Nan J. Wise Ph.D.

About

Nan Wise, Ph.D., is the author of Why Good Sex Matters: Understanding the Neuroscience of Pleasure for a Smarter, Happier, and More Purpose-Filled Life (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Press.) She is a cognitive neuroscientist, licensed psychotherapist, certified sex therapist, board-certified clinical hypnotherapist, and certified relationship specialist with three decades of experience.

After almost twenty years in clinical practice as a sex therapist, Dr. Nan returned to academia in 2009, driven by an intense desire to understand how the brain operates to create moods and behaviors in relation to sex and other aspects of human experience. She received her Ph.D. in cognitive neuroscience at Rutgers-Newark in 2014, and she is now a cognitive neuroscience researcher as well as an author and clinician.

Dr. Nan has authored several scientific papers on the neural correlates of sexual pleasure and contributed her expert opinion to outlets such as National Geographic, The Atlantic, Time, Women’s Health Magazine, The Washington Post, HuffPost, Romper, Bustle, and she has a weekly column in Glamour, in which she addresses sexual health questions from readers. She lives in West Orange, NJ.

Books by Nan J. Wise Ph.D.

Recent Posts

Unraveling the Controversy of Sex Addiction

Is sex addiction a real diagnosis? No, but compulsive sexual behavior disorder is. By reframing problematic sexual behaviors as "learning gone bad," we can better understand them.

Why Orgasms Matter

The most important predictor of sexual satisfaction for women is orgasm. Since as many as half of women find orgasms elusive, new research matters.

Why Good Grief Matters

Experiencing my grief has motivated me to share information on how it impacts our emotional systems and tools to help navigate it and empower our overall capacity for pleasure.

Recharge Your Sex Life in 5 Simple Steps

A common reason people request sex therapy is that one partner, often a woman, has lost the desire to have sex. What can we do when sex feels like a chore?

Stress Is Killing Us, and Our Sex Lives

There are some simple tools to help reverse the negative impact of stress on our bodies, minds, and our sex lives as we age.

Neuroscience Hacks: The New Sexual Revolution

The new sexual revolution needs to embrace the healing power of pleasure and teach our doctors and patients how to enjoy being in their bodies. Here's how.

Neuroscience Hacks: The Healing Power of Pleasure

Tolerating hard emotions and understanding the relationship between pain and pleasure is key to enhancing our capacity for happiness.

Neuroscience Hacks for Enhancing Happiness

Want to make some New Year's resolutions that will enrich your life and increase your happiness? Try these neuroscience hacks for enhancing your happiness by harnessing your attention!

Learning How to Work the Sexual Brain-Body Connection

Learning how the sexual brain-body connection works can help us work it better. Educating ourselves about sexuality and the critical role pleasure plays in healthy living is key.

Lost Your Pleasure Drive? Not Sexually Satisfied?

The ability to experience pleasure is not a luxury. It is a necessity for a well-balanced emotional brain. Forget about the sex drive. Focus on getting your pleasure drive back.