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Suzie Le Brocq is a Board Certified Sex Therapist and Transgender Care Therapist. Suzie has worked in the addiction treatment field for more than 15 years. Currently, Suzie is working on and studying the psychosexual effects women have when they have an ostomy or another major surgery that can deform/change the body. Suzie shares what women typically go through, their concept of sexual self, and how these concerns apply to men and women.   TAKEAWAYS: [1:00] A little bit about Suzie. [2:40] What are the psychosexual effects on women who have an ostomy? [7:30] Losing the ability to control your bowels can feel very degrading and shameful. [10:25] Suzie dives deeper into the definition of your ‘sexual self’. [12:15] Our sexual self is developed from the sexual stories that we’ve been told while growing up. [13:15] Some of us have an idea that sex should be a certain way, to look a certain way, and sound a certain way, and then suddenly that can be changed in an instant with a diagnosis. [15:00] Do men and women see their sexual selves differently? [20:15] Suzie felt her body let her down and felt very betrayed by her body. [23:15] Partner acceptance is key to healing. [24:30] When you’re sick, your partner can take on the role of a caregiver, but as you start to get better, that caregiving role might not go away.   RESOURCES: Newlifepsychology.ca Suzie on LinkedIn   QUOTES: “The sexual self-concept, it’s our own personalization of sex, your attitude, and how we feel about sex in general, and how we feel about ourselves as sexual beings.” “Our sexual self-concept is developed, to some degree, from the sexual stories that we’re told growing up. Our weight, our body image, our sexuality.” “So much of the images we see in the media, messages that portray the sexual self, is; to some degree; being something that it isn’t for most of us.” “Our bodies house our sexuality and it’s through our bodies, essentially, that our sexuality finds expression.”