In this episode of The Grounded Union Podcast, we dive deep into the raw realities of addiction, deception, and recovery as Brandon and Caitlyn sit with Chris and Jessica just weeks after the revelation of Chris’s decades-long pornography addiction. Chris shares his journey through early exposure, secrecy, and lifelong patterns of lying, while Jessica opens up about the heartbreak of discovering hidden truths in their marriage. The conversation highlights how addiction feeds on avoidance, distraction, and unmet emotional needs, not just behaviors. Brandon and Caitlyn provide compassionate, actionable guidance, including screen detox, journaling, and the 4R’s framework, offering couples a raw but hopeful roadmap to confront betrayal, rebuild trust, and reclaim connection.

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Timestamps & Key Moments:

• 00:00:28 – Chris shares that everything is “extremely fresh,” revealing a long history of lying rooted in unresolved childhood issues and the very recent moment of truth.
• 00:02:47 – Jessica describes the devastation of discovery, the shock of realizing how well the lies were hidden, and the disorientation of betrayal.
• 00:04:36 – Caitlyn provides context: six years of marriage, discovery during the postpartum period, and the weight of learning the addiction spanned the entire relationship.
• 00:05:43 – Chris traces his first exposure to pornography back to early childhood and connects it to using sexual behaviors as emotional escape during trauma.
• 00:07:21 – Brandon reframes “frequency,” explaining why early disclosure often minimizes reality and why curiosity—not certainty—is essential for real healing.
• 00:13:41 – Caitlyn highlights the repeating pattern: using physical “separation” to cope, first as a child, now as an adult, linking past trauma to present behavior.
• 00:24:49 – Chris details his current screen habits, including phone restrictions, deleted social media, and intentional reduction of TV and gaming.
• 00:36:31– Introduction to the “4R’s” method (Recognize, Receive, Release, Replace) for rewiring thoughts and building the life you want.
• 00:39:38 – Caitlyn highlights the pivotal moment in marriage: fully committing to healing, consuming the Grounded Intimacy Program, and transforming life through honesty and transparency.
• 00:42:18 – This episode concludes by making healing the top priority, highlighting the positive ripple effect on the family, and fostering a fully transparent and supportive marriage.
• 00:45:00 – Jessica is given full permission to feel and process emotions while Chris learns to be a supportive presence.

In this episode of the Grounded Union Podcast, Evan and Kelsey share their raw journey through sex addiction recovery in their first year of marriage. Evan courageously unpacks his 20-year porn addiction history, revealing how denial structures kept him trapped even while attending 12-step meetings. After becoming complacent during their engagement, Evan's "gaslighting himself" about Instagram porn spiraled into deeper patterns—including objectifying his postpartum wife. What makes this conversation remarkable is Evan's radical transparency: he's already dismantling denial structures monthly, admitting to objectifying women everywhere, and facing the most painful truth—he's been judging Kelsey's body. Brandon and Caitlyn guide them through the "replacing" phase of the 4 R's, teaching Evan to rewire 20 years of conditioning by coming home to his body, feeling emotions he's numbed for decades, and seeing people through neutrality instead of judgment. For Kelsey, battling hypervigilance while pregnant and postpartum, Caitlyn offers hard-won hope: the forest you're clearing now leads to a meadow of true intimacy.

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YouTube Show available here

Timestamps & Key Moments:

• 00:01:10 – Complacency in Recovery: Evan shares his history with sex and lust addiction and describes how getting married led him to stop his 12-step work and enter a season of complacency.
• 00:05:21 – Safety and Postpartum Honor: Kelsey discusses the deep pain of feeling judged by her husband after a high-risk pregnancy and her refusal to lower her standards for safety in the marriage.
• 00:09:56 – The Reticular Activating System (RAS): Brandon explains the "tech" of the brain, describing how the RAS filters data and how years of addiction trained it to focus on body parts over people.
• 00:12:44 – Radical Responsibility Changes Everything: Caitlyn affirms Evan and Kelsey as a couple actively applying the work, highlighting how Evan’s language reflects ownership rather than minimization or helplessness.
• 00:15:08 – Unexpected Debris and the "Affection Glitch": A deep dive into why the brain sometimes defaults to old, toxic imagery as a defense mechanism when it finally begins to experience genuine emotional intimacy.
• 00:17:03 – Purging the "Virus" of Old Beliefs: Using the analogy of a physical virus to explain why "ugly" thoughts must be voiced out loud to be fully cleared from the system.
• 00:22:41 – Family Dynamics and the Root of Addiction: An exploration of how childhood enmeshment and rough home environments shape the need for escapism and the long-term reliance on pornography.
• 00:27:37 – The Mechanics of the Fourth R (Replacing): A deep dive into replacing distorted associations of connection with tangible, present-moment experiences like nature, sound, and genuine bond.
• 00:30:05 – Intimacy as Radical Visibility: Redefining intimacy as "into-me-you-see" and recognizing intrusive thoughts as "subconscious darts" used to defend against the fear of being fully known.
• 00:42:42 – Returning to the Present Moment: Breaking the habit of mental escape by grounding oneself in the immediate reality of family, physical surroundings, and core values.
• 00:46:44 – Navigating the "Dark Forest" of Recovery: Using the analogy of clearing a forest to describe the arduous but necessary work of removing secrets to reach a place of marital abundance.
• 00:51:14 – Maintaining High Standards for Intimacy: A final call to never settle for a mediocre relationship, instead choosing to remove the old structures to make room for a deeper union.

In today’s episode of The Grounded Union Podcast, discover how true healing after long-term porn addiction requires going far deeper than behavior change. Brandon and Caitlyn Doerksen walk alongside Dave and Katie as they unpack the decades of pain beneath Dave’s 16-year addiction, pain rooted in childhood sexual trauma, religious shame, and a lifelong belief that he was “defective.” The conversation shifts powerfully as Katie reveals that the deepest trauma is no longer the pornography itself, but the cycle of partial honesty, shame spirals, and having to heal alone. Brandon and Caitlyn challenge Dave’s patterns of self-loathing and avoidance, drawing a clear line between staggered disclosure and real accountability. With practical yet confronting guidance, Caitlyn outlines a path of radical honesty through comprehensive personal inventory and disclosure. This episode offers a sobering but hopeful truth: freedom, intimacy, and peace are possible when shame is replaced with total transparency.

Looking for immediate support in your marriage?
Grounded Union Couples App: Tap here to claim your spot

Workshops for Couples: Join the waitlist to get notified

Follow us on social at @brandontalksmarriage & @caitlyn_doerksen
Check out our IG account to stay updated @groundedunion
YouTube Show available here

Timestamps & Key Moments:

• 00:00:28 – Breaking Point After 16 Years: Katie and Dave describe the exhaustion, worsening conflict, and fear that nothing will ever change after 16 years of trying.
• 03:35 – Defining the Addiction & Failed Solutions: They outline years of counseling, 12-step programs, and trauma groups that never brought lasting freedom.
• 07:17 – Validation for the Betrayed Spouse: Katie shares how hearing her experience finally validated gave her hope that a new story is possible.
• 09:25 – Porn Is the Symptom, Not the Root: Caitlyn introduces the “weed” analogy, reframing addiction as a surface issue pointing to deeper wounds.
• 12:36 – Childhood Sexual Trauma Revealed: Dave discloses early sexual abuse that shaped his shame identity and lifelong struggle.
• 15:00 – Why Porn Actually Hurts the User: Brandon explains how porn feeds anxiety, loneliness, and shame rather than pleasure or relief.
• 18:29 – The Core Question: Why Tolerate a Life You Don’t Love?: Dave is challenged to stop running from pain and face what he’s been avoiding for decades.
• 21:11 – Sexuality Is Distorted, Not Evil: Brandon reframes sexuality as relational and good, offering hope beyond moral shame.
• 25:39 – The Lie of “Character Defect”: Caitlyn dismantles the belief that something is fundamentally wrong with Dave, and shows how that belief fuels addiction.
• 35:07 – The Weight of Betrayal on the Spouse: Katie names the exhaustion of carrying shame, lies, and a lack of accountability alone.
• 38:21 – Lifelong Dishonesty Exposed: Dave realizes dishonesty, not porn, is the deepest pattern keeping him trapped.
• 40:17 – Terror as the First Sign of Readiness: Dave admits he’s terrified, and the hosts affirm this fear as the gateway to real change.
• 46:20 – Why “Therapeutic Disclosure” Often Fails: Caitlyn explains why partial disclosure protects addiction instead of healing it.
• 01:07:04 – The Gift of Being Fully Known: Radical honesty with one’s spouse is reframed as the doorway to intimacy and freedom.
• 01:11:28 – Lock Arms and Heal Together: The episode closes with a clear picture of hope: spouses facing the truth side by side until freedom is complete.