Episode 109: Surviving Relapse with Dr. Barb Steffens
Welcome to Hope for Wives
With your co-hostesses:
Pam Blizzard from RecoveredPeace.com
Lyschel Burket from HopeRedefined.org
Bonny Burns from StrongWives.com
Listen now:
Today, we are welcoming one of our favorite people in the world, Dr. Barb Steffens, director emeritus of APSATS, to join us as we explore, “Surviving Relapse.”
Almost weekly, there is news of yet another ministry leader caught in a sex scandal or a Christian recovery leader having relapsed. Being in this field of work, the three of us are keenly aware of the fact that behind each scandal and each relapse there is, typically, a partner who is traumatically impacted.
Relapse, specifically, is terrifying for partners because it reopens the wound they worked so hard to stabilize, instantly bringing back fear, shock, and a sense of lost ground. It’s not just about his behavior returning—it’s the nervous system remembering how unsafe and unprotected it once felt.
We Will be Discussing:
- Does relapse have to be a part of recovery?
- What is HER relapse safety play?
- Forgiveness does not replace accountability or override safety of betrayed spouses and the broader community. So, when a ministry leader relapses, how do we distinguish between grace and wisdom?
- What hope can we leave our listeners?
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Read the transcript
Thank you for sitting in with us today. Our deepest desire is that you will find encouragement, insight, and maybe even a laugh or two in the many episodes to come. We will talk with you again in two weeks.
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Lyschel, Pam and Bonny thank you for listening, sharing and generously supporting our mission!