We start with a very quick appliance update even if Jason thinks nobody cares.  I know otherwise! As for the episode:  Does your husband or x-husband tell you there is no reason to talk about the sexual integrity issue because he doesn’t struggle anymore?  This is something we hear quite often and it sends red flags off in my (Shelley’s) head in a major way.  We unpack how this impacts her (it can be super invalidating and scary) as well as what might be driving him to say this (fear, shame, and misinformed theology).   We then share a different framework for him to use and that will also be much more reassuring for her.  Here are a couple of the high points: - Initially, the addict or dark side and the good man are tangled up with the addict in the driver’s seat.  It’s important to acknowledge that those two parts of him are there. - The early recovery work focuses on extracting the addict from the guy in recovery and focusing on understanding the addict as well as understanding the good man within.  As Jason says, a lot of men stop here.  - Long range - what we want to do is reintegrate the addict (or dark side) and the new, good man. The good man is in the drivers seat and as Jason says - "with grace and compassion hold that the dark side is apart of us”.  By owning our sin and our mistakes, we are humbled and able to hold tight to the fact that we need a Savior.  This is so incredibly important. We are so glad YOU are here, thanks for joining us!    Shelley mentions the Requests for Reassurance Episode #32 - here is the link to it. The Worthy of Her Trust workshop for men is happening this March in TX. Applications are live and you can get all the details for that here. There is also a women’s retreat happening the beginning of April in Ocean Isle Beach, NC - details are here. Would love to connect with you on Instagram - @shelley_martinkus. We offer 1:1 coaching, couples recovery coaching, support groups, MasterClasses and on-line courses - check out our websites: redemptiveliving.com and rlforwomen.com for the full scoop! Click here to subscribe to Shelley’s {almost} monthly letter + announcements. Click here to subscribe to Jason’s list. Questions for the Podcast? Email us with the subject line: Podcast.

Okay, so let me first say - this episode was HARD to record.  We had a ton of technical issues and didn’t realize not once, twice but THREE times that our recorder STOPPED recording WITHOUT us knowing until 10-15 minutes later. BUT we persevered and we hope something in here speaks to you! We wanted to chat about what it looks like when we come to a crossroad in recovery where we have to choose which way we are going.  Are we going to keep fighting and not lose hope?  Or are we going to throw in the towel and give up. This (navigating the crossroad) is happening underneath some of the more tangible things that we are doing in recovery like working on boundaries, navigating triggers, etc and I think it’s important to name it when it’s happening. A couple of highlights: - Men have the greatest capacity to help their wives heal - the one that hurt us the most has the greatest capacity (besides God) to help us heal. - Three keys to navigating the crossroad (for women):  awareness including naming the crossroad, making the choice to keep fighting and finally, support from other women. - For men, it’s important to also have support as well as focusing on:  what is the next right thing?  (And truly taking it one small step at a time.) We are so glad YOU are here, thanks for joining us!    We mentioned Emily P Freeman’s podcast - The Next Right Thing.  Lovely in all the ways. Jason announced the Worthy of Her Trust workshop happening this March in TX.  Applications are live and you can get all the details for that here. There is also a women’s retreat happening the beginning of April - details are here. MasterClasses for men start next week on February 8th..  Click here to see all the details. We have a couple of spots left in the new groups starting this quarter for women.  Would love for you to join us - these groups are game changers! Would love to connect with you on Instagram - @shelley_martinkus.  We offer 1:1 coaching, couples recovery coaching, support groups, MasterClasses and on-line courses - check out our websites: redemptiveliving.com and rlforwomen.com for the full scoop!  Click here to subscribe to Shelley’s {almost} monthly letter + announcements. Click here to subscribe to Jason’s list.  Questions for the Podcast? Email us with the subject line: Podcast.

In this week’s episode, we are thrilled to have a special guest with us - our new puppy, Pluto!  He was a great assistant throughout our recording.  We are happy to update you on our dryer as well as Shelley’s continued choices to wear clothing from two decades ago.  Moving onto more important things - we talk this week about dealing with intrusive thoughts during the recovery process, in particular for her. Here are some of the things we cover: - Know that this is "normal" and apart of the impact of the trauma.  It's not where we want women to stay long-term but it does serve a purpose short term in helping us move through the grief.   - There are also plenty of times when we need to contain the thoughts in order to be present and revisit the thoughts later.  We give three strategies to help with this containment:  brain stop, prayer and vaulting it.   - Suggesting she just STOP thinking about the past, looking at evidence of the past, etc. - is harmful.  Let this be HER process, not yours.   - It can be important to ask the question - is there a gap in safety somewhere causing her to ruminate / obsess during certain situations (when he is at work, goes to the grocery store, etc.)?  And instead of asking her to stop ruminating - figure out what she needs to feel safer.   We are so glad YOU are here, thanks for joining us!    There are several books we mention during this episode - Your Sexually Addicted Spouse by Barbara Steffens and Marsha Means, The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk and the Brain STOP can be found on page 22 of the Rescued workbook. Jason announced the Worthy of Her Trust workshop happening this March in TX.  Applications are live and you can get all the details for that here. There is also a women’s retreat happening the beginning of April - details are here. We have several new groups starting in February.  Click here for all the details. Info on the Empowered Boundaries MasterClass for women is here.  Would love for you to consider taking this with me, please add your name to the wait list so that you are the first to know when registration for the next round opens.  (The wait list just serves as a place for those with interest to get the first email.) Would love to connect with you on Instagram - @shelley_martinkus.  We offer 1:1 coaching, couples recovery coaching, support groups, MasterClasses and on-line courses - check out our websites: redemptiveliving.com and rlforwomen.com for the full scoop!  Click here to subscribe to Shelley’s {almost} monthly letter + announcements. Click here to subscribe to Jason’s list.  Questions for the Podcast? Email us with the subject line: Podcast.

In this week’s episode, we talk about what it looks like to provide reassurance in the recovery process.  Sometimes we as wives will ask questions like - “Is everything okay?”, “what is going on?”, “are you okay?”.  Men in the recovery process might see this more as an invitation to “dump" or even an indictment when what she really needs is reassurance of his integrity, the recovery process and honoring her intuition that something feels off. Here are some of the things we cover: - how he can pivot from self-focused to wife-focused - consciously shifting from proving behavior to being engaged in the process - three key areas to cover when providing reassurance We are so glad YOU are here, thanks for joining us!       Applications drop today for the Women’s Retreat coming up this Spring - you can get on the list here to get all the details!   There will also be a men’s workshop in March and you can get all the details for that here. We have several new groups starting in February.  Click here for all the details. Info on the Empowered Boundaries MasterClass for women is here.  Would love for you to consider taking this with me, please add your name to the wait list so that you are the first to know when registration for the next round opens.  (The wait list just serves as a place for those with interest to get the first email.) Would love to connect with you on Instagram - @shelley_martinkus.  We offer 1:1 coaching, couples recovery coaching, support groups, MasterClasses and on-line courses - check out our websites: redemptiveliving.com and rlforwomen.com for the full scoop!  Click here to subscribe to Shelley’s {almost} monthly letter + announcements. Click here to subscribe to Jason’s list.  Questions for the Podcast? Email us with the subject line: Podcast.

In this week’s episode, we talk about our broken dryer, broken vacuum cleaner and how I (Shelley) still wear my athletic gear from two decades ago.  Don’t worry, that only lasts a couple of minutes and then we get down to business and dig into what can be done when either during the disclosure process or after (when she is processing and asking questions) - what to do when he doesn’t remember certain details of his acting out.   Here are some of the things we cover: - When he doesn’t remember, it’s important for her to see that he is actually trying.  We give examples of what this can look like for him to TRY. - We talk about the strategy Jason teaches to his clients when they struggle to remember:  Context, Circumstance, Character. - We discuss the best way to navigate when he DOESN'T remember what he DID do but DOES remember what he DIDN’T do. - The importance of women having as much of a definitive answer to her questions as she possibly can - it will help her heal and the marriage heal. We are so glad YOU are here, thanks for joining us!       Thrilled to announce that there is a Women’s Retreat coming up this Spring - you can find more information here. We have several new groups starting in February.  Click here for all the details. Info on the Empowered Boundaries MasterClass for women is here.  Would love for you to consider taking this with me, please add your name to the wait list so that you are the first to know when registration for the next round opens. Would love to connect with you on Instagram - @shelley_martinkus.  We offer 1:1 coaching, couples recovery coaching, support groups, MasterClasses and on-line courses - check out our websites: redemptiveliving.com and rlforwomen.com for the full scoop!  Click here to subscribe to Shelley’s {almost} monthly letter + announcements. Click here to subscribe to Jason’s list.  Questions for the Podcast? Email us with the subject line: Podcast. 

In this week’s episode, we talk about the heart behind Full Disclosure.  Specifically common misconceptions, who it benefits, what it’s for, etc.  We didn’t want to go into a ton of the logistics of the Full Disclosure process (although we might do this at some point in another episode) - instead, we really wanted to focus on the heart behind the Full Disclosure. Here are a couple of the things we discuss:  - The importance of integration - for him to integrate this part of his story into his life - he does this by writing it out and sharing it with others (another man, his wife if she wants to hear it, God). - The importance of her getting to know anything and everything she needs to know (it’s her decision) - and ultimately it being something that can restore dignity to her soul.   - The importance of getting all the lies and all the secrets out on the table - it’s not the full disclosure that ends the marriage, it’s the choices he made that might end the marriage.  It’s typically continued lies that puts the nail in the coffin, not coming to the confessional. We are so glad YOU are here, thanks for joining us!       Here is a link to the book I read 18 years ago that was a complete game changer in many ways but was also the book that introduced us to the concept of a disclosure. “Thoughts become clear when they flow over the lips and through pencil tips” - we are still looking for who to credit this quote to! “Confession is the catalyst for change.” - I heard Kelly Minter say this recently in a podcast episode of hers and it really resonated with me. MasterClasses for men in January:  Empathy and Intimacy Aversion. Info on the Empowered Boundaries MasterClass for women is here, registration is currently open for the class starting on January 18th. (The class on January 13th is sold out.)  Would love to connect with you on Instagram - @shelley_martinkus.  We offer 1:1 coaching, couples recovery coaching, support groups, MasterClasses and on-line courses - check out our websites: redemptiveliving.com and rlforwomen.com for the full scoop!  Click here to subscribe to Shelley’s {almost} monthly letter + announcements. Click here to subscribe to Jason’s list.  Questions for the Podcast? Email us with the subject line: Podcast. 

The hosts tackle questions about enjoying TV as a couple and dealing with husbands staring at other women. They discuss the impact of TV on relationships in recovery, the importance of boundaries, and the benefits of limited TV exposure. They emphasize communication, raising awareness, and taking responsibility for one's actions. They also explore transitioning from seeing your partner as an enemy to adopting a humble posture and how humility and service can inspire selflessness in a relationship.

In this week’s episode, we address listener questions. Specifically, we address the possibility of enjoying a beach/pool day without it being triggering (which is the only listener question we got to because it was just too good!).  Early on, or even ten years into the process, this can be SO difficult. We discuss a few tips on how to approach a beach/pool day which include: seeing others (& ourselves) as humans, rather than objects; having meaningful conversations to create a plan beforehand, during the pool time as well as assessing the plan afterwards.   We hope this episode provides attainable tips and tangible hope in what your recovery can look like when it includes going to the pool and beach.  We are so glad YOU are here, thanks for joining us!      Handling Her Triggers MasterClass for Men can be found here. Info on the Empowered Boundaries MasterClass for women is here, registration is currently open for the class starting on January 18th.  (The class on January 13th is sold out.) Would love to connect with you on Instagram - @shelley_martinkus.  We offer 1:1 coaching, couples recovery coaching, support groups, MasterClasses and on-line courses - check out our websites: redemptiveliving.com and rlforwomen.com for the full scoop!  Click here to subscribe to Shelley’s {almost} monthly letter + announcements. Click here to subscribe to Jason’s list.  Questions for the Podcast? Email us with the subject line: Podcast. 

Jason and Shelley Martinez discuss healing from Acting In and Gaslighting. They emphasize the importance of sanctification and character growth, practicing radical honesty, and setting limits and boundaries for a redeemed marriage.