From Catholic sexual ethics to biology to foreplay to positions, our articles are a reference point for all your Catholic sexual queries.
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A New Resource for Military Couples: Free Relationship Coaching
Military life places unique demands on relationships, and many couples are left trying to figure things out on their own. To provide a clear, confidential starting point, we are now offering up to three free 50-minute relationship coaching sessions for currently serving military and uniformed service members and their partner. This program offers practical guidance to help you address communication challenges, conflict, and disconnection without involving the military health system. If you are looking for real support and a clear next step, this is a simple place to begin.
A Blessed Easter and What’s Coming Next
Celebrate Easter with us and see what’s ahead. A Mass is being offered for your intentions, and we’re grateful for the growing support that is making this mission possible. We’ve just completed a major writing push with 25 new articles addressing real challenges in Catholic marriages, from mental health to desire differences and practical intimacy. These will be released over the coming months, with early access available on Patreon. Subscribe to the newsletter to stay connected and be part of building a Catholic renewal in marital intimacy.
Spring Update: Coaching Availability, New Clients, and What to Expect
A few coaching spots have recently opened as several couples completed their programs, but the usual spring surge of inquiries has already begun. In this update, James Boyd Walther explains his current coaching availability, how the intake process works, and what couples can expect if they decide to begin coaching. The article also previews upcoming developments, including the future introduction of Catholic sex therapy under clinical supervision.
Beyond Makeup Sex: Using Intimacy to Navigate Grief and Conflict
Most couples are familiar with make-up sex, but what about grief sex? Or intentionally using sexual intimacy to calm conflict before a difficult conversation? This evidence-based guide explores how sexual connection affects bonding hormones like oxytocin, reduces stress and cortisol, and strengthens marital intimacy during seasons of grief and relational tension. Learn how practices like grief sex, fight sex, and make-up sex can support emotional resilience, conflict resolution, and deeper connection in marriage when approached with consent, communication, and maturity.
Sensate Focus: A Gentle Way to Reduce Pressure and Restore Presence in Marriage
Sensate Focus is a simple, structured way to reduce pressure and anxiety around physical intimacy in marriage. Rather than focusing on performance or outcomes, it helps couples return their attention to the body and the present moment. This article introduces how Sensate Focus is used carefully in marital coaching and why it can be a helpful support for couples seeking greater ease, trust, and connection in their physical relationship.
Rules for Avoiding Scrupulosity Over Sexual Ethics in Marriage
This article provides practical guidance on avoiding the scourge of scrupulosity when navigating through difficult moral questions pertaining to marital intimacy. It provides peace of mind without compromising the demands of the Gospel!
Looking Ahead to 2026: Gratitude, Growth, and the Work Before Us
As we enter 2026, we reflect briefly on the growth of the past year and share what is now taking shape, including new coaching programs, expanded formation, and renewed opportunities for prayer, teaching, and support.
Low Libido Support (LLS): A Structured Coaching Program for Couples
Low libido is a common source of tension in marriage, but it is rarely just a lack of interest. Low Libido Support (LLS) is a structured coaching program that helps couples reduce sexual pressure, understand how desire works, and rebuild sustainable intimacy through guided practice.
When Everything Else Has Failed: A Structured, Relational Approach to Overcoming Pornography and Masturbation Struggles in Marriage
When pornography and masturbation struggles persist despite sincere effort, the issue is often deeper than a single behavior. This article introduces a structured, long-term coaching approach designed for married couples who have tried other methods without lasting success, focusing on relational growth, restored intimacy, and realistic change over time. This is not a quick fix or an accountability-only model, but a demanding and hopeful path forward for couples who want to rebuild their marriage together.
A Traditional Catholic Moral Theologian’s Pastoral Advice on Avoiding Sin During Marital Foreplay
Monsignor Antonio Lanza’s teaching reassures couples that traditional Catholic moral theology allows affectionate and even moderately sexual expressions in marriage when they do not involve intentional orgasm outside intercourse. He explains that tender acts pose little moral risk, that more stimulating acts can be used with proportionate reasons or when spouses intend to complete the marital act, and that only actions which directly initiate intercourse require clear intent to consummate it. His framework shows that married love naturally includes varied expressions of closeness, and that moral discernment rests on intention and consent rather than fear.
Be One of the 99 to Join Me
I made the first donation to this campaign myself. Now we need ninety-nine more people to join me. Our goal is simple. We want 100 Catholics to step forward with a $10 monthly gift or a one-time donation of any amount by the end of Giving Tuesday 2025 on December 2.
Can Catholic Spouses Practice “Karezza” Method of Sexual Intercourse?
Is amplexus reservatus (the “karezza method”) moral for Catholic couples? This article explores Catholic theology, magisterial teaching, and moralist debates on whether deliberately stopping short of orgasm in the marital act is a sin or permissible form of intimacy.
Defining Intimacy: Aquinas, Psychology, and the Fourfold Intimacy Model
Intimacy is often reduced to sex or feelings, but marriage demands something deeper. Drawing on Aristotle, Aquinas, and modern psychology, James Walther explains the Fourfold Intimacy Model — spiritual, intellectual, emotional, and physical — showing how true intimacy is an interpersonal state of secure vulnerability that engages the whole person.
Oral Foreplay in Catholic Marriage: A Practical and Respectful Guide
Oral foreplay, when practiced within marriage as preparation for intercourse, can deepen emotional connection and enhance mutual pleasure while remaining faithful to Catholic teaching. This article offers practical tips, addresses common challenges such as discomfort or scrupulosity, and recommends supportive tools.
How to Talk with Your Spouse About Sex: A Catholic Approach to Honest Conversations
Talking about sex with your spouse doesn’t have to be uncomfortable—it can actually draw you closer. This article offers practical tips for starting honest, respectful conversations about intimacy in Catholic marriage. It also introduces our updated Yes, No, Maybe guide to help couples explore their desires and boundaries with clarity and confidence.
Advice for a Reader on Contraception
A Catholic husband shares the struggle of embracing the Church’s teaching on contraception while his wife does not share the same conviction. After years of using contraception, he chose to follow Catholic teaching without first discussing it with her, leading to hurt and strain in their intimacy. This exchange explores the need for open communication, prayer, and patient love while seeking unity in faith and marriage.
Guiding Your Teen with Confidence: Using Catholic Intimacy Materials with Teens and Young Adults
When a Catholic mom asked whether our Sex Ed for Married Catholics (SEMC) course could be shared with her teen, we realized that other parents may be asking the same question. This article offers Catholic parents clear guidance on when and how to use our materials with teens and young adults. We discuss recommended ages, suggested approaches for using the content, necessary cautions, and alternative resources better suited for younger audiences.
The Marital Act as a Human Act
This lesson introduces moral theology in the context of marital intimacy, exploring St. Thomas Aquinas' distinction between human acts and acts of man. It covers the eight stages of a human act, the three moral elements (object, intention, and circumstances), and how ignorance and fear affect moral responsibility. Learners will gain a theological framework for ensuring intimacy aligns with God’s plan, fostering virtue, love, and unity in marriage.
Overcoming Sexual Performance Anxiety
Sexual performance anxiety is a common but often misunderstood issue that affects both men and women. It can emerge at any age, regardless of relationship length or past sexual experience. Even couples who have enjoyed a satisfying sexual life for years may suddenly find themselves struggling with feelings of pressure, self-doubt, or fear related to intimacy.
Should I Give Up Sex For Lent?
When I hear the question “Should I give up sex for Lent?” my immediate response is, “Probably not.” Lent is a season for deep prayer and reflection, but when it comes to marriage, decisions about intimacy should always be made together and with an understanding of the consequences.