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Toxic Shame Has No Place in Marriage Restoration

In this article I will use female pronouns for the betrayed spouse and male pronouns for the addict, because that is the focus of my work. Also, parts of this article focus on unique ways men react to shame. However, in no way do I mean to imply that sex…

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4 Reasons Shame Cripples Spouses of Addicts (and How to Overcome It)

“My husband is the sex addict; why should I feel shame?” For most healthy outsiders, the logical answer is, “You shouldn’t.” But for most spouses of sex addicts, the feeling of shame clings to us like a body suit. Shame can result from an overwhelming assault on our self-worth. It…

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Can Couples Therapy Fix Our Relationship?

I’ll never forget the day I walked out of therapy during early recovery. I left our therapist’s office crying, screaming, and slamming the door, vowing never to return. It’s safe to assume I was not pleased with how the session was going. At the time, I had not yet learned…

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How Respect Shrivels the Power of Porn

If you had tried to convince me 11 years ago that I needed to respect my porn-addicted husband, I would have laughed in your face. Not the “funny ha-ha” kind of laugh. More like a sneer with words dripping with venom: I’ll respect him when he’s worthy of my respect. What…

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3 Ways Porn Shreds Marriages with a “Shame Bomb”

Some movies start with a serene setting, only to have the world collapse around the main character in the first two minutes. A wife discovering porn is a lot like that. Life seems normal, almost on autopilot. Then she picks up her husband’s iPad and, on a hunch, glances at…

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Introducing a Resource for Betrayed Catholic Women

Have you ever felt alone? I mean, really alone? Like there’s no one in the world who can help you with the grief or trauma you’re facing? There are thousands of women who experience this on a daily basis. They are the forgotten half of the pornography epidemic. These are…

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5 Common Myths About Setting Boundaries

Here’s an everyday occurance in my office: A woman who is betrayed, wounded, confused and traumatized, seeking to feel safe and stable within her own marriage, tried to set a boundary about porn in her home—hoping to avoid future episodes of betrayal and deception. In response to this attempt, her…

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How a Little “Harmless” Entertainment Can Affect Your Husband

Numerous Christian men I’ve counseled have shared how their Christian wives read romance novels and watch movies and shows that contain nudity in front of them, even asking them to watch with them. Ironically, these men are trying their hardest to remain sexually pure for their wives, while their wives…