The Living Truth Podcast - Freedom From Unwanted Sexual Behavior, Hope & Healing For the Betrayed

Desire, Differentiation, and the Self We Were Never Allowed to Become - A Conversation with Jay Stringer

What if desire isn’t something to manage, suppress, or fix—but something that reveals who you truly are?

In this episode of The Living Truth Podcast, Michael Cary sits down with Jay Stringer, therapist, speaker, and author of Unwanted and the brand-new release Desire, to explore the deeper architecture of desire—far beyond sex, behavior, or performance.

 

We talk about the provisional self—the version of us we learned to become in order to survive—and how many people unknowingly build their lives, relationships, and even their faith around it. Jay explains how desire exposes the gaps between who we are and who we were never allowed to be, and why unresolved childhood adaptations often propel people into crisis later in life.

 

Together, we explore:

• Why true intimacy requires differentiation, not fusion or performance
• What actually drives people into midlife, relational, or sexual crises
• How mapping your childhood helps you recover your true self
• Why desire is holistic—shaping identity, intimacy, meaning, and growth
• What real intimacy looks like beyond chemistry, compliance, or intensity

For anyone navigating recovery, relational healing, or spiritual formation, this conversation reframes desire as an invitation—not a threat. An invitation to wholeness, honesty, and a life that no longer requires you to disappear to belong.

 

📖 Learn more about Jay Stringer and his new book Desire at jay-stringer.com

 

Website: jay-stringer.com - Instagram: @jay_stringer_

 

📖 Learn more about our programs: https://living-truth.org

 

The Living Truth Podcast; Conversations that shed light on the deeper issues that unlock healing from porn addiction, sex addiction, and sexual betrayal.

 

#LivingTruthPodcast #ChristianRecovery #FaithAndHealing #AddictionRecovery #MenInTheBattle #LivingTruth #JayStringer #DesireBook #UnwantedBook #MichaelCary #HealingDesire #FaithAndSexuality #ChristianPodcast #SexualWholeness #ShameFreeFaith #RestoringDesire #FreedomJourney #LivingTruthMinistry

Surrendered Sexuality: How Knowing Jesus Changes Everything with Dr. Juli Slattery

Sexuality is one of the most powerful — and most misunderstood — parts of our humanity.

 

In this deeply honest conversation with Julie Slattery, clinical psychologist, author of Surrendered Sexuality, and co-founder of Authentic Intimacy we explore:

 

• The cultural lies shaping how we think about sex

• Why covenant — not consumption — is at the heart of God’s design for sex.

• The devastation of betrayal and what it reveals about God’s own covenant love

• Four identity traps that keep us stuck in shame, performance, and confusion

• Why “just stop” is not a sufficient response to sexual struggles

• How trauma, brain science, and community are essential to healing

 

If you’ve experienced sexual betrayal…

If you’re carrying shame for sexual brokenness…

If you feel confused about how your faith intersects with your sexuality…

 

This conversation will remind you that surrender is not about perfection — it’s about bringing your whole, broken self into the light of God’s love.

 

✨ Learn more about Dr. Slattery’s work and resources at the links below:

www.authenticintimacy.com

IG: @authenticintimacy

Java with Juli Podcast: https://www.authenticintimacy.com/podcast/

Surrendered Sexuality Book: https://a.co/d/08dxVRpJ

 

🎧 Listen to the full podcast here: https://LivingTruth61.podbean.com/e/surrendered-sexuality-how-knowing-jesus-changes-everything-with-dr-juli-slattery/?token=468fb7f62ca108c62d9669b8ccbcdc37

📖 Learn more about our programs: https://living-truth.org

 

The Living Truth Podcast; Conversations that shed light on the deeper issues that unlock healing from porn addiction, sex addiction, and sexual betrayal.

 

#LivingTruthPodcast #ChristianRecovery #FaithAndHealing #AddictionRecovery #MenInTheBattle #WomenInTheBattle #LivingTruth #SurrenderedSexuality #JulieSlattery #AuthenticIntimacy #ChristianHealing #BetrayalTrauma #SexualIntegrity #CovenantLove #FaithAndSexuality #TraumaInformedFaith #IdentityInChrist #ChristianWomen #MenInRecovery

The Hidden Cost of Information Overload in Betrayal Trauma - Finding Deeper Healing Through Safety with Shelley Martinkus

When betrayal trauma shatters your world, it’s natural to search desperately for answers. Podcasts, books, courses, social media—there is more information available today than ever before.

But is there a point when searching for more information actually keeps us stuck?

In this powerful and compassionate conversation, Kristin Cary welcomes Shelley Martinkus, co-founder of Redemptive Living, to explore the difference between knowing facts about betrayal and engaging the complex, embodied process of healing.

Together, they reflect on the early days of their own recovery journeys—when resources were scarce—and contrast that with today’s flood of information, which can unintentionally become a form of emotional anesthesia.

What if healing doesn’t come from finding the “right formula,” but from slowing down, tending to your nervous system, and doing deep relational work—especially within safe community?

You’ll hear honest reflections about:

• The difference between “snorkeling” the surface and “scuba diving” into deeper healing

• How dopamine, distraction, and over-research can numb pain instead of restoring it

• Why betrayal recovery must include the body, heart, and nervous system—not just the mind

• The surprising power of trauma-informed groups in restoring belonging, agency, and hope

• Why Jesus—not a professional, program, or process—is the true source of lasting healing

If you’ve ever felt exhausted from trying to “do healing right,” this episode offers a gentle invitation to slow down, breathe, and trust that God is still at work—within you and through safe community.

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Link to Podcast Episode: The Truth Shall Set You Free; How Full Disclosure Can Benefit Couples in Recovery with Dan Drake and Dr. Janice Caudill: https://LivingTruth61.podbean.com/e/the-truth-shall-set-you-free-how-full-disclosure-can-benefit-couples%c2%a0in-recovery-with-dan-drake-and-dr-janice-caudill-1718683847/

 

📖 Learn more about our programs: https://living-truth.org

 

The Living Truth Podcast; Conversations that shed light on the deeper issues that unlock healing from porn addiction, sex addiction, and sexual betrayal.

 

#LivingTruthPodcast #ChristianRecovery #FaithAndHealing #AddictionRecovery #MenInTheBattle #WomenInTheBattle #LivingTruth #BetrayalTrauma #HealingAfterBetrayal #TraumaInformedFaith

#ChristianHealing #NervousSystemHealing #EmbodiedFaith #HealingInCommunity #FaithAndHealing #YouAreNotAlone #DeepHealing

Shepherding Through Crisis: Pastoral Strategies for Betrayal Recovery with Dr. Barbara Steffens

Kristin Cary welcomes Dr. Barbara Steffens, founder and first president of the Association of Partners of Sex Addicts Trauma Specialists (APSATS) and one of the pioneering voices who reframed sexual betrayal as trauma rather than codependency.

 

Together, Kristin and Dr. Steffens explore how ministry leaders, counselors, and pastors can wisely and compassionately walk with betrayed women and struggling couples through the aftermath of sexual sin. They discuss best practices for trauma-informed care, the importance of safety and stabilization, and what it looks like to shepherd hearts with both truth and tenderness.

 

Gain insight into the multi-dimensional partner trauma model with practical strategies for responding to crisis moments, and a renewed vision for the Church’s role in bringing hope and healing to those navigating the devastating fallout of betrayal.

 

Whether you’re a pastor, ministry leader, counselor, or simply someone walking alongside a friend in pain, this conversation will equip and encourage you to become a safer and more effective presence of Christ’s love.

 

Previous LT podcast episode mentioned:

 

The Truth Shall Set You Free; How Full Disclosure Can Benefit Couples in Recovery with Dan Drake and Dr. Janice Caudill

 

Link to Barb & Lyschel's training:

https://hoperedefined.org/resources/shepherding-through-crisis-training/

 

📖 Learn more about our programs: https://living-truth.org

 

The Living Truth Podcast; Conversations that shed light on the deeper issues that unlock healing from porn addiction, sex addiction, and sexual betrayal.

 

#LivingTruthPodcast #ChristianRecovery #FaithAndHealing #AddictionRecovery #MenInTheBattle #WomenInTheBattle #LivingTruth #ShepherdingThroughCrisis #BetrayalTraumaRecovery #DrBarbaraSteffens #KristinCary #APSATS #TraumaInformedMinistry

The Sacred Art of Slowing Down: Healing Trauma with Your Whole Self

When your life is shattered by trauma, slowing down can feel impossible—even unsafe. In this tender, soul-nourishing conversation, Kristin reconnects with her friend Anna Christine Seiple, a licensed counselor, trauma survivor, and author of The Sacred Art of Slowing Down. Anna shares her profound story of devastation, healing, and rebuilding a life she never imagined possible.

 

Together, Kristin and Anna explore:

✨ Why slowing down is often forced upon us in seasons of trauma—and how it becomes an unexpected doorway to healing

✨ How the body carries what the mind tries to outrun, and why listening to your body is a deeply biblical practice

✨ The damaging myth in Christian culture that the body is “bad,” and how Scripture actually presents a fully integrated, embodied spirituality

✨ Why healing isn’t linear, logical, or fast—and how God meets us in the mystery

✨ Permission to be human: the messy, cyclical process of grief, anger, hope, and restoration

✨ What it looks like to tend gently to the parts of yourself you’ve long ignored or believed were unworthy of care

 

If you’re walking through betrayal, chronic stress, unwanted sexual behavior or profound disorientation, this episode will remind you that your body is not your enemy—your body is crying out for compassion. God created you as an integrated whole, and every part of you is worthy of love, safety, and healing.

 

Anna’s wisdom, vulnerability, and theological depth offer real hope for anyone longing to feel whole again.

 

Link to Anna’s book: https://a.co/d/dHvaCtF

Anna's website: https://www.acseiple.com/

 

🎧 Listen to the full podcast here:

📖 Learn more about our programs: https://living-truth.org

 

The Living Truth Podcast; Conversations that shed light on the deeper issues that unlock healing from porn addiction, sex addiction, and sexual betrayal.

 

#LivingTruthPodcast #ChristianRecovery #FaithAndHealing #AddictionRecovery #MenInTheBattle #WomenInTheBattle #LivingTruth #BetrayalTraumaHealing #SacredArtOfSlowingDown #EmbodiedFaith #HealingAfterBetrayal #ChristianHealingJourney #TraumaRecovery #SoulCare #ChristianCounseling #AnnaChristineSeiple #HopeAfterBetrayal #EmbodiedSpirituality #SlowingDownToHeal #KristinCary