Sexual Wholeness in Marriage - Michelle Linford - Episode 31

If broken trust is an issue in your relationship, download the FREE video series “The First Steps to Rebuilding Trust” to help you get on the right track. https://www.geoffsteurer.com/freebie

For details on our Connection Plus Membership Community, please visit https://www.connectionpluscommunity.com

Sign up for my FREE weekly newsletter to stay up-to-date on exciting new announcements! 

Download my FREE guide to help you quickly end arguments with your spouse

Connect with me on social media:
INSTAGRAM
FACEBOOK

Visit http://www.geoffsteurer.com for online courses and other supportive resources.

About Geoff Steurer:

I am a licensed marriage and family therapist, relationship educator, and coach with over 24 years of experience. I am the co-author of, "Love You, Hate the Porn: Healing a Relationship Damaged by Virtual Infidelity", the host of the weekly podcast, "From Crisis to Connection", and have produced workbooks, audio programs, and online courses helping couples and individuals heal from the impact of sexual betrayal, unwanted pornography use, partner betrayal trauma, and rebuilding broken trust. As a leader in the field, I am a frequent contributor on these subjects at national conferences, documentaries, blogs, magazines, and podcasts. I also write a weekly relationship advice column available on my blog. I founded and ran an outpatient sexual addiction and betrayal trauma recovery group program for over 14 years, co-founded and chaired a local conference to educate community members about harmful media, and founded and administered a specialized group therapy practice for over 12 years. I currently maintain a private counseling and coaching practice in beautiful Southern Utah where I live with my wife and children. 

We are excited to introduce Connection Plus

Our exclusive community for couples and individuals who want to maintain their recovery momentum and strengthen their relationships. 

 We've built a one-of-a-kind COMMUNITY with direct support from us

  -  You'll learn how to stop destructive patterns, build skills for connection, and build a path to long-term healing.
  -  Engage with a community of people committed to strengthening themselves and their relationships. 

We are a community of couples and individuals committed to getting out of crisis and living in connection…for life. 

Click here for more info.

Podcast Description

I interview Michelle Linford, the founder and administrator for LDS Hope and Healing, on the subject of sexual wholeness in marriage. Couples in recovery from pornography / sexual addiction and betrayal trauma often have questions and struggles around how to bring sexual wholeness to their marriages. We discuss: - How to seek true principles to guide the discussion as a couple - How to spot counterfeit and harmful information about healthy sexuality - How each person in the relationship is responsible for developing their own personal wholeness so they can offer themselves fully to their relationship. - Understanding the difference between fragmentation of ourselves in the sexual relationship versus being a whole and complete person.

More on Michelle's background:

Michelle's online volunteer work took an unexpected turn in late 2011 when search engine data showed the desperate need many LDS women had for help and support because of the sexual addiction/compulsion of a loved one. In response to that need, in January 2012, Michelle created HopeandHealingLDS.com (a blog and private forum) with the belief that if women knew they weren't alone, had others with whom they could connect, and had resources and information available to them, real healing could begin. Her motto was: "Let's use the tool that has brought so much pain to bring hope and healing to people!" In addition, inspired by her research about addiction recovery and the hope-filled stories of recovery from addicts and loved ones alike, Michelle chose to do 12-step work in her own life to find healing from shame, perfectionism, and fear-based living. She has been participating regularly in the Church’s 12-step program for six years, and is currently a facilitator in ARP. Michelle has a bachelor's degree in Psychology and an MBA, with an emphasis in organizational behavior and change. She is the Executive Director of EPIK Deliberate Digital, and is a member of the prevention task force (the Safeguard Alliance) for the National Center on Sexual Exploitation. Michelle and her husband, Matt, are the grateful parents of three, beginning the tender stage of launching their children into the world. In addition to being an ARP facilitator, Michelle also is grateful to serve as a facilitator in the Church's Self-Reliance Services program.

Additional Resources from Michelle:

https://www.hopeandhealinglds.com/2017/02/14/our-favorite-resources/

Slides link (this was a presentation last February on dating in a pornified world at a BYU Women's Services conference last year):

https://wsr.byu.edu/sites/default/files/u3/Patterns%2C%20Principles%2C%20and%20Power%20-%20Final.pdf 

This is a podcast with LDS Perspectives

http://www.ldsperspectives.com/tag/michelle-linford/

https://ldsmag.com/author/michelle-linford/

http://realintent.org/out-of-the-corner/

http://realintent.org/healing/

This is a compilation of thoughts and resources that assimilate learning from her role at EPIK, at HopeAndHealing (including all that research), and in her own personal experience in 12-step as a participant, sponsor, and facilitator.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dn9nybwJn1wO8b8fG2Oz6T5HqLD3PnqyxkMj9oOQLJI/edit?usp=sharing

The advice offered through Geoff Steurer's podcasts is educational and informational in nature and is provided only as general information. It is not meant to establish a therapist-patient relationship or offer therapeutic advice, opinion, diagnosis treatment or to establish a standard of care. Although Geoff Steurer is a trained psychotherapist, he is not functioning in the role of a licensed therapist during these podcasts, but rather using his training to inform the content. Thus, the content is not intended to replace independent professional judgment. The content is not intended to solicit clients or patients, and should not be relied upon as medical or psychological advice of any kind or nature whatsoever. The information provided through the Content should not be used for diagnosing or treating a mental health problem or disease. The information contained in these communications is not comprehensive and does not include all the potential information regarding the subject matter, but is merely intended to serve as one resource for general and educational purposes.