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

What if your relationship with God doesn’t have to feel like a performance review? In this rich conversation, Michael Cary sits down with author and counselor Michael John Cusick — author of Surfing for God and his newest book Sacred Attachment — to explore one of the most liberating ideas in spiritual life: that your connection to God is unbreakable, and you don’t have to earn it.

We explore:

• What “sacred attachment” actually means and why it changes everything about how we relate to God

• How attachment theory (seen, soothed, safe, secure) shapes not just our human relationships but our relationship with God

• Why “trust and obey” and “know more, do better” Christianity leaves so many of us exhausted and stuck

• The root connection between early attachment wounds and addiction

• Michael Cusick’s powerful “Five W’s” framework: wretchedness, weakness, woundedness, warfare, and wiring

• The “delta” — the gap between what we know to be true (no condemnation!) and what we actually feel — and why information alone doesn’t close it

• What freedom actually is: not the absence of sin, but the presence of your deepest desire

• Why transformation doesn’t happen through information — and what actually moves the needle

You’ll walk away with:

A fresh, grace-soaked understanding of who God is toward you — even on your worst days. Whether you’re in recovery or just weary from trying harder, this episode will help you exhale and come home. Sacred Attachment is not just for people in addiction recovery — it’s for anyone who has ever felt like they’re failing at the Christian life.

You can find more resources from Michael Cusick at:

https://restoringthesoul.com

https://michaeljohncusick.com

 

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

What would you do if a relapse happened? For many partners walking through betrayal, that question feels overwhelming—or even terrifying. But avoiding it doesn’t create safety. Preparation does.

 

In this episode of The Living Truth Podcast, Kristin sits down with betrayal trauma coach Lachelle Burkett to talk about how creating a relapse safety plan can move you from panic to clarity—so you’re not left scrambling in the moment.

 

You’ll learn:

• Why a relapse safety plan actually reduces anxiety (instead of increasing it)
• The difference between a “slip” and a “relapse”—and why it matters
• How to make decisions ahead of time so you can trust yourself in crisis
• The 6 key areas every plan should include (emotional, physical, financial, relational, spiritual, and more)
• How this process restores your God-given agency, wisdom, and stability

This conversation is not about expecting the worst, it’s about equipping you with calm, grounded clarity if the unexpected happens.

 

Because even in the midst of betrayal…you still have choices. You still have a voice. And you are not without support. If you’ve ever felt afraid of “what if,” this episode will help you take a steady, empowered step forward.

Click Here for a free PDF of Lyschel's Relapse Safety Plan

 

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

If the behavior has stopped… why does the relationship still feel disconnected, fragile, or stuck? In this episode of The Living Truth Podcast, Kristin Cary and Michael Cary explore the often-overlooked gap between sexual sobriety and emotional maturity—and why stopping the behavior is not the same as rebuilding trust, safety, and connection.

You’ll gain clarity on:

• Why sobriety alone doesn’t restore trust or relational safety
• What emotional immaturity can look like in everyday interactions
• How unresolved wounds and “younger parts” continue to shape adult patterns
• The difference between defensiveness, shutdown, and true emotional growth
• Why betrayed partners need safety and stabilization first—not pressure to “move on” or “work on themselves”
• How couples can begin moving toward genuine intimacy, not just coexistence

This conversation is especially relevant for:

• Women who feel confused or discouraged that things still don’t feel “better” after sobriety
• Men who have stopped unwanted behaviors but sense there is still more growth needed
• Couples who long for deeper connection but find themselves repeating the same patterns

Sobriety may remove destructive behaviors—

but emotional maturity is what allows a relationship to be rebuilt.

Growth in this area takes time, humility, and a willingness to stay present in the process.

There is no shame in feeling stuck.

There is an invitation into something deeper.

 

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

What happens when blind, unquestioning obedience is expected — and silence is spiritualized? How does a lack of healthy developmental autonomy impact marriages, families, churches, and women navigating betrayal?

 

Drawing from developmental psychology and research on spiritual trauma, Kristin and licensed counselor AC Seiple unpack:

 

• How shame forms when autonomy is not nurtured in childhood
• How spiritual systems can unintentionally cause harm when power is misused
• Sexual autonomy inside marriage after betrayal
• The cost of fearing relational rupture when we use our voice in marriage, ministry, and faith communities
• How humility and healing can restore autonomy in Christ

 

This conversation is especially meaningful for women navigating betrayal trauma, pastor’s wives, and anyone wrestling with how to exercise their God-given voice without labeling themselves as "rebellious."

 

Autonomy is not the enemy of faith.

What if it is actually one of the ways we love God — and others — most fully?

 

This episode explores autonomy, shame, spiritual trauma, and sexual betrayal recovery through a trauma-informed Christian lens.

 

🔗 Connect with Anna Christine Seiple: https://www.acseiple.com/

 

📖 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 #ChristianHealing #BetrayalTraumaRecovery #SpiritualTrauma #FaithAndAutonomy #WomenInMinistry #PastorsWife #SexualBetrayalRecovery #TraumaInformedFaith #HealingInChrist #ChristianCounseling #EmbodiedFaith

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