The Orgasm Hour

Why do some women get so close to orgasm but still can’t get there?In Episode 17 of The Orgasm Hour, Dr. Suzanne Mulvehill analyzes two real Reddit cases from women describing the frustrating experience of getting close to orgasm and then losing it.Rather than treating “I can’t orgasm” as one problem, we look closely at each woman’s pattern: what happens as arousal builds, what changes right before orgasm disappears, and what may be interrupting the response.We explore sensory overwhelm, self-monitoring, fear of losing control, embarrassment, changes in attention, and the Hope-Frustration Cycle, a concept developed by Dr. Suzanne Mulvehill to describe how repeated attempts to orgasm can create increasing hope, monitoring, pressure, frustration, and inhibition.In this episode, we look at how to identify the pattern, find the interruption, and begin changing what happens right before orgasm disappears.If you keep thinking, “I’m so close, but I can’t get there,” this discussion may help you ask a different question:What changes right before I lose it?The Orgasm Hour, Episode 17October 28 | 12 Noon ESTHosted by Dr. Suzanne Mulvehill, Clinical Sexologist and OrgasmologistFemale Orgasm Research InstituteFemale Orgasm Training Institute

What Comes Between Arousal and Orgasm?

Why can a woman feel sexually aroused, enjoy stimulation, and still be unable to orgasm?

For decades, influential sexual response models have taught us to think of orgasm as following increasing stimulation and arousal. Masters and Johnson's classic 1966 model moved from excitement to plateau to orgasm. But for many women with female orgasm difficulty, anorgasmia, or Female Orgasmic Disorder, arousal alone does not reliably lead to orgasm.

So what happens between arousal and orgasm?A major scientific review of women's orgasm described orgasm as creating an altered state of consciousness. Research has also linked altered states of consciousness with greater sexual responsiveness.This raises an important question:Could the transition into an absorbed, altered, or otherwise orgasm-supportive state begin before orgasm and help make orgasm accessible?

In this episode of The Orgasm Hour, Dr. Suzanne Mulvehill explores the science of the absorbed state: what it is, what happens when we become deeply immersed in sensation, and why reduced self-monitoring may matter for women who struggle to orgasm.

We explore the Masters and Johnson sexual response model, the scientific definition of orgasm, research on altered states and female sexual responsiveness, Mishara and Schwartz's concept of altered states as “paradoxically healing,” and the emerging hypothesis that orgasmic access may depend not only on arousal but also on a transition in state.The question may not simply be:“Am I aroused enough?”It may be:“Can I enter the state in which orgasm becomes accessible?”The Orgasm Hour, Episode 16October 21 | 12 Noon ETHosted by Dr. Suzanne Mulvehill, Clinical Sexologist and OrgasmologistFemale Orgasm Research InstituteFemale Orgasm Training Institute

Why can’t I orgasm even after trying treatment?

Why do some women with female orgasm difficulty, anorgasmia, or Female Orgasmic Disorder try sex therapy, behavioral treatments, or other approaches and still struggle to orgasm?

In this episode of The Orgasm Hour, Dr. Suzanne Mulvehill examines what the research reveals about the limitations of current female orgasm treatment. Some of the strongest treatment evidence is decades old. Orgasm difficulty is studied under multiple terms and is often folded into the broader category of female sexual dysfunction. And treatments may improve desire, arousal, distress, or overall sexual function without necessarily creating reliable orgasmic access.

We’ll explore a deeper question: What actually has to happen for a woman to gain, strengthen, and maintain the ability to orgasm?

Dr. Mulvehill discusses orgasmic access, neuroplasticity, context-dependent learning, treatment matching, and why improvement in sexual function is not always the same as solving orgasm difficulty.She also introduces the Orgasmic Learning framework:Access → Learning → Strengthening → GeneralizationCould the future of female orgasm treatment depend on identifying the mechanisms and pathways that allow each woman to reliably access orgasm?

If you have never experienced orgasm yet, this episode is for you.Across different forms of orgasm difficulty, one pattern keeps appearing in Orgasmic Learning: learning to access orgasm may require learning to access an altered, absorbed, or otherwise orgasm-supportive state.A common question emerges:What helps the brain and body move into a state where orgasm becomes accessible?In this episode of The Orgasm Hour Q&A, Dr. Suzanne Mulvehill explores three areas:1. What may be getting in the way of orgasm?2. What has research shown can help women who had never experienced orgasm?3. What do newer findings add?This episode looks at older and newer research on female orgasm difficulty, including directed masturbation, sensate focus, systematic desensitization, hypnotic induction, cannabis and orgasm-related outcomes, and Orgasmic Learning.The central idea explored in this episode is:Learning to orgasm may not only involve learning what to do. It may also involve learning how to access an altered, absorbed, or otherwise orgasm-supportive state in which orgasm becomes possible.That is the lens of Orgasmic Learning.So instead of asking only:“Why can’t I orgasm?”we may also need to ask:“What state does my brain and body need to access for orgasm to become available?”The Orgasm Hour Q&AOctober 7 | Episode 14 | YouTube Live#WhyCantIOrgasm #FemaleOrgasm #Anorgasmia #OrgasmicLearning #FemaleSexualHealth #WomensSexualHealth #OrgasmDifficulty #Hypnosis #CannabisAndSex #SexualHealthResearch

What if the way you orgasm now is one of several pathways your body can learn?Many women discover one reliable way to orgasm, perhaps with a vibrator, fantasy, a certain kind of touch, a particular position, or under certain conditions, and then wonder whether they can expand from there.In Episode 13 of The Orgasm Hour Q&A, Dr. Suzanne Mulvehill explores what research tells us about learning, strengthening, and widening orgasmic access.Through the lens of Orgasmic Learning, we will explore how a woman can build from a pathway that already works and gradually expand the situations and conditions in which orgasm becomes accessible.A reliable orgasm pathway can become a foundation for greater orgasmic flexibility and choice. We will explore the different routes through which women may access orgasm and what the science can teach us about expanding orgasmic capacity.#FemaleOrgasm, #OrgasmicLearning, #OrgasmDifficulty, #WomensSexualHealth, #WomensHealth, #SexualHealth, #OrgasmResearch, #SexEducation, #TheOrgasmHour

What if being sexually aroused is not enough to make orgasm accessible?For a long time, sexual response has often been explained as a step-by-step process: a woman feels sexual desire, engages in sex, gets aroused, and then has an orgasm. But many women know from experience that it does not always work that way. A woman can feel very turned on, experience pleasure, and still be unable to reach orgasm.In Episode 12 of The Orgasm Hour Q&A, Dr. Suzanne Mulvehill explores what may be happening between arousal and orgasm, and why simply becoming more aroused may not be the answer.Through the lens of Orgasmic Learning, we will ask a different question: instead of “How do I get more aroused?” what if we ask, “What is happening between arousal and orgasm, and what does my body need in order to experience orgasm? #FemaleOrgasm #OrgasmDifficulty #OrgasmicLearning #WomensSexualHealth #WomensHealth #SexualHealth #OrgasmResearch #TheOrgasmHour

What if difficulty reaching orgasm is not always about needing more stimulation, trying harder, or finding the “right” technique?In Episode 11 of The Orgasm Hour Q&A, Dr. Suzanne Mulvehill introduces Orgasmic Learning, a new framework for understanding how women may gain, strengthen, and expand access to orgasm.Orgasmic capacity can be learned, strengthened, and expanded. Research spanning decades suggests that women can develop orgasmic capacity through structured learning, that orgasmic response can transfer from solo to partnered experiences, and that attention, bodily awareness, sexual context, and altered states can influence orgasm access.Orgasmic Learning shifts the focus from trying to produce an orgasm to understanding the conditions, states, and pathways through which orgasm becomes accessible.We will explore the difference between trying to make an orgasm happen and learning how to access the conditions that support orgasm, and why repetition, state, and generalization may be important missing pieces in how we understand and treat orgasm difficulty.#OrgasmicLearning #FemaleOrgasm #OrgasmDifficulty #WomensSexualHealth #WomensHealth #SexualHealth #OrgasmResearch #TheOrgasmHour

Episode 10 | Part 2 of a Two-Part Series on Partnered OrgasmWhen a woman has difficulty orgasming with a partner, trying harder, repeatedly asking whether she is close, or taking her orgasm personally can create even more pressure.In this episode of The Orgasm Hour Q&A, Dr. Suzanne Mulvehill examines what partners can do that actually helps, including increasing their knowledge of female orgasm, developing better sexual skills, learning the stimulation that already works, listening without defensiveness, maintaining consistent rhythm and pressure, welcoming self-touch and vibrators, allowing sufficient arousal time, and understanding the importance of clitoral stimulation.We will also look at the research on orgasm pressure, sexual communication, faking orgasm, partner misperceptions, and the kinds of responses that can either create safety or make orgasm more difficult.You can support your partner by helping create the conditions that make pleasure, arousal, and flow more accessible. This includes bringing curiosity instead of assumptions, moving ego and self-judgment out of the bedroom, and recognizing that you do not have to know everything in advance. Knowledge, sexual skill, communication, effective stimulation, emotional safety, sufficient time, and freedom from pressure can all help make partnered orgasm more accessible..Live Tuesday, August 25 at 12:00 noon ET. This is for educational purposes only.#FemaleOrgasm #PartneredOrgasm #HowToHelpHerOrgasm #OrgasmDifficulty #SexualCommunication #ClitoralStimulation #CouplesSexualHealth #WomensSexualHealth #SexEducation #BecomingOrgasmic #Orgasmology #TheOrgasmHour #DrSuzanneMulvehill

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Episode 9 | Part 1 of a Two-Part Series on Partnered OrgasmOne of the most common concerns women raise about their sex lives is being able to orgasm alone but not with a partner. The communication that develops around this difficulty can either help a couple learn together or create pressure, resentment, defensiveness, and distance.In this episode of The Orgasm Hour Q&A, Dr. Suzanne Mulvehill examines research-supported approaches that may help women bring their orgasmic capacity into partnered sex, including directed masturbation, sensate focus, mindfulness, sexual communication, vibrator use, and showing a partner the stimulation that already works.Dr. Suzanne will also share her experience of living with orgasm difficulty for three decades and what eventually helped her become orgasmic, both alone and during partnered sex.Partnered orgasm can become more accessible when couples move away from goal-oriented sex and work toward cultivating flow states, where orgasm becomes a consequence of pleasure rather than the goal.Part 2 airs Tuesday, August 25, and focuses on what partners can do to support a woman who has difficulty orgasming during partnered sex.This is for educational purposes only.#FemaleOrgasm #PartneredOrgasm #HowToOrgasm #OrgasmDifficulty #CouplesSexualHealth #WomensSexualHealth #SexualCommunication #MindfulSex #SexEducation #BecomingOrgasmic #Orgasmology #TheOrgasmHour #DrSuzanneMulvehill

Episode 8 | Can sex actually land someone in the hospital with a fractured penis? In this episode of The Orgasm Hour Q&A, Dr. Suzanne Mulvehill examines the research on penis injuries during intercourse, oral sex, manual stimulation, masturbation, and rough sexual play. We will explore how sudden bending, biting, constriction, friction, forceful gripping, and loss of alignment can injure an erect penis. These injuries can include penile fracture, ruptured blood vessels, bruising and hematoma, skin and frenulum tears, urethral injury, bite wounds, infection, pain, and changes in sensation. An erection becomes particularly vulnerable when force is applied sideways, sharply downward, through teeth, during prolonged constriction, or when the penis slips out and is struck or bent during intercourse. A penile fracture is not a broken bone. It is a tear in the fibrous tissue surrounding the erectile chambers, usually caused by the sudden bending of an erect penis. It is one of the most serious and best-documented penile injuries associated with sexual activity and often requires urgent surgical repair. We will look at how penile fractures happen, which sexual movements and positions appear most often in the research, and why a condom cannot protect the penis from a bending or crushing injury. We will also consider the experience of a man whose penis was painfully bitten during oral sex. Although he can still orgasm in other ways, he has not been able to orgasm through oral sex since. Can one painful or frightening sexual experience cause the nervous system to associate a previously pleasurable route to orgasm with danger? Penis owners and their partners will learn how to recognize the warning signs of a serious injury, including a popping or cracking sound, sudden pain, immediate loss of the erection, rapid swelling or bruising, an abnormal bend, blood at the urethral opening, difficulty urinating, an open bite wound, numbness, or discoloration. These symptoms require prompt medical attention, and embarrassment should never delay a visit to the emergency department. This episode is about more than avoiding injury. It is about understanding the penis, communicating clearly, respecting pain, maintaining alignment, and protecting the body while creating pleasure. Caring about orgasm means caring for the body experiencing it.

Episode 7 | Vibrators Can Improve Partnered Sex! Vibrators can add excitement, connection, and shared pleasure to partnered sex. In this episode of The Orgasm Hour Q&A, Dr. Suzanne Mulvehill explores how couples can introduce a vibrator with confidence, curiosity, and open communication.We will also look at the research on sex toys, partnered vibrator use, clitoral stimulation, orgasm intensity, sexual satisfaction, and why a partner’s acceptance can shape the experience. A vibrator can become a shared pathway to pleasure, helping make orgasm more accessible.#TheOrgasmHour #Vibrators #SexToys #SharedPleasure #FemaleOrgasm #ClitoralStimulation #CouplesIntimacy #SexualHealth #SexResearch #SexEducation #DrSuzanneMulvehill

Orgasm pressure can come from inside us or between partners. Internally, it may sound like: “Why am I not orgasming?” “I’m taking too long.” or “Something must be wrong with me.” From a partner, it may look like repeated questions, trying harder and faster, showing disappointment, needing orgasm as proof of sexual success, or continuing after the other person wants to stop.In Episode 6 of The Orgasm Hour Q&A, Dr. Suzanne Mulvehill explores how orgasm pressure can shift attention away from pleasure and turn orgasm into a performance requirement. We’ll discuss: • How self-pressure, failure thoughts, and monitoring can interfere with arousal and orgasm • How a partner’s expectations can create pressure—even when they intend to be helpful • The difference between caring about a partner’s pleasure and requiring an orgasm • Research-informed ways to reduce pressure and return attention to sensation, connection, and pleasure Subscribe and turn on notifications so you don’t miss future episodes of The Orgasm Hour. #FemaleOrgasm #OrgasmPressure #PartneredSex #SexualCommunication #SexualWellbeing #OrgasmicLearning #WomensSexualHealth #TheOrgasmHour

Episode 5 | Women have learned to orgasm through hypnosis.For more than 50 years, clinicians and researchers have documented hypnosis helping some women access orgasmic response.In Episode 5 of The Orgasm Hour Q&A, Dr. Suzanne Mulvehill explores Hypnotic Induction as an Orgasmic Learning Pathway.Beginning in the 1970s, researchers investigated whether hypnotic induction could help women experiencing orgasm difficulty. Their reports included women who had previously been unable to orgasm and later developed new or improved orgasmic response following hypnosis-assisted treatment.What does hypnosis reveal about orgasm as a learned, state-dependent capacity?More recent research has renewed interest in these early findings and contributes to a growing understanding that orgasm involves not only genital stimulation, but also attention, imagination, learning, absorption, and the brain’s ability to enter orgasm-supportive states.In this live discussion, we’ll explore:• What early research found about using hypnotic induction to treat female orgasm difficulties and anorgasmia• How more recent research builds on those findings• How attention, absorption, imagery, and reduced cognitive interference may influence orgasm• Why hypnotic induction may be understood as an orgasmic learning pathway• What the science currently supports—and what remains unknown

In this episode of The Orgasm Hour Live Q&A, we’ll explore how to develop your erotic imagination — not as performance, pressure, or fantasy you “should” have, but as a natural part of female arousal, pleasure, and orgasmic learning.Many women have never been taught that imagination can be cultivated. Erotic imagination can help quiet the mind, awaken the body, deepen desire, and create new pathways to pleasure — especially for women who feel disconnected, inhibited, overthinking, or unsure how to access arousal from the inside.We’ll talk about what erotic imagination is, why it matters, how it develops, and how women can begin working with it in a safe, embodied, and self-honoring way.Bring your questions live.The Orgasm Hour Q&AWednesday, July 15 at 12:00 PM

Dr. Suzanne Mulvehill, clinical sexologist, orgasmologist, researcher, and founder of the Female Orgasm Research Institute, answers a question many women quietly struggle with in Episode 3 of The Orgasm Hour Q&A,:Why is it often harder to orgasm with a partner than alone?We’ll talk about what the research can teach us about what helps women cross the threshold into orgasm, and how to create the conditions where orgasm becomes more accessible.We’ll also discuss what the body may learn when a woman pushes through pain so her partner can orgasm, or begins intercourse because her partner is ready even when she is not, and how those experiences can impact orgasm.We’ll look at research on what helps women orgasm during partnered sex, particularly for women who have orgasm difficulty with or without a partner. We’ll also discuss orgasmic learning strategies and what the latest science is teaching us about female orgasm.This episode is for women who can orgasm alone but struggle with a partner, women who have difficulty orgasming in general, and partners who want to better understand how to support pleasure without pressure.Join me for a live discussion and Q&A.Subscribe for more conversations about female orgasm, sexual confidence, the nervous system, cannabis and sexual function, and orgasmic learning.#FemaleOrgasm #OrgasmDifficulty #SexualHealth #OrgasmHour #OrgasmWithAPartner #WomenSexualHealth #OrgasmicLearning

In Episode 2 of The Orgasm Hour Q&A, Dr. Suzanne Mulvehill, clinical sexologist, orgasmologist, researcher, and founder of the Female Orgasm Research Institute, answers a question that came directly from Episode 1:How do you get out of your head during sex?We’ll talk about why women may get stuck in their heads during sex, how inhibition, shame, trauma, self-judgment, pressure, and cognitive distraction can interfere with pleasure, and practical strategies for shifting into sensation, flow, presence, and states of absorption, where orgasm can become more accessible.This episode is for women who want to better understand their bodies, reduce self-pressure, and learn how to create the conditions where orgasm becomes more possible. It is also for men who may struggle with getting out of their heads during sex or who want to better support their partners.Key teaching from this episode:You don’t think your way out of your head.You train your way into your body.Research discussed in this episode:A Systematic Review on Mindfulness Meditation-Based Interventions for Sexual Dysfunctionshttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31570...The Role of Cognitive Distraction on Female Orgasmhttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science...Determinants of Female Sexual Orgasmshttps://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles...Assessment of the Effect of Cannabis Use Before Partnered Sex on Women With and Without Orgasm Difficultyhttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38711...Dr. Suzanne Mulvehill is a clinical sexologist, orgasmologist, researcher, and founder of the Female Orgasm Research Institute and Women’s Cannabis Project. Her work focuses on female orgasmic difficulty, orgasmic learning, cannabis and female orgasm function, and restoring women’s access to pleasure, embodiment, and sexual health.Join live, bring your questions, or watch the replay.#TheOrgasmHour #FemaleOrgasm #SexualWellness #WomensHealth #OrgasmicDifficulty #GetOutOfYourHead #MindBodyConnection #SexEducation #OrgasmicLearning

Welcome to Episode 1 of The Orgasm Hour Q&A: Real Questions. Honest Answers.

I’m Dr. Suzanne Mulvehill, Clinical Sexologist, Orgasmologist, and founder of the Female Orgasm Training Institute, the Female Orgasm Research Institute, and the Women’s Cannabis Project.

This live discussion and Q&A is about why it can be difficult for women to orgasm — and why the answer is not always just “technique.” We’ll talk about the body, the nervous system, how the body interprets shame, self-judgment, cultural repression, sexual abuse, and the silence that still surrounds female orgasm.

Questions may come from live viewers, comments, conversations, community discussions, and news or public policy developments related to female orgasm and women’s sexual health. All answers are shared for general educational purposes and are not personal medical advice, therapy, or a substitute for care from your own healthcare provider.

Each episode may include:

1. What women are asking this week

2. What’s happening in research, culture, cannabis, or public policy

3. Live questions from the chat

Bring your questions live in the chat, or submit a question to me: doc@femaleorgasmtraining.com

Join the conversation. Ask questions. Learn. Share. Let’s talk about female orgasm!

Can better sex really re-wire your brain for calm, confidence, and joy? Clinical sexologist Dr. Suzanne Mulvihill sits down with behavioral neuroscientist and certified sex therapist Dr. Nan Wise, author of the award-winning Why Good Sex Matters, to find out. Drawing on her groundbreaking fMRI studies, Dr. Wise explains how stimulating the clitoris, vagina, cervix and even the nipples lights up a tucked-away area she nicknames the “brain crotch,” creating a flood of feel-good chemicals that boost mood, ease pain, and sharpen focus.

What you’ll learn in plain language:

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How pleasure rewires the nervous system

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Regular sexual play (solo or partnered) increases blood flow, releases natural painkillers and endocannabinoids, and may even beat sudoku for brain health.

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Why stress is the real bedroom villain

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Chronic cortisol keeps bodies stuck in “fight or flight.” A simple trick; inhale, then exhale a little longer, helps shift the brain into safety so arousal can build.

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Trauma-informed tips for reclaiming desire

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From micro-dosing cannabis to gentle, curiosity-driven touch, Dr. Wise shares tools that foster neuroplasticity and dissolve old fear loops.

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The orgasm gap (and why women can have longer, multiple peaks)

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Her research shows female orgasms last longer and recruit wider brain networks than male orgasms, and you can train those pathways at any age.

The real story behind her late-career PhD, the surprising role of the vagus nerve, and why she calls pleasure “essential healthcare, not a luxury.” Press play and discover science-backed ways to feel safer, happier, and more connected in and out of the bedroom.

What really happens when a gentle shift in consciousness meets long-standing sexual blocks? In this episode of The Orgasm Hour, host Dr. Suzanne Mulvehill sits down with psychiatrist and philosopher Dr. Michael A. Schwartz to talk about cannabis, the brain’s own molecule DMT, and other mild mind-opening tools that can soften old trauma pathways and make space for pleasure.

Together they cover:

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How Dr. Schwartz’s early research at the National Institutes of Health explored psychedelics before they were banned

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Why cannabis is a “low-risk doorway” for women who struggle to let go and orgasm

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What DMT is, and how your brain already makes it

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Simple, safe steps for finding a trained guide and starting with tiny doses instead of going it alone

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The science of dissolving rigid thought loops so new, healthy neural “roads” can form and support desire and connection

Press play to hear real stories, clear explanations, and practical advice on using supervised altered states to heal past hurt and unlock fuller intimacy.one small, mindful step at a time.

Ever wondered what actually happens when you bring a little cannabis into the bedroom? In this episode of The Orgasm Hour, clinical sexologist Dr. Suzanne Mulvehill sits down with researcher and sexologist Amanda Moser, whose nationwide study of more than 1,000 adults (ages 18-85) is the largest modern look at cannabis and intimacy. Together they break down the findings in plain language:

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More spark, stronger finish: Over 70 percent of users felt higher desire and more intense full-body orgasms when they used cannabis before sex.

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No performance drop-off: Men reported steadier erections and sometimes longer stamina, overturning the old “weed kills erections” myth.

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Multiple-O magic & pain relief: Women were far likelier to reach multiple orgasms and found relief from pelvic pain and endometriosis cramps.

Amanda shares easy, beginner-friendly tips such as micro-dosing, infused lube, and homemade suppositories to enjoy the benefits without feeling “too high.” The duo also covers the golden rule of set and setting to keep anxiety away, plus simple communication moves that turn honest talk into foreplay and end the habit of faking pleasure.

Key Topics

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How cannabis boosts desire, touch, taste, and overall pleasure

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Starter guides to flower, edibles, concentrates, and lubes

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Fixes for paranoia or past bad highs

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Communication and consent tricks that deepen connection

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Turning pleasure, not orgasm, into the main goal

Press play and discover scienc`e-backed, real-world ways to make intimacy feel better for you and your partner.