The best podcasts make you feel like you’re chatting ― err, having a very one-sided conversation ― with a close friend. That’s why the medium works so well when the topic at hand is love, sex or dating; if you find a good pod, it’s like listening to a smart friend dispensing his or her very best advice every week or so.
We can’t get enough of them, so we decided to ask some marriage therapists, writers and comedians to share their favorite love-centric podcast. See what they had to say below.
“My favorite love/sex/all that jazz podcast recently is ‘Private Parts Unknown.’ It’s a relatively new travel podcast where the hosts Courtney and Sofiya interview people in different cities around the world (their first one is Helsinki) about gender and sex. I came for the funny banter on how foreign cities have different attitudes on sex and sexuality but I stayed for the deep discussions on the structural issues behind why foreign cities have those different attitudes.” ― Johnathan Appel, a comedian in New York City
“Married couple Rachel and Dave Hollis have created an amazing podcast about how we can be intentional about creating an exceptional relationship. They offer practical advice, and speak candidly about topics that many couples are afraid to address openly. Plus they’re hilarious and will keep you laughing even while they’re talking about tough topics!” ― Vanessa Marin, a sex therapist and online course creator
“We knew Nicole Byer was hilarious and engaging from her Netflix show ‘Nailed It!’ and her comedy specials, but this podcast is next-level Nicole. While she honestly shares about her own dating dilemmas, Nicole’s funny friends and interesting experts help her figure out why she (and so many other women today) are still single.” ― Damona Hoffman, a dating coach and host of the “Dates & Mates” podcast
“My favorite podcast is ‘LoveLink,’ hosted by two Brooklyn therapists who interview experts across disciplines ― from researchers to astrologers to psychologists ― about all things love and sex. The conversations are captivating in their honesty. They explore intimate corners of human relationships with such thoughtful nuance, like the last episode about how attachment styles impact our adult relationships.” ― Tara Fairbanks, a therapist in Los Angeles
“My favorite sex podcast is ‘Sex Talk With My Mom.’ Cam Poter and his mom, KarenLee Poter, talk about an insane variety of sex issues, ranging from the basics like pegging and anal, to orgasmic meditation and cream pies. They interview the most fascinating experts (the phone sex operator is particularly good). They’re so vulnerable, and they keep listeners posted on anything going on in their lives, so the pod is a mix of educational and pretending you’re listening to your friends gossip about sex, except they’re mother and son. Their dynamic is also great because they disagree on everything (the guy is in his late 20s and hates casual sex). Highly recommend!” ― Ginny Hogan, sex and dating writer at Elite Daily
“My favorite podcast that focuses on love is the ‘Modern Love’ podcast by The New York Times based on the column of the same name. The short essays submitted by general readers about love are read out loud by celebrities and on occasion, the actual writer. An intro and some music are added and the essay is read aloud like a soliloquy. It definitely brings a new dimension you don’t get just reading it on paper or online. The stories are often vulnerable and touching.” ― Marni Feuerman, a licensed psychotherapist and author of Ghosted and Breadcrumbed: Stop Falling for Unavailable Men and Get Smart about Healthy Relationships.
“I love ‘Modern Love’ because so many of the storytellers recognize that modern dating is about presentation and how you need to stand out when people get a fleeting look at you, all things that I try to help my clientele with! It’s a great insight into how people look at other people and how you can up your game to stand out in the crowd.” ― Ollie Pearce, a dating coach
“In an otherwise vanilla mix of sex and love podcasts, host Damona Hoffman books insanely interesting and diverse guests. Plus, she talks about meeting her husband online way before it became the new normal. I’d give it two condoms up!” ― Natasha Lewin, the chief writing officer for Zuckerberg Media and co-host of the “Once Upon a Timestamp” podcast
“I recently discovered Ken Page’s podcast, ‘Deeper Dating.’ Ken breaks down common blocks to finding healthy love using time-tested, research-based psychological approaches (e.g., attachment theory) and accessible, actionable language. What a relief to find wise dating advice that shuns outdated, damaging ‘tips’ that emphasize playing games! Plus Ken’s effortlessly kind and just a delight to listen to.” ― Jessica Engle, founder of Bay Area Dating Coach
“Every week, host and very funny human Rebecca Bulnes talks to guests about their childhood crushes, from elementary school to high school. It’s hilarious and at the same time makes me feel better about naming a Build-A-Bear after a dude I had a crush on in seventh grade who famously said no when I had finally built up the courage to ask him to dance with me.” ― Carrie Wittmer, author of New Erotica for Feminists
“I’m still working my way through the archives of ‘Dear Sugars,’ a WBUR and New York Times-produced advice podcast hosted by writer Steve Almond and Wild memoirist Cheryl Strayed. The pair dole out tough love and emphatic advice on everything from ghosting and sexless marriages, to walking away from toxic parents and learning to say ‘no’ to people in your life. Steve and Cheryl are both completely comfortable using their own life mistakes as teachable moments for listeners, which gives the pod a nice ‘older sibling dispensing Big Life Lessons’ quality.” — Brittany Wong, lifestyle reporter at HuffPost
“My favorite podcast is the ‘Sexology’ podcast with Dr. Moali, a psychologist in California who was born in Iran and moved to the United States with her family at the age of 17. What I love about the podcast is Dr. Moali’s approach and style. She offers sex science research and practical tools to enhance one’s sexuality and relationships in a curious and informative way, making it easy to absorb taboo topics. Each week, Dr. Moali interviews a variety of guests, including sex researchers and therapists on topics such as polyamory, mindful sex, sexual jealousy and more. If you are looking to expand your sexual health knowledge base and learn from sexuality experts, this is it. You can listen to the podcast in Farsi, too!” ― Janet Brito, a psychologist and sex therapist in Honolulu
“Both are hosted by real women, with real-life experiences talking about the nuts and bolts of relationships and orgasming. Remy Kassimir, host of ‘How Cum,’ was not able to orgasm and walked everyone step by step through every detail of the female orgasm. And ‘Girls Gotta Eat,’ hosted by Rayna and Ashley, talks about the nuts and bolts of romantic relationships and flings: when to move in, if to move in, or when to just play for the night and let go. Love them both!” ― Mara Marek, host of “The Happy Never After Podcast”
