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Host Jonathan L. interviews guest Heather B. about surrender as a key recovery principle. Heather shares formative experiences where prayer was her refuge amid family abuse and dysfunction, her brother’s fatal accident, and a first marriage marked by discoveries of multiple addictions that led to her choosing divorce. Heather describes healing trauma through therapy and shares how applying SAL’s three-step surrender process (“on the phone, on my knees, in the box”), has helped her learn to relinquish control and trust God, allowing her to find peace amidst many of life's challenges.

00:00 Conference Announcement
02:03 Meet the Host and Guest
02:40 Early Experiences with the Power of Prayer
05:15 First Marriage and Betrayal
08:03 Miracles and a New Path
09:28 Second Marriage Growth
12:37 Therapy and Trauma Healing
14:22 Learning the Surrender Process
16:38 What is Surrender?
19:17 Phone Knees Box Method
23:23 Letting Go of Outcomes
28:27 Regulating Big Emotions
30:40 Handling Intrusive Thoughts
32:30 Daily Spiritual Practice
35:33 Advice for Newcomers
37:22 Encouragement to Return
38:56 Closing Thanks and Wrap

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Host Tara McCausland welcomes Dr. Jill Manning for part two of a discussion on pornography and dating. This episode covers what to do when a dating relationship is already affected by pornography. Manning advises an immediate “slow down,” warning against the myth that marriage or sex will solve pornography or sexual addiction, and urges partners not to proceed toward engagement or marriage while addiction is active; she cites guidance that a year of sobriety and recovery work is ideally established first. They discuss avoiding codependent “fixing” by the non-using partner, clarifying responsibility, and how marriage stress can escalate compulsive behavior. Manning describes recovery markers beyond abstinence—insight, humility, openness, honesty, transparency, firm boundaries, and emotional maturity—and notes compulsive sexual behavior often co-occurs with mental health issues.

00:00 Conference Announcement
01:19 Podcast Welcome
03:41 Slow Down First
08:46 Boundaries Not Fixing
11:16 Marriage Myth Debunked
19:33 Leverage Before Marriage
26:18 Mental Health Underneath
28:41 Signs of Real Recovery
36:03 Avoid Codependency
40:15 Hopeful Closing

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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

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