Just Between Us with Jennifer Zamparelli

Today’s episode takes on one of the biggest relationship buzzwords out there: narcissism. We’ve all heard it, ‘My ex was such  a narcissist’, but how much of that is internet language, and how much of it points to something far more serious? This week on Just Between Us, Jennifer is joined by family psychotherapist Richard Hogan to unpack the difference between someone being selfish and someone being truly narcissistic. From love bombing and manipulation to family estrangement and the struggle to leave, it’s a clear, sobering conversation about the patterns that can quietly pull people under.

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If you’re in a long-term relationship, you might know that feeling of starting to feel more like housemates than lovers. This week on Just Between Us, Jennifer is joined by psychosexual and relationship therapist Aoife Drury to talk about what happens when the spark fades - not the love, not the commitment, just the desire. From stress and exhaustion to communication and scheduling sex, this is a warm, practical conversation about how couples can find their way back to each other.

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Desire doesn’t have to have an expiry date. This week on Just Between Us, Jennifer sits down with clinical sexologist Emily Power Smith to talk about sex and ageing, from libido shifts and menopause to illness, disability and changing bodies. It’s a reassuring conversation about letting go of old expectations, learning what works now, remembering pleasure can evolve with you and sex can keep getting better.

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Love doesn’t always arrive neatly or on schedule. This week on Just Between Us, Jennifer is joined by Jennifer Rock and Jill Deering to talk about building a family that doesn’t fit the traditional script. From parenting young and navigating small-town scrutiny, to coming out later in life and becoming a stepmother in your 30s, they share what it really takes to blend lives with care. They open up about co-parenting with ex-partners, putting kids first, and learning to do the work even when relationships change shape. It’s a warm, honest conversation about choosing kindness, earning trust...

Dating in Ireland can feel like a minefield. The apps are draining, ghosting is normalised, and everyone seems either too busy, too picky, or quietly panicking about timelines. Somewhere along the way, what should feel exciting has started to feel like hard work. This week, Jennifer is joined by professional matchmaker Feargal, who has spent over 15 years setting up real-life dates and watching what actually works and what really doesn’t. From app fatigue and sky-high expectations to the danger of sticking rigidly to a “type,” he shares the patterns he sees again and again. They talk about Irish pride and pr...

What if porn isn’t the villain we’ve been told it is and masturbation is actually one of the healthiest ways we learn about ourselves? In this episode of Just Between Us, Jennifer Zamparelli is joined by Cindy Gallop to talk about pleasure without shame, curiosity without guilt, and why understanding what turns us on can be deeply empowering.

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With Valentine’s Day around the corner, you might be thinking about buying a sexy gift for someone you love, or for yourself, but not know where to start. This week on Just Between Us, Jennifer Zamparelli is joined by Shawna Scott of Sex Siopa to break it all down. From bullets to bondage, dildos to dilators, Shauna explains what’s out there, how it all works, and how to find what actually suits your body, your needs and your curiosity.

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In this episode of Just Between Us, Jennifer Zamparelli is joined by counsellor and psychotherapist Margaret O’Connor (specialist in parenthood ambivalence and decision-making) and Niamh Madden, founder of Sisterhood, a community for child-free women in Ireland. Together, they unpack the pressure to follow the “default” life script, what it means to feel uncertain, and why a joyful, meaningful life can look many different ways — with kids or without.

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Got a sex question you’ve never said out loud? Jennifer Zamparelli is joined by sex educator and intimacy coach Grace Alice O’Shea for a special listener Q&A. From libido and orgasms to body insecurities and the male G-spot, they’re answering the questions you usually keep to yourself.

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Coming out doesn’t always happen early, loudly, or with absolute certainty - sometimes it unfolds quietly over time. This week on Just Between Us, Jennifer Zamparelli is joined by journalist Sarah Magliocco to talk about coming out later in life, navigating compulsory heterosexuality, and the relief and joy of finally living as your full self. It’s a hopeful, affirming conversation about self-acceptance and the joy of finally living openly and honestly.

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What happens when you drop the shame and start talking honestly about sex? This week, Jennifer Zamparelli is joined by comedian and sex-positive powerhouse Bláthín de Burca for a funny, frank and refreshingly open conversation about desire, kink, curiosity and learning what actually turns you on.

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What if marriage didn’t have to follow the script? This week on Just Between Us, Jennifer Zamparelli is joined by Taryn DeVere, a woman who’s married the same partner eight times - not out of chaos, but out of choice. Together, they talk about rewriting the rules of marriage, recommitting as people change, and why love doesn’t have to look conventional to be deeply real.

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A special Christmas Day episode with friend of the show Dr Caroline West and Indo Daily host Kevin Doyle, digging into one of Dublin’s darkest and most fascinating chapters: the Monto, once Europe’s most infamous red-light district. Expect forgotten history, surprising humanity, and the stories that were almost erased.

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Welcome to Just Between Us, the sex and relationships podcast from the Irish Independent, hosted by Jennifer Zamparelli. This week, Jennifer is joined by Bobby McQuaid, a new dad who spent years struggling in silence with erectile dysfunction and the shame that came with it. Bobby opens up about the pressure young men feel, how ED affected his relationships, and the long road to getting the right help.

Just Between Us is an Irish Independent podcast hosted by Jennifer Zamparelli. New episodes every Thursday, wherever you get your podcasts.

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Welcome to Just Between Us, the sex and relationships podcast from the Irish Independent, hosted by Jennifer Zamparelli. We’ve all heard about the wage gap – but what about the orgasm gap? This week, Jennifer is joined by writer, broadcaster and Sex Education script consultant Alix Fox to talk about why straight men are still having more orgasms than straight women, and how sex toys, better conversations and a broader idea of sex could help close that gap.

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Just Between Us is an Irish Independent podcast hosted by Jennifer Zamparelli. New episodes every Thursday, wherever you g...

Welcome to Just Between Us, the sex and relationships podcast from the Irish Independent, hosted by Jennifer Zamparelli. When someone cheats on you, it can feel like your whole world falls apart — but can it also crack something open that needed to change? Jennifer is joined by journalist Kate Brayden, who has been through infidelity twice, to talk shame, silence, second chances, and why trusting your gut can be the first step toward healing. Just Between Us is an Irish Independent podcast hosted by Jennifer Zamparelli. New episodes every Thursday, wherever you get your podcasts.

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This week, Jennifer is joined by pharmacist and author Laura Dowling to talk vulvas, vaginas and everything we were never taught about women’s sexual health – from pubic hair and “feminine freshness” myths to lube, menopause, prolapse and the power of finally finding your own pleasure.

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Just Between Us is an Irish Independent podcast hosted by Jennifer Zamparelli. New episodes every Thursday, wherever you get your podcasts.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to Just Between Us, the sex and relationships podcast from the Irish Independent, hosted by Jennifer Zamparelli. This week, Jennifer sits down with three single guests in their 20s, 30s and 40s to compare notes on the chaos of modern dating – from situationships and sober first dates to Tinder bandits, icks and the apps that have turned people into profiles.

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Just Between Us is an Irish Independent podcast hosted by Jennifer Zamparelli. New episodes every Thursday, wherever you get your podcasts.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to Just Between Us, the sex and relationships podcast from the Irish Independent, hosted by Jennifer Zamparelli. What happens when a 22-year-old starts an OnlyFans and earns life-changing money overnight? Jennifer is joined by Niamh O’Connor (AKA Kneevo), once Ireland’s biggest OnlyFans creator, to talk money, pressure, plastic surgery, stigma, and the moment she chose herself over the grind. Just Between Us is an Irish Independent podcast hosted by Jennifer Zamparelli. New episodes every Thursday, wherever you get your podcasts.

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We all talk about being our best selves - at work, in the gym, even on social media. But when it comes to sex… that conversation suddenly gets a little awkward, doesn’t it? Today, Jennifer is joined by Irish Independent Columnist Dr Caroline West to talk about what it really means to be your best self sexually. Just Between Us is an Irish Independent podcast hosted by Jennifer Zamparelli. New episodes every Thursday, wherever you get your podcasts.

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Behind closed doors, Ireland’s swingers’ scene is bigger,and bolder than you might think. Jennifer Zamparelli meets Graham, a proud member of the community, who lifts the lid on what really happens at a swingers’ party, how jealousy can turn into joy, and why “ethical non-monogamy” isn’t just about sex.

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Welcome to the new sex and relationships podcast from the Irish Independent. Here's a flavour of what to expect. New episodes every Thursday.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.