Questions or feedback? Leave your email here.

Host Tara McCausland speaks with Dr. Jill Manning about empowering singles to prevent pornography problems through education, value clarification, and open communication. Manning rejects the narrative that “all men look at porn,” noting both genders can struggle and that “common” doesn’t mean healthy; she warns that this belief enables use and often causes individuals to abandon personal values or ignore discomfort around pornography use. She advises bringing the topic up in dating situations after some trust is built, prepping with other meaningful discussion topics, and paying attention to a person's comfort and authenticity around the subject of pornography. Manning explains pornography use is never a "small issue" because it consistently undermines healthy relationship development citing research linked to porn use and relationship dissatisfaction and increased divorce risk.

00:00 Conference Announcement
01:20 Meet Dr. Jill Manning
02:36 Why This Topic Matters
05:20 Jill’s Experience: Dating and Talking About Pornography
10:21 Myth: Everyone Does Porn
15:36 Clarifying Values and Ethics
25:23 Research and Real World Harms
28:40 How to Bring It Up in Dating
36:47 Why It’s Never a Small Issue
42:05 Part Two Teaser and Wrap

Support the show

SA Lifeline Foundation
SAL 12 Step
Find an SAL12Step Meeting
Donate
Contact to ask questions or make comments
Transcripts

Questions or feedback? Leave your email here.

Jonathan L welcomes Mitch H, who shares his journey from early pornography exposure to escalating sex and lust addiction marked by secrecy, workplace boundary violations, confession, marital strain, and cycles of relapse. Lasting change began when a sponsor challenged him to fully commit to recovery and to do whatever recovery required. Mitch describes humility as the key to sustainable recovery—“seeing things as they really are” and staying “right sized,” without ego or self-condemnation. He explains how humility fuels honesty, connection with God, and trust in a sponsor, making it essential to working the steps and maintaining long-term change. Mitch closes by encouraging newcomers to keep coming back and reassuring them that healing and freedom are possible.

Support the show

SA Lifeline Foundation
SAL 12 Step
Find an SAL12Step Meeting
Donate
Contact to ask questions or make comments
Transcripts

Questions or feedback? Leave your email here.

In this episode, host Tara McCausland interviews Steven Croshaw, president and co-founder of S.A. Lifeline Foundation, who is also her father. Steven shares his journey of battling sexual addiction, starting from exposure to pornography at a young age, through years of hidden behaviors and relapses, to ultimately achieving sobriety and long-term recovery for nearly two decades. He emphasizes the importance of rigorous honesty, humility, accountability, and the critical role of understanding and addressing trauma for relational healing. The conversation highlights the key aspects of long-term recovery: the significance of embracing compulsive, problematic sexual issues as an addiction; the interplay of lust and shame and what truly drives addiction; working the 12 Steps; developing top lines, bottom lines, and boundaries to sustain sobriety.

Real-life challenges and insights from both Steven and Tara provide a deep, personal perspective on the complexities and rewards of recovery.

Read Steven's article HERE.

00:00 Positive Sobriety & Keys to Long-Term Sex Addiciton Recovery Takes w/ Steven Croshaw
02:20 Steven's Early Struggles with Addiction
04:44 Marriage and Hidden Behaviors
07:02 First Confession and Continued Struggles
08:36 Second Confession and Realization of Addiction
10:14 Arrest and Turning Point
11:30 Understanding Addiction and Recovery
21:49 The Role of Lust and Shame in Addiction
26:16 Defining Sobriety in Recovery
30:54 Understanding Lapses and Relapses
31:47 Keys to Long-Term Recovery
33:31 Daily Practices for Recovery
37:52 Addressing Betrayal Trauma
49:11 The Role of Resentment in Addiction
53:55 Bottom Lines and Top Lines in Recovery
55:51 Final Thoughts and Encouragement

Support the show

SA Lifeline Foundation
SAL 12 Step
Find an SAL12Step Meeting
Donate
Contact to ask questions or make comments
Transcripts

Questions or feedback? Leave your email here.

This podcast episode features a women's 12-step panel from the 2025 S.A. Lifeline Virtual Conference. Moderated by Tara McCausland, the discussion centers on the SAL recovery puzzle, circle models, and how these tools aid in healing from betrayal trauma. The panelists—Madison, Jan, Sarah, and Lisa—share their unique recovery journeys, emphasizing the importance of a willing heart, seeking spiritual connection, humility, honesty, supportive community, qualified therapy, boundaries, and the surrender process. Each woman provides personal insights and practical advice on navigating the complex emotions and challenges in their healing process, reaffirming that recovery is a gradual but achievable goal.

Join us for the upcoming S.A. Lifeline Foundation Vision Cast!

Support the show

SA Lifeline Foundation
SAL 12 Step
Find an SAL12Step Meeting
Donate
Contact to ask questions or make comments
Transcripts

Questions or feedback? Leave your email here.

In this episode of the Pathway to Recovery podcast, host Tara McCausland speaks with therapist Tammy Gustafson about 'incomplete recovery' in the context of sex addiction and how it affects both partners in the relationship. Tammy explains the concept of incomplete recovery, where behavioral changes without deep, relational character work leave partners feeling unsafe and dissatisfied. The episode also explores how triggers are indicators of unresolved trauma needing attention and offers strategies for calming the nervous system. Tammy provides advice for both addicts and betrayed partners, emphasizing the importance of emotional safety, self-compassion, and continued hard work for healing. She recommends shifting from performance-based to identity-based recovery and underscores the necessity of ongoing deep, character-transforming work for genuine recovery.

Want to connect with Tammy? Check out her website here.

Support the show

SA Lifeline Foundation
SAL 12 Step
Find an SAL12Step Meeting
Donate
Contact to ask questions or make comments
Transcripts

Questions or feedback? Leave your email here.

In this brief holiday episode of the Pathway to Recovery podcast, host Tara McCausland reflects on the challenges faced by those dealing with sexual addiction and betrayal trauma during this season. Drawing parallels with Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, Tara explores how the past, present, and future present hurdles and opportunities for those grappling with these issues. She emphasizes that change is always possible through honesty, accountability, and willingness, encouraging listeners to embrace hope for themselves and others and to take steps toward healing.

00:00 Introduction and Holiday Reflections
01:48 A Christmas Carol and the Recovery Journey
02:53 Christmas Past: Reflections on Betrayal and Addiction
03:56 Christmas Present: Facing Reality and Seeking Change
04:51 Christmas Yet to Come: Fears and Hopes for the Future
06:02 The Power of Choice and Personal Transformation
07:56 Conclusion: Embracing Hope and Change

Support the show

SA Lifeline Foundation
SAL 12 Step
Find an SAL12Step Meeting
Donate
Contact to ask questions or make comments
Transcripts

Questions or feedback? Leave your email here.

In this special episode of the Pathway to Recovery podcast, host Tara McCausland shares a SAL 12-Step men's panel discussion from the 2025 S.A. Lifeline Virtual Conference. Moderated by Jonathan L., the panel includes men with years of experience in recovery, sharing their journeys of surrender, accountability, and spiritual growth. Key topics include applying the SAL recovery puzzle, circle models of addiction and recovery, the role of qualified therapy, effective boundaries, and the daily practice of surrender. The discussion aims to provide hope and direction for those seeking to step on the path to lasting recovery by keeping God at the center and doing the inner and outer work required.

Want to listen to the recorded conference? Get access here.

00:00 Welcome to the Pathway to Recovery Podcast
00:45 Accessing Conference Recordings and Podcast Updates
02:19 Introduction to the SAL 12 Step Men's Panel
03:40 Panelist Introductions
07:12 Exploring the Recovery Puzzle and Circle Models
07:49 The Importance of a Willing Heart in Recovery
12:25 Spiritual Connection in Recovery
17:52 Humility and Rigorous Honesty in Recovery
22:50 The Role of Time and Patience in Recovery
25:28 Living in the Present Moment
27:23 The Value of Qualified Therapy
32:44 Establishing Boundaries for Recovery
36:12 The Practice of Surrender
40:22 Understanding the Circle Models
44:57 Keeping God at the Center
49:23 Final Thoughts and Encouragement

Support the show

SA Lifeline Foundation
SAL 12 Step
Find an SAL12Step Meeting
Donate
Contact to ask questions or make comments
Transcripts

Questions or feedback? Leave your email here.

In this episode, host Tara McCausland welcomes Tim Stein, co-founder of Willow Tree Counseling and president of the American Foundation for Addiction Research (AFAR). Tim shares how AFAR, originally founded by Dr. Patrick Carnes, is advancing research to validate sex addiction as a legitimate, diagnosable condition and to improve treatment accessibility. He explains how addiction changes the brain—creating what’s known as Reward Deficiency Syndrome—and why recovery requires more than willpower. “When you’re suffering from addiction, your brain is working against you,” Tim notes, emphasizing the importance of community, structure, and neurological healing.

The conversation also explores how dopamine regulation plays a key role in recovery and why embracing healthy discomfort through practices like honesty, meditation, and exercise can restore balance. Tim offers a hopeful reframe—seeing recovery not as a burden but as a blessing that deepens awareness and emotional resilience.

Later, Tara and Tim discuss the critical need for partner sensitivity in addiction recovery. Tim highlights how understanding a partner’s betrayal trauma can foster real healing. Drawing from his co-authored workbook Finding the Way Through, he explains how empathy, education, and shared understanding can transform recovery into a path toward reconnection and lasting change.

Learn more about AFAR here.

REGISTER for the 2025 S.A. Lifeline Virtual Conference

Connect with Tim at Willow Tree Counseling

Support the show

SA Lifeline Foundation
SAL 12 Step
Find an SAL12Step Meeting
Donate
Contact to ask questions or make comments
Transcripts