In this episode of Hart2Heart, Dr. Mike Hart sits down with returning guest, Nicolle Hodges for a raw, honest conversation about her journey through love, identity, and desire. What happens when polyamory no longer feels expansive, and actually leaves you emotionally scattered? Nicolle shares how stepping into a monogamous relationship helped her reconnect with her feminine energy and finally feel safe enough to surrender. She opens up about the surprising grief that came with letting go, including a powerful ritual to release the future she once imagined. The two also explore BDSM as a form of healing, not just kink, but a doorway to deeper embodiment and trust. Nicolle argues a new way to think about intimacy, power, and what it means to choose love on your terms.

Nicolle Hodges is a Journalist, Author, Sexual Freedom Philosopher: Nicolle Hodges is the founder of Girls Who Say Fuck - an incubator for projects and conversations that instigate change. She is the author of 'Oh, the Places You'll Go Oh Oh' - a book about the power of female orgasms, fully illustrated and written in Dr. Seuss-style verse. She is the creator of Men Who Take Baths - an initiative where men in bubble baths are interviewed about what it means to "be a man." The movement advocates for gender equity through an interview series, art show, and group discussions. Educated as a broadcast journalist and a former television host for CTV Vancouver, Nicolle understands the power of creating spaces for profound connection through conversation. Her multi-faceted projects and campaigns are boundary-pushing and community-based, with the intention of questioning the way we've been told life is supposed to be.

Listeners can learn more about Nicolle Hodges at her website, her podcast - The Sexual Freedom Philosopher, and on IG @nicoledoublel

Show Notes:

• (0:00) Welcome back to the Hart2Heart Podcast with Dr. Mike Hart

• (0:15) Dr. Hart welcomes guest, and friend, Nicolle Hodges to the show

• (1:00) Nicolle’s identity evolution - from dominatrix to intimacy coach

• (5:00) Exploring polyamory and monogamy

• (7:00) Lack of depth and avoidance in polygamy relationships

• (9:45) Internal jealousy as a feminie instinct

• (10:00)  ”I never felt safe and fully claimed by the masculine to actually allow myself to fully relax and to release into a depth of love that I knew I was never actually going to find.”

• (12:00) How to address healthy boundaries and recognize unhealthy ones

• (15:00) Monogamy is a conscious choice not a default

• (20:00) Transitioning from polygamous relationships

• (24:00) Experiencing the proper experience of grief

• (29:00) Nicolle’s collar - her symbol of chosen devotion

• (38:00) Conscious uncoupling

• (44:00) Her funeral for unborn children she idealized

• (48:00) Breaking generational trauma

• (55:00) BDSM - the psychology of flogging

• (57:00) Dominance as depth - pain as sensation

• (1:05:00) Normalizing erotic therapy - making space for sexual healing

• (1:14:00) Entry points and coaching for men and women

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Dr. Mike Hart is a Cannabis Physician and Lifestyle Strategist. In April 2014, Dr. Hart became the first physician in London, Ontario to open a cannabis clinic. While Dr. Hart continues to treat patients at his clinic, his primary focus has shifted to correcting the medical cannabis educational gap that exists in the medical community.

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