By Caitlin Bovard, LPC, Certified Couples Therapist, Dual-Certified Sex Therapist (AASECT CST) Let’s talk about something that surprised me while watching Heated Rivalry. The consent. Or more specifically, the layers of consent. Despite the intensity of the sex scenes and the power exchange dynamic between Shane and Ilya, the interactions rarely feel coercive or unsafe. Instead, they often feel deeply collaborative, despite having two people with vastly different backgrounds

By Caitlin Bovard, LPC, Certified Couples Therapist, Dual-Certified Sex Therapist (AASECT CST) Warning: Some spoilers for the show as this blog discusses the show as a whole. If you’ve spent any time watching or reading Heated Rivalry, you may have noticed something interesting. The relationship between Shane and Ilya is intense, passionate, confusing, and at times emotionally chaotic. And from a therapist perspective, it looks a lot like an attachment dance. Not a broken one

By Caitlin Bovard, LPC, Certified Couples Therapist, Dual-Certified Sex Therapist (AASECT CST) Warning: Some spoilers for the show as this blog discusses the show as a whole. It’s not just me, right? (iykyk) The world, and my brain, seems to have been taken over by sensual storm by the utterly captivating characters, world, and story of Heated Rivalry, one book in the six-book Game Changers series by Rachel Reid. While it may be less novel for MM romance connoisseurs, Heated

Valentine’s Day can feel loaded when there’s sexual conflict. A Colorado sex therapist explains why it’s stressful, and how neurodivergent folks are especially affected.