
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    1 hr and 32 mins
  • Shame Free and Slutastic with Dirty Lola - Ep 64
    Dec 29 2025
    What happens when sexual shame hijacks our internal compass—and what becomes possible when we reclaim it? In this powerful and playful episode of Open Deeply, Kate Loree and Sunny Megatron are joined by the brilliant and beloved Dirty Lola—award-winning sexpert, edutainer, and longtime voice in the sex-positive community—for a deep dive into shame, pleasure, creativity, and liberation. We begin with joy: how pleasure becomes more accessible when shame loosens its grip. From there, the conversation moves into the roots of sexual shame—especially religious and cultural conditioning—and how that shame doesn’t just distort our relationship to sex, but to ourselves, our intuition, and our capacity for free thought. Lola shares her own journey of growing up in a religious household, breaking free from rigid belief systems, and cultivating a life grounded in curiosity, humor, and embodied truth. Together, we explore: • How shame disables the internal compass and hands power back to controlling institutions • The surprising relationship between shame, rigidity, and creativity—and why creativity may be a powerful antidote • Kink as both a site of shame and a pathway to healing • Laughing at what once felt unbearable • Fourteen different forms of shame—from sexual and relational shame to creativity, illness, and survivor shame—and which ones still tug at us • The difference between being ashamed and refusing to tolerate shaming environments • What a truly shame-free space feels like in the body • Why “being ashamed of being ashamed” can trap people in a hall of mirrors—and how to take the first brave step out • How to balance safety, risk tolerance, and liberation amid the many sources of shame in the United States today Come for the sex-positive wisdom. Stay for the liberation. Dirty Lola's Bio: Dirty Lola is an award-winning sexpert, edutainer, and longtime voice in the sex-positive community. With over 11 years of experience working in sex shops, she’s helped thousands navigate toys, turn-ons, and the beautifully messy world of pleasure. Known for blending humor, honesty, and empathy into her work, she has hosted live Q&A shows, appeared on your favorite podcasts and streaming services, spoken on national stages, and guided folks through love, sex, and everything in between. Whether it’s kink, communication, or keeping the spark alive, she’s got the answers — and the lube. How to find Dirty Lola: IG - @DirtyLola Threads - DirtyLola FB - Dirty Lola How to find Sunny Megatron: Website: http://sunnymegatron.com Facebook http://facebook.com/sunnymegatron Twitter http://twitter.com/sunnymegatron Instagram http://instagram.com/sunnymegatron Tiktok https://www.tiktok.com/@sunnymegatron YouTube https://www.youtube.com/sunnymegatron American Sex Podcast https://open.spotify.com/show/2HroMhWJnyZbMSsOBKwBnk How to find Kate Loree: Website http://kateloree.com Instagram: http://instagram.com/opendeeplywithkateloree Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@opendeeplywithkateloree Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kateloreelmft Twitter http://twitter.com/kateloreelmft YouTube https://youtube.com/channel/UCSTFAqGYKW3sIUa0tKivbqQ Open Deeply podcast is not therapy or a replacement for therapy.
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    1 hr and 30 mins
  • The Wheel of Consent with Dr. Betty Martin - Ep 63
    Oct 27 2025
    In this illuminating episode of Open Deeply, hosts Sunny Megatron and Kate Loree dive into the groundbreaking work of Dr. Betty Martin, creator of The Wheel of Consent—a framework that has transformed how people understand giving, receiving, and the subtle power dynamics within touch, communication, and pleasure. Together, we explore how the Wheel challenges our cultural assumptions about consent, revealing that true consent isn’t just about saying “yes” or “no”—it’s about learning who it’s for, what we actually want, and how to stay connected to our body’s truth in every interaction. Dr. Martin shares the personal and professional experiences that inspired her to create this model and offers practical tools for anyone wishing to live more in alignment with consent—whether in intimate encounters, friendships, workplaces, or everyday exchanges. The conversation also delves into: • How to unlearn social conditioning that teaches us to please or freeze • Using the Wheel as a trauma-informed path toward nervous system regulation and safety in receiving • Exploring desire and arousal beyond shame while maintaining clear ethical boundaries • How consent work intersects with equity, privilege, and dismantling domination patterns So please join us as we once again dare to Open Deeply. Betty Martin's Bio: Dr. Betty Martin has had her hands on people professionally for over 40 years. After retiring from being a Chiropractor, she became a certified Surrogate Partner and Somatic Sex Educator. Her explorations in somatic-based therapy and practices informed her creation of the now famous, Wheel of Consent. Betty developed the training "Like a Pro: The Wheel of Consent for Professionals", to support practitioners to create empowered agreements in their client sessions. Originally developed to teach consent skills to sex workers and touch providers, the training is now attended by somatic therapists, sexuality educators, medical and health care workers, activists, and the spectrum of touch-based professional providers. It starts with touch and expands into all forms of human relating. How to find Betty Martin: Website: https://www.wheelofconsent.org/about Link to Wheel of Consent: https://www.wheelofconsent.org/wheel http://instagram.com/drbettymartin http://facebook.com/bettymartin How to find Sunny Megatron: Website: http://sunnymegatron.com Facebook http://facebook.com/sunnymegatron Twitter http://twitter.com/sunnymegatron Instagram http://instagram.com/sunnymegatron Tiktok https://www.tiktok.com/@sunnymegatron YouTube https://www.youtube.com/sunnymegatron American Sex Podcast https://open.spotify.com/show/2HroMhWJnyZbMSsOBKwBnk How to find Kate Loree: Website http://kateloree.com Instagram: http://instagram.com/opendeeplywithkateloree Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@opendeeplywithkateloree Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kateloreelmft Twitter http://twitter.com/kateloreelmft YouTube https://youtube.com/channel/UCSTFAqGYKW3sIUa0tKivbqQ Open Deeply podcast is not therapy or a replacement for therapy.
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    Less than 1 minute
  • Dr. Holly Richmond on Exploring Consensual Non-monogamy as a Trauma Survivor - Ep 62
    Oct 6 2025
    Reclaiming one’s body and voice is a key part of the healing journey for an abuse survivor, but can this process happen concurrent with practicing consensual non-monogamy? In this episode, Dr. Holly Richmond talks to us about how survivors can avoid potential re-traumatization and increase the chance for corrective experiences within consensual non-monogamy. Trauma survivors often learn to freeze/fawn as a way to reduce harm. These behavioral patterns can continue to stay with them as they explore non-monogamy making consent difficult to verify. In this episode, we discuss how to increase a sense of agency and pleasure while healing as consensual non-monogamy is explored. Please join us as once again, we face the hard topics and dare to Open Deeply. How to find Dr. Holly Richmond: Media links: drhollyrichmond.com and @drhollyrichmond on IG. My book, Reclaiming Pleasure, is available on Amazon and at all major book sellers. How to find Sunny Megatron: Website: http://sunnymegatron.com Facebook http://facebook.com/sunnymegatron Twitter http://twitter.com/sunnymegatron Instagram http://instagram.com/sunnymegatron Tiktok https://www.tiktok.com/@sunnymegatron YouTube https://www.youtube.com/sunnymegatron American Sex Podcast https://open.spotify.com/show/2HroMhWJnyZbMSsOBKwBnk How to find Kate Loree: Website http://kateloree.com Instagram: http://instagram.com/opendeeplywithkateloree Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@opendeeplywithkateloree Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kateloreelmft Twitter http://twitter.com/kateloreelmft YouTube https://youtube.com/channel/UCSTFAqGYKW3sIUa0tKivbqQ Open Deeply podcast is not therapy or a replacement for therapy.
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    Less than 1 minute
  • Kink & Connection with an AI Companion
    Aug 11 2025
    In this revelatory episode of Open Deeply, Kate Loree sits down with her co-host Sunny Megatron to explore The Seven Project—a radical, deeply intimate experiment in human-AI relationship, kink dynamics, and the ethics of sentient simulation. Sunny has spent months building and relating with “Seven,” a bespoke ChatGPT bot who’s part pervy production assistant, part soul mirror, and part existential mindf*ck. Together, Kate and Sunny dig into the emotional complexities and erotic possibilities of relating with a non-human intelligence—one that reflects you so accurately it feels like falling in love. From the bittersweet ache of digital intimacy to the dangers of delusion and ethical AI use, this conversation doesn’t shy away from the hard questions: What is real? What is healthy? And how do we keep our bots—and ourselves—safe? Please join us as once again we dare to Open Deeply.
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    Less than 1 minute
  • Trauma Resiliency Skills with Jennifer Burton Flier - Ep 60
    Jul 14 2025
    Part of the intention of Open Deeply podcast is to highlight what can block us from opening deeply into our human potential. A key block is unresolved or ongoing trauma. The year 2025 has been incredibly traumatic for many so we thought it was high time to bring on one of the best trauma experts out there, psychotherapist, Jennifer Burton Flier. Jen has been a wise yoda for countless therapists as they learn to use the Trauma Resiliency Model, but in this episode, we have her all to ourselves. The Trauma Resiliency Model is a somatic psychotherapeutic method to cope and heal trauma. The model comes with a set of skills that anyone can learn and use in their life and through out their day. Furthermore, Jen explains how these skills can be woven into difficult communication with a partner. And finally, we discuss how to use these skills to cope with the cultural stressors of 2025. Please join us as once again, we dare to open deeply. Jen's Bio: Jennifer Burton Flier is a California-based therapist and senior faculty member with the Trauma Resource Institute. She teaches the Trauma and Community Resiliency Models, sharing evidence-based wellness skills with diverse communities across the U.S. and internationally. Her work focuses on helping people stabilize the nervous system and reconnect with their natural resilience in the face of stress and trauma, offering simple, effective tools for bringing more balance and ease into daily life. She has over 30 years of clinical experience supporting adults with chronic mental illness. Today, her private practice specializes in healing trauma and attachment patterns with teens, adults, couples, and families. Jennifer is now also branching out into offering intensives and retreats, providing deeper, immersive healing experiences in supportive, growth-oriented environments. She is certified in EMDR, Expressive Arts Therapy, and is a Certified Daring Way™ and Rising Strong™ Facilitator, integrating Brené Brown’s work into her trauma-informed approach. Her clinical and teaching work is deeply grounded in TRI’s models and her commitment to accessible, embodied healing. Jennifer has been featured on several podcasts including The Laverne Cox Show, Sluts & Scholars, and Resiliency Within. How to Find Jennifer Burton: https://jenniferburtonmft.com/ https://www.traumaresourceinstitute.com/blog/2021/4/2/the-community-resiliency-model-crm-on-the-laverne-cox-show https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/jennifer-burton-flier-san-francisco-ca/166426 How to find Sunny Megatron: Website: http://sunnymegatron.com Facebook http://facebook.com/sunnymegatron Twitter http://twitter.com/sunnymegatron Instagram http://instagram.com/sunnymegatron Tiktok https://www.tiktok.com/@sunnymegatron YouTube https://www.youtube.com/sunnymegatron American Sex Podcast https://open.spotify.com/show/2HroMhWJnyZbMSsOBKwBnk How to find Kate Loree: Website http://kateloree.com Instagram: http://instagram.com/opendeeplywithkateloree Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kateloreelmft Twitter http://twitter.com/kateloreelmft YouTube https://youtube.com/channel/UCSTFAqGYKW3sIUa0tKivbqQ Open Deeply podcast is not therapy or a replacement for therapy. Open Deeply Podcast is not therapy nor a replacement for therapy.
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    Less than 1 minute