Licensed therapist and The Compassionate Recovery host Jeremy Mast welcomes Spencer Posey, a licensed marriage and family therapist and certified sex addiction therapist, to discuss how Christian faith can shape recovery from porn and compulsive sexual behaviors and the impact on betrayed partners. They note faith can intensify shame and stigma, leading people to label themselves “addicted” even when patterns may not meet clinical criteria, and contrast this with the ICD-11 category of compulsive sexual behavior disorder. Spencer describes the church’s frequent use of labels like “moral failure” and how shame fuels the addiction cycle, while offering a scriptural reframe using Zechariah 3 and Mark 9 to emphasize God meeting people in brokenness rather than condemnation. They also connect shame reduction to improved relationship repair and encourage both struggling individuals and partners that they are not alone and that supportive resources and community can help.

00:00 Welcome to the Podcast

01:19 Meet Spencer Posey

03:30 Faith Shame and Porn

08:01 Shame Cycle Explained

10:00 Zechariah Reclothing Image

14:17 Addiction Labels and Language

19:56 Recovery Steps with Faith

29:56 Couples Trust Rebuilding

33:49 Betrayed Partners in Church

36:52 Advice for Men and Partners

42:53 Resources and Closing