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

Rebuilding safety and intimacy after betrayal begins with understanding how our attachment styles shape the way we connect—and disconnect—with others. In this eye-opening conversation, Dr. Jake Porter, Founder and President of Daring Ventures, returns to the podcast to unpack how attachment wounds form, why they matter in recovery, and how couples can move from fear and self-protection toward trust and closeness.

Drawing from his Couple-Centered Recovery® model, Dr. Porter helps us see that attachment isn’t just psychology—it’s also spiritual and neurological. Healing happens when we integrate brain science, faith, and relational repair. Whether you’re married or single, betrayed or the betrayer, this episode will help you better understand your own patterns and offer hope that broken bonds can truly be restored.

Key Takeaways from the Episode:

• Secure attachment is developed through the experience of rupture and repair—healing happens not by avoiding pain, but by working through it together.
• Attachment styles shape how we give and receive love—and how we handle disconnection.
• Marriage or “primary relationships” can become a place of profound healing for attachment wounds.
• Trust can be rebuilt through safety, consistency, and attunement.
• Brain science, relationships, and faith work together to heal deep relational pain.
• Understanding your attachment style can bring growth, not labels.
• Real healing happens when we move from fear to a secure connection.

Connect with Dr. Jake Porter: Website: www.daringventures.com Instagram: @drjakeporter

Connect with Us: Website: www.watermarkcoach.com Instagram: @watermarkcoaching Listen on: The Betrayal Recovery Transformation Podcast

Over 36 years ago, Kris sat in the classroom of her Bible college professor, Paul Marc Goulet, learning lessons that would profoundly shape her understanding of God, cognitive function, and the power of the stories we tell ourselves. Decades later, their paths cross again for a deeply meaningful conversation about how our God concepts—what we believe about who God is—shape every part of our faith, healing, and daily life.

A pastor, author, counselor, and global leader, Paul draws from his extensive background in psychology and theology to unpack the ways distorted beliefs about God can keep us trapped in emotional pain and confusion. He introduces us to one of his most impactful teachings, “the Vat,” a concept describing how our thoughts and experiences create a mental and spiritual environment that either nurtures truth or reinforces distortion.

Together, Kris and Paul explore how to reconcile our view of God with life’s hardest moments—especially for those walking through betrayal and trauma. This episode invites listeners to reframe suffering, rediscover who God really is, and find freedom in knowing His love is consistent, kind, and unwavering.

Key Takeaways from the Episode:

• Our God concept—what we subconsciously believe about God—shapes how we interpret everything in life.
• Distorted God concepts often stem from early experiences of authority, love, or rejection.
• Healing involves replacing lies about God with biblical truth and relational experiences of His character.
• “The Vat” illustrates how unprocessed pain can distort our perception of God, self, and others—and how renewal begins by changing what we allow into that space.
• Reframing the question “Why do bad things happen to good people?” opens the door to deeper faith and trust.
• Understanding God through Scripture (1 Corinthians 13:4–8) helps us see His true nature as love itself.
• True breakthrough happens when we allow God to rewrite the stories we’ve been telling ourselves.

Connect with Paul Marc Goulet: 🌐 www.paulmarcgoulet.com 📖 Books: Breakthrough, Crack the Code (coming soon) 🌍 Follow his global initiatives and leadership training in Madagascar and beyond.

Connect with Us: 🎧 Listen & Subscribe: Betrayal Recovery Transformation Podcast 🌐 Visit: www.watermarkcoach.com 📸 Follow: @watermarkcoaching 💬 Produced by Kris Rocha & Jeremy Waldridge