Helping Couples Heal Podcast

In this deeply moving episode of the Helping Couples Heal podcast, Marnie is joined by four courageous women (Sabra, Ally, Liz, and Rachel) who vulnerably share their personal experiences navigating the aftermath of betrayal. Together, they explore a critical but often overlooked aspect of the healing journey: the complex role of friends and family.The group discusses the universal need for external support and the painful reality that loved ones often don't know what to say or how to show up effectively. From the impulse to retreat and isolate to the trauma of being judged by those closest to them, these women highlight the delicate balance between needing a "safe place to land" and requiring firm boundaries to protect their own healing process.Key topics in this conversation include:The Grey Area of Discovery: Why betrayed partners often withdraw from social circles while trying to make sense of their shattered reality.The Burden of the Fixer: How the well-intentioned advice of friends, like telling a partner to just leave, can often add to the trauma rather than alleviate it.Connection with Boundaries: Defining what safe support looks like, from the power of a meal train to the simple, profound act of sitting in silence.The Role of Support Groups: How finding a community of others who get it becomes a lifeline when family and friends fall short.Whether you are currently navigating betrayal trauma or you are a loved one seeking to support someone you care about, this episode provides essential insights into moving from judgment to empathy and from isolation to authentic connection.Download the Do's and Don'ts Guide for Family & Friends here! Want to connect with us? Click here to schedule your free 15-minute call.

When betrayal enters a relationship, it doesn’t just break trust - it fractures a person’s sense of self, safety, and connection. In this episode, we explore the ten core wounds that betrayed partners often experience, each one carrying its own story and its own emotional truth:Worthiness Wound – “I’m not enough.”Safety Wound – “I’m not safe.”Reality Wound – “I can’t trust myself.”Control Wound – “I have to manage everything.”Belonging Wound – “I’m alone in this.”Burden Wound – “I have to carry everything.”Abandonment Wound – “You’ll leave me.”Inadequacy Wound – “I’m not as good as what I was betrayed with.”Powerlessness Wound – “I didn’t have a choice.”Trust Wound – “Trust is dangerous.”Each wound reveals a different layer of the emotional devastation betrayal creates - and each one shapes how betrayed partners think, feel, and try to protect themselves in the aftermath.In this episode, Marnie breaks down what these wounds look like in real life, how they impact day-to-day interactions, and why healing them requires understanding, patience, and consistent repair. We also talk directly to betrayers, offering a compassionate but honest framework for recognizing the impact of their actions and supporting their partner’s healing journey.This episode is an invitation to move beyond surface reactions and into the deeper emotional landscape of betrayal - where clarity, empathy, and repair become possible. This episode is an invitation to move beyond surface reactions and into the deeper emotional landscape of betrayal - where clarity, empathy, and repair become possible.Click here to download your free worksheet. This worksheet walks both partners through all ten wounds, helping identify which ones are active, how they’re showing up, and what healing might require. Want to connect with us? Click here to schedule your free 15-minute call.Visit our website to learn more about Empowered at Sea and Empowered on Land.

In this episode, Marnie sits down with two of her colleagues from Northern California, Jeanne Vattuone and Tim Stein to talk about Finding The Way Through, their new workbook designed to integrate sobriety, recovery, and betrayed partner sensitivity into the healing process.Purchase the workbook Finding the Way Through: A Workbook for Sex and Pornography Addiction here!Click here to join The Healing Room.Want to connect? Click here to book your free 15-minute call.

In what was originally intended to be a structured discussion on “The Ten Steps to Constructing the Secret Sexual Basement,” this episode took an unexpected and deeply personal turn. Instead, I’m joined by Dr. Omar Minwalla for a raw, unfiltered conversation that traces the arc of our individual and shared professional journeys.What unfolds is a rare, intimate glimpse into the foundation of a long-standing friendship - one built on mutual respect, hard truths, and a shared commitment to integrity, even when it’s uncomfortable or controversial. We talk openly about what it means to stay committed to telling the truth, to each other and to the work, despite pushback or disagreement.This was never meant to be a public conversation - but by the end, we both felt that what emerged was too meaningful not to share. I believe listeners will find resonance, insight, and maybe even a sense of companionship and loyalty in the honesty of this exchange.Dr. Minwalla will be back soon and hopefully next time we’ll get to the secret basement. Until then, this is something different… and maybe more important.Want to connect with us? Schedule your free 15-minute call here.

In this episode of the Helping Couples Heal podcast, Marnie explores the delicate balance of grief and hope in couples working to heal after betrayal. She shares why grief must be honored - not rushed, bypassed, or minimized - and how acknowledging the depth of loss is an essential step toward authentic healing. At the same time, Marnie reminds us that grief does not have to define your whole story. By integrating grief into the narrative of your relationship, you create space for resilience, growth, and new possibilities. This episode offers a compassionate invitation to couples: you can carry grief and hope side by side, honoring what was lost while also making room for what can still be built.Schedule your free 15-minute callWant more information on our Workshops? Click Here. Get your free reflection guide to go along with this episode here!