RESOURCES FOR WOMEN
Some women suffer the harmful effects of a family member’s addiction. Other women struggle with the shackles of unwanted sexual behavior themselves. These resources are for both kinds of people.
Up to this point, Hope Journey Guide has been limited in its ability to help women; we have had a focus on men who struggle with unwanted sexual behavior. However, part of our vision is that women in Conservative Anabaptist communities can get help too! We are working to develop resources for those struggling and for those who want to help those struggling. For now though, we have curated resources from other people. Here you will see that we have divided the resources for women into three sub-groups. Click on a section to jump there immediately. Some of the categories will, naturally, have a little bit of overlap. We apologize if we missed anything. If you know of any other resources that would be valuable to add to this page, please email us at hopejourneyguide@gmail.com. We are especially interested in hearing about women who are competent and willing to counsel other women.
We hope these resources are a blessing!
Betrayed Spouses or Family Members
General Statistics
Most men who struggle are in a relationship with a spouse, girlfriend, or as a parent. It would seem reasonable that there are as many betrayed spouses and/or family members as there are addicted men.
Anabaptist Statistics
I do not know of any available statistics -- but I DO know that wherever there are men who struggle with sexual addiction, they leave wounded and devasted wives and families in their wake. Sadly this painful reality has not been adequately acknowledged nor have we given hope and direction for where to look for resources to heal. This listing is an attempt to point women in the right direction. I dream and pray that God will call women to minister to betrayed and hurting women like He has called me to minister to men who struggle with sexual addiction.
Ministries and Websites
Hope & Freedom by Dr. Milton Magness offers resources for men who struggle and their spouses. Of special interest is his i Must Heal: Healing from Your Partner's Sex Addiction. Please note his excellent book for addicts and their betrayed spouses in the book section below.
Pure Desire for Women offers the Sexual Integrity 101 video series Books, Workbooks and online Groups for women. Of special note are the Betrayal and Beyond book, workbook, and online groups.
MasterClass is another resource for both men and women that charges $30 a month for access to all their resources. They have a lot of video content from the best faith-based ministries that work with sexual brokenness. The lessons are broken down into short video clips with downloadable PDFs that can be filled out to help you retain the truths taught.
Pure Life Ministries’ flagship book and DVD series entitled, At the Altar of Sexual Idolatry, and other resources can be purchased at their online store. They offer a 9-month residential treatment program for men and an Overcomers At-Home for Wives program for betrayed spouses.
Heart to Heart Counseling Center with Dr. Doug Weiss has many books for sale on its website and a lot of free videos on YouTube here. Of special interest are the free Partner Betrayal Trauma Tests.
Fight for Love Ministries is a ministry dedicated to empowering betrayed wives to do the right things by giving them moral support and guidance.
Books
Stop Sex Addiction: Real Hope, True Freedom for Sex Addicts and Partners by Milton Magness
Betrayal and Beyond by Pure Desire Ministries (Please note that they offer a Workbook and a Journal with the same name)
Your Sexually Addicted Spouse: How Partners Can Cope and Heal by Barbara Steffens and Marsh Means
Intimate Deception: Healing the Wounds of Sexual Betrayal by Sheri Keffer
Partner Betrayal Trauma (book, DVD, and Workbook) by Doug Weiss
Stories for Women by Pure Desire
When Your Husband Is Addicted to Pornography: Healing Your Wounded Heart by Vickie Tiede
What Can I Do About Me? by Rhyll Ann Croshaw. This book is an honest, powerful, firsthand account of both the betrayal trauma and recovery from living with or having lived with an individual struggling with pornography and sexual addiction. Rhyll describes her illuminating pathway from gut-wrenching pain and abandonment to peach and healing, providing genuine hope for all.
Workbooks
A L.I.F.E. Recovery Guide for Spouses by Melissa Haas
Betrayal and Beyond by Pure Desire Ministries
Heartbroken and Healing: Encouragement and Biblical Counsel for Wives in the Wake of Sexual Betrayal by Mary Asher & Hannah Palmer
From Betrayal Trauma to Healing & Joy: A Workbook for Partners of Sexual Addicts Marsha Means
The Journey, Book One by Melissa Haas
Continuing the Journey, Book Two by Melissa Haas
Pure Desire for Women: Eight Pillars to Freedom from Love Addiction and Sexual Issues by Pure Desire
Unraveled by Pure Desire
Behind the Mask by Pure Desire
Partner Betrayal Trauma Book by the Heart to Heart Counseling Center
Audio / Video Teaching
Online Assessment
Podcasts
Restoring the Soul Podcasts — Episode 94, “A Holy and Horrible Journey” is an Interview between Michael Jon Cusick and his wife Julianne Cusick where she talks about her own betrayal trauma. She also talks about it publicly in Episode 17, “Devastated, but not Destroyed.”
Pure Desire Podcast — Episode 090, “I caught my spouse, now what?” When Your Husband Is Addicted to Pornography: Healing Your Wounded Heart
*Therapeutic Disclosure: A husband telling his wife about what he has done works out best when they are both guided about what and how to share. More coming later...
Women Who Struggle with USB
General Statistics
In Christian circles, it is commonly thought that between 20%-30% of the younger women struggle with some level of sexual compulsivity. I'm not sure that it is reasonable to expect that our Conservative Anabaptist’s statistics are much better.
SheRecovery compiled shocking statistics from more than 700 surveys completed by Christian women from around the web in 2014.
Ministries and Websites
SheRecovery.com has many resources for women who need accountability and Support with their, porn, sex, or love/relationship addiction including a podcast, virtual recovery meetings, a Recovery Devotional Book, and Coaching/Counseling.
Covenant Eyes has compiled these resources for women who struggle with porn.
Covenant Eyes also offers an e-book, entitled New Fruit: A Woman's Guide to Porn Recovery.
Sex, Jesus, and the Conversations the Church Forgot by Mo Isom
Books
90 Days to Wholeness: A Porn Addiction Recovery Devotional and Coloring Journal for Women by Crystal Renaud Day
Unwanted by Jay Stringer
Workbooks (Lesson format with spaces to write in personal reflections)
Betrayal and Beyond by Pure Desire
Unraveled by Pure Desire
Interviews
Covenant Eyes interviews Crystal Renaud Day who discusses women who struggle with sexual addiction and shares from her own experience.
Audio / Video Teaching
Listen to Shannon Ethridge speak to pastors about this reality at a Covenant Eyes webinar.
Crystal Renaud Day speaks on “Women Too: Discussing Female Porn Addiction and Recovery at a Pastor and Leader Educational Round Table” presented by Covenant Eyes.
Pure Desire’s Sexual Integrity 101 video series
Mo Isom offers a free 8-part video series on Sex & Jesus The Conversation Continued here. It really is good! I listened to all of it!
Short Articles
FEMALE COUNSELORS LIST
Female Counselor Resources for Betrayal Trauma
and Female Sexual Addiction
Janelle Glick, janelle@janelleglick.com
Janelle Glick (M-Div; M-Spiritual Care and Psychotherapy)
Coaching website and contact info: http://janelleglick.com
Provides client-centered care, compassionate listening, and guidance in processing painful experiences in relationships with others for personal healing and growth.
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Dorothy Mullet, dorothy@discoveringgracecoaching.com
Greetings, I am Dorothy Mullet. I am a mother to 6 children and a grandmother of 2.
I have spent several years studying in the areas of health, domestic abuse, the effects of trauma on the brain, and coaching and mentoring skills. This education has come together to create Discovering Grace Coaching, to help women find grace in challenging times. We all need a lot of grace as we navigate the trials of life. Showing grace to ourselves is a skill many of us have not learned. I want to be someone who can hold grace for you, my client. I want to stay curious and make this a judgment-free place for you.
My heart reaches out to those of you in complex relationships and their effect on your life. I have experienced spousal betrayal and worked with a coach for quite a while to gain healing. From personal experience, it was so important for my growth to have a safe place to share my journey with, the good, the bad, and the ugly; it all came tumbling out to be sorted through.
I recognize that each of us has our own story, and it is my goal to honor each of your stories as we work together. We are all unique individuals, and not one of our stories is the same.
If this resonates with you, I would love to meet you for a free 60-minute consultation to see how I can help you.
You can contact me at dorothy@discoveringgracecoaching.com, or check out my website at https://www.Discoveringgracecoaching.com
Sincerely,
Dorothy Mullet
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Irene Bontrager, irenebontrager@gmail.com
She mentors and coaches Anabaptist women 18 years or older through developing a supportive relationship with her clients. You can grow in resilience by building trust with God and others. She is currently accepting new clients. She has been mentoring and coaching for 25 years. She is walking and has walked with numerous ladies who faced betrayal from their husbands. If you have been betrayed by your husband, feel free to contact her at irenebontrager@gmail.com.
Website: resilientbeginnings.org. A safe space to process life experiences.
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Janell Snyder, janellsnyder123@gmail.com
My name is Janell Snyder. I offer my ten years of counseling experience. In 2021, I finished my Bachelor's Degree in Psychology. I believe God enjoys teaching and healing His people. I am passionate about helping our people build stronger families. I feel most comfortable working with Anabaptist women and children. My hobbies include reading, writing, and playing with children. My contact information is: janellsnyder123@gmail.com and my phone number is (717) 644-5145.
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Arlene Yoder, ayoder79@icloud.com
Dear fellow travelers, I am Arlene Yoder.
In the past 13 years I have walked with married and unmarried women through midwifery and counseling. I no longer do midwifery. Counseling has become a priority and is my passion.
Because of personal experience, training, and being honored to hear others’ stories, I have been able to walk with women who have had wounds from spiritual and emotional abuse, sexual abuse, trauma, and spousal betrayal. I care not only about presenting problems but also, and especially, about the underlying issues.
In order for people to feel safe to share their stories, they need to be believed. My goal is to help them develop tools to address their issues, and also to experience the healing presence of Jesus. It is wonderful to witness the hope and redemption that Jesus can bring to broken hearts. Isaiah 51:3
I’m happy to offer a free 1 hour consultation with you to determine whether or not your situation is compatible with my experience and skills.
You may contact me at ayoder79@icloud.com or 570-412-5837.