Marie Murphy
38: Sexuality, Religion, and Shame with Melissa Hite
Updated: Nov 16, 2022

Melissa Hite is the Founder of Higher Sex Education, where she offers one-on-one coaching and teaches classes and workshops. As a Sexual-Spiritual Advisor, Melissa works holistically with clients to integrate all parts of themselves in practical ways. Not only is Melissa certified as a Holistic Sex Educator through The Institute of Sexual Education and Enlightenment, but she’s also a certified pole fitness instructor and has 15 years of massage therapy experience. In addition to this, Melissa spent 10 years working in Nevada's legal brothel industry.
Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:
Melissa Hite explains the “big lies” of religion and how they interfere with sexuality
How can you expand your concept of sexual energy to be less limiting?
Some of the specific messages about sex in religion and why they’re problematic
Melissa discusses the impact of your sexual response cycle on your relationship to sex
What challenges do religious messages about sex create for adults?
Reframing your beliefs and uncoupling sexual concepts that no longer serve you
What it means to be embodied — and how it can improve your sexual experiences
Melissa talks about a time she was unfaithful to herself while working at a brothel
Melissa’s 12-week “Boundless Living” course
In this episode…
Unfortunately, sexuality and shame frequently go hand-in-hand, and religion’s messages about sex may be partially to blame. Even if you aren’t religious, you can still be affected by the messages that have seeped into society — such as the ideas that masturbation is bad or pleasure is wrong. So, how can you overcome these problematic frameworks and rewire your relationship to sex?
As a Sexual-Spiritual Advisor, Melissa Hite helps her clients reframe their sexual response cycles and embrace their natural sexuality. As she says, you can’t suppress sexual energy; it’s a part of who you are. But, religious messages can cause this energy to become distorted and lead to harmful feelings like shame. Fortunately, Melissa has some strategies for rewiring the beliefs and patterns that are causing you harm.
In this episode of Your Secret is Safe With Me, Dr. Marie Murphy talks with Melissa Hite, the Founder and Sexual-Spiritual Advisor at Higher Sex Education, about the intersection of religion, sexuality, shame, and healing. Melissa explains the complicated problems that can arise from religious messages about sex and shares her tips for reframing your beliefs and embracing your natural sexuality. Plus, Melissa discusses her 12-week course about mastering boundaries. Stay tuned!
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This episode is brought to you by Marie Murphy PhD Relationship Coaching.
Dr. Marie Murphy provides shame-free, blame-free, and non-judgmental relationship coaching. She draws from different philosophical traditions and approaches in order to better understand the human condition and the different types of professional assistance that can be germane to people in complicated relationship situations.
To learn more about her and her relationship coaching practice, visit www.mariemurphyphd.com today and schedule an introductory coaching session with Dr. Marie Murphy to begin the process of resolving your infidelity situation in a way that's truly right for you.