Healing after betrayal is not about rushing forward or "getting over it”—it’s about courageously reclaiming yourself, one brave step at a time. In this episode, we welcome back licensed professional counselor, coach, and author Tammy Gustafson for a powerful conversation about what it truly means to move from brokenness to bravery after intimate betrayal.

Tammy shares insights from her brand-new book, Broken to Brave: Your Courageous Act of Healing After Intimate Betrayal. Drawing on years of clinical experience, extensive survey research, and the many voices of betrayed women she's worked with over the past 15 years, Tammy explores the stages of betrayal healing, common places where women get stuck, and why courage, curiosity, and even fun are essential to long-term recovery. This episode offers deep hope for anyone wondering if trust, joy, or dreaming again is still possible.

Key Takeaways from the Episode:

• Betrayal healing unfolds in stages, and understanding where you are can reduce shame and self-blame while increasing compassion for yourself

• Tammy shares what inspired Broken to Brave and why this book was written specifically to meet women where they actually are in healing

• Research from Tammy’s survey revealed powerful patterns in betrayal recovery, including surprising insights into what women most need to move forward

• What sets Broken to Brave apart is its integration of clinical wisdom, real-life stories, and practical tools for every stage of healing

• Many women get stuck in healing through over-functioning, hyper-vigilance, or fear of joy, and Tammy explains how “fun” can be a legitimate and healing practice

• Even after deep betrayal, it is possible to trust yourself again, reclaim hope, and begin dreaming about a future that feels meaningful and free

Connect with Tammy Gustafson

Learn more about Tammy’s work, counseling services, and upcoming book through her ministries:

• 👉 Broken to Brave on Amazon (US) — Broken to Brave: Your Courageous Act of Healing After Intimate Betrayal by Tammy Gustafson - Available NOW!
• LiveFree Counseling: https://www.livefreecounseling.com

Connect with Us

• Watermark Coaching: https://www.watermarkcoach.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/watermarkcoaching

Forgiveness is one of the most misunderstood and emotionally loaded concepts in betrayal recovery. In this episode, Kris sits down with Andrew Arthur, founder of Genesis Christian Mediation, to unpack what forgiveness really means—and what it does not mean—after deep relational betrayal.

Together, they explore how forgiveness fits into the healing journey without minimizing pain, bypassing grief, or forcing reconciliation. This conversation brings clarity, biblical grounding, and emotional safety to a topic that is often weaponized or rushed, helping betrayed spouses understand how forgiveness can become a step toward freedom rather than another burden to carry.

Key Takeaways from the Episode:

• Forgiveness is not the same as reconciliation, restoration, or trust—it is a separate and deeply personal process.

• Healthy forgiveness does not require minimizing harm, excusing behavior, or silencing pain.

• Forgiveness is often a process, not a one-time decision, especially after trauma and betrayal.

• Biblical forgiveness is rooted in truth, justice, and wisdom—not pressure, performance, or spiritual bypassing.

• Setting boundaries and pursuing safety are not signs of unforgiveness; they are often necessary for healing.

• Forgiveness can release the betrayed spouse from ongoing emotional bondage, even when outcomes remain uncertain.

Connect with Andrew Arthur:

Website: https://www.genesischristianmediation.com

Connect with Us:

Website: https://www.watermarkcoach.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/watermarkcoaching

Divorce after betrayal trauma can feel confusing, isolating, and even more painful than staying. In this conversation, Rae Emmerson from Healing Talks Back joins the podcast to explore why healing after a terminally wounded relationship is uniquely complex—and why the end of a relationship does not automatically bring relief.

Rae helps listeners understand the emotional, relational, and identity-level challenges faced by partners whose relationships do not survive betrayal. With clarity and validation, she gives language to the grief, marginalization, and “in-between” space many survivors experience after separation or divorce—while also offering hope for healing, meaning, and forward movement, even when the ending looks different from what was expected.

Key Takeaways from the Episode:

• Healing from betrayal looks different when a relationship ends, and those differences deserve to be acknowledged and supported.

• Divorce does not automatically resolve trauma and can intensify grief, fear, and nervous system dysregulation.

• Many divorced partners feel disconnected or marginalized within traditional partner-support spaces and long for environments that reflect their lived reality.

• Separation and divorce often surface “new, big, and brave” questions about identity, safety, faith, and the future.

• An “alternative ending” can still hold meaning, power, and hope—even without a traditional happily-ever-after.

• Survivors are not broken for struggling after divorce; their reactions make sense in the context of trauma.

Connect with Rae Emmerson:

Website: www.healingtalksback.com

Connect with Us:

Website: www.watermarkcoach.com Instagram: @watermarkcoaching