When Recovery Work Falls Short: Facing Denial, Objectification, and the Process of Change

About this episode

Evan and Kelsey share their journey through sex addiction recovery in their first year of marriage, discussing denial, objectification, and the process of change.

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. Our 2026 Grounded Union 2-Day Workshop: 📍San Diego, CA — In-person…

People in this episode

Hosts: Brandon Doerksen, Caitlyn Doerksen

Guests: Evan, Kelsey

Topics covered

• sex addiction recovery
• marriage
• denial
• objectification
• intimacy
• self-improvement

Keywords

• porn addiction
• 12-step meetings
• gaslighting
• hypervigilance
• postpartum
• emotional healing

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Grounded Union Couples App, Grounded Union

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