Unashamed Unafraid

In this episode of Unashamed, Unafraid, the hosts discuss the “parts of ourselves” we want to kill—especially in sexual addiction recovery—and argue that shame-driven repression and white-knuckling only make things worse. Austin shares how growing up in a conservative culture led him to hide, berate, and try to “kill” his addiction, until he learned to face it with compassion: acknowledging the wounded, trauma-shaped part of himself without feeding compulsive behavior. The group explores identity, pushing back on making “addict” a permanent label, emphasizing being a son of God while distinguishing healthy desires from dark distortions. Using images like “hugging th...

In this episode of Unashamed Unafraid, Sam and Josh Bring back Michael from the Heare Bros (returning from a prior episode), who recaps his a spiritual/somatic session where he cast out the “accuser,” broke through a core belief of worthlessness, and felt transformative light and truth, then explains healing as increasing awareness, grieving wounds, and choosing connection over relapse. He discusses the process of healing and explains holotropic breathwork as a tool for accessing deeper consciousness, releasing pain, and connecting breath with spirit and God’s name, and offers resources for his Utah sessions and Hear Bros retreats.

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In this episode of Unashamed Unafraid, the hosts discuss healthy, non-compulsive sexuality in recovery and emphasize that sex isn’t the problem—shame is. They share experiences of growing up with little guidance, early sexual curiosity and experimentation, exposure to pornography in the internet age, and how silence and shame intensified addiction. The conversation reframes sexuality as sacred and God-given, meant for connection and creation, while warning that misuse can damage relationships with God and others. They stress normalizing frank, respectful conversations, creating safety and boundaries in marriage, and seeking help through therapy and resources like Jennifer Finlayson-Fife. They expl...

In this episode of Unashamed Unafraid, the hosts welcome Reuben Aiton, founder of Arise & Heal Recovery, who shares his background in addiction recovery coaching and his focus on helping teens and LDS clients move from external “kindling” motivations to internal, heart-based reasons for change. Reuben discusses his own story, including a pituitary tumor that delayed puberty, later struggles with pornography, and learning that sobriety can exist without true healing. He explains addiction as a disconnection issue where pornography is a “medication,” emphasizing connection with God, self, and others to raise awareness rather than fighting thoughts with more thoughts. Reuben describe...

In this episode of Unashamed Unafraid, Sam, Chris, Joshua, and Austin discuss sexual addiction recovery and why healing requires honesty, transparency, and coming unto Christ rather than hiding behind a so-called “noble lie” that hiding the truth somehow protects others. They praise Austin’s courage for disclosing a relapse after seven months and explore how lying creates unmanageable pain, escalates into a destructive web, and erodes trust in marriage by forcing a spouse to live in an untrue reality.  They emphasize that sobriety without transparency becomes “white knuckling,” recommend reaching out to brotherhood first after relapse to manage shame and take ac...

In this story episode of Unashamed, Unafraid, guest Paul Claverie opens up about navigating profound life crises, career shifts, personal accountability, and emotional healing. From managing his daughter’s cancer diagnosis to dealing with an unaddressed congenital deformity and performance-driven shame, Paul shares how pornography became an isolated coping mechanism—and how taking ownership of his health, finances, and personal agency ultimately helped him rebuild his life on solid ground.

In this episode of Unashamed, the hosts welcome back Austin and discuss sexual addiction recovery while working away from home. Austin shares that directing a demanding summer camp for 12–15-year-olds led to multiple relapses because he had no personal space, minimal sleep, and struggled to maintain safety and connection with God, while he stayed sober once home. The conversation explores why travel and high-pressure work often trigger acting out, the need to build a recovery lifestyle through structural changes, boundaries, and meeting basic needs like rest, food, and water. They reframe relapse as information rather than shame, discuss disciplined wa...

In this episode of Unashamed Unafraid, Sam interviews Curtis Morley, who shifted from tech CEO and entrepreneur to “Emotionologist” after personal upheaval and a difficult divorce. Curtis explains his framework of “counterfeit emotions,” including shame as the counterfeit of guilt, misery as the counterfeit of pain, and sobriety as the counterfeit of recovery, emphasizing that recovery measures “how deep” rather than “how long.” He discusses dopamine dependence, why the problem is the need for pornography rather than pornography itself, and a bus metaphor for witnessing emotions and choosing authentic counterparts. Curtis outlines additional dyads (love/lust, kind/nice, excellence/perfectionism, j...

In this episode of Unashamed, Unafraid, Sam, Chris and Joshua discuss how isolation fuels relapse and undermines recovery from sexual addiction. Sam shares relapsing while his wife was away, connecting it to unprocessed emotions, blaming his spouse, and failing to plan for connection; the group emphasizes ownership, accountability, and reaching out in temptation as a key recovery skill. Joshua describes months of isolation amid financial strain, work instability, and possible re-injury that removed fitness as a coping tool, plus feeling distant from God; a child’s spontaneous hug prompts him to recognize repeated “love notes” through people reaching out. They r...

In this episode of Unashamed, Unafraid, Sam and Austin welcome clinical hypnotherapist and master hypnotist Erin from familiesgettinghelp.com. Together, they explore how hypnotherapy functions as a powerful, non-traditional tool in sexual addiction recovery. Erin dispels common pop-culture myths surrounding hypnosis, breaks down the neurochemistry of shame, and demonstrates how tapping into theta brain waves allows clients to rewrite subconscious beliefs formed in childhood. The conversation dives deep into both bottom-up approaches—like shifting core identity and future pacing—and top-down somatic tools you can use in real-time to manage temptation. Whether you are struggling with unwanted behaviors or supp...

In this episode of Unashamed Unafraid, Chris, Sam, Mason, and Austin discuss why building a real male brotherhood is essential—not optional—for recovering from sexual addiction. They explore the common hurdles men face in seeking support, such as fatherlessness, isolation, and the tendency to minimize their struggles rather than open up. The hosts emphasize that true brotherhood requires both deep vulnerability during moments of temptation and lighthearted fun to build genuine connection. Ultimately, they encourage listeners to stop isolating, step out in courage, and clearly communicate what they need from supportive peers to achieve lasting healing.

This episode of Unashamed Unafraid introduces guests Mike (“Sacramento Mike”) and his son Weston, with Mike visiting Utah from Hawaii for his daughter’s wedding. Mike describes growing up in an LDS family near Sacramento, first encountering pornography at 11, becoming compulsively drawn to it, and being forcibly sexually assaulted by older boys around age 13–14, which deepened his shame and porn use; he later learned those boys were arrested for raping family members. At 18, after drug use, he prayed on a beach, quit drugs, served a mission in Ecuador, married, and raised a family while hiding a long-term pornography problem that esc...

In this episode, James, Sam, Joshua, and Mason sit down for a follow-up on the commitments they made in past episodes (EP 151: Filling the Void of Addiction and EP 193: How Can I Trust God?). They dive open-honestly into what accountability actually looks like in practice—from putting software on phones to actively battling for true brotherhood and moving away from transactional faith to find God directly in the present moment and pain.

Mike recounts early exposure to pornography, shame shaped by church messaging, family dynamics, and later learning his biological father’s sexual addiction, then baptizing him before his mission. He describes a canceled temple wedding due to church discipline, continued struggles after marriage, and his shift toward inner work, self-compassion, and a reframe of repentance as metanoia—a fresh view of self, God, and the world—emphasizing wholeness over perfection and connection as the antidote. He recommends “Lean on Me” as his recovery song. He discusses his pivot from branding and graphic design into men’s work, retreats, and breathwork, including co...

Sam, Mason, James, and Austin discuss “firing the old God and hiring the new one.” They define the “old God” as transactional, shaming, distant, perpetually disappointed, and often rooted in childhood, family-of-origin dynamics. The "old God" is a false God that uses reward systems, shame, and sometimes spiritual manipulation. To embrace a new God, you can:

1. Explicitly name false beliefs about God,
2. Identify their impact on relationships, nervous system
3. Reality-test beliefs through scripture and Christ’s character
4. Examine how the belief once protected parts of the self
5. Grieve the loss of the familiar but harmfu...

In this episode of Unashamed, Unafraid, Austin and his wife Becca share how traumatic sexual experiences shaped their views of sexuality, secrecy, and control, and how that led Austin to pornography addiction. Austin describes hiding his compulsive porn use and masturbation due to fear and shame reinforced by religious shame, then later relapsing on his mission, engaging in digital relationships and sexting, and facing a highly shaming disciplinary process, including being labeled a “sexual predator,” disfellowshipped, and shamed by a therapist. Becca recounts being excluded from the process while engaged to be married, not learning full details years into marr...

In this episode of Unashamed Unafraid, Austin shares how keeping a small journal of unfiltered “Dear God” letters for six months became a record of his recovery, transformed his relationship with God, improved communication with his wife, and supported about four months of sobriety. He describes feeling prompted to write “I’m a porn addict in recovery. Ask me anything.” on a poster board and sit at Utah Valley University; after three hours, one student approached, discussed shame and feeling unlovable, and later asked to keep talking. Sam connects this to his own prayer for guidance to expand the platform...

In this episode of Unashamed Unafraid, Sam and Mason discuss sexual addiction recovery with their shared therapist, Jason Dausses of Accepted Therapy. Sam opens up about longstanding self-judgment rooted in verbally abusive coaches and bosses, and Jason frames healing as both rescuing past wounds and then empowering oneself to live from “zero to ten” through real-time choices, community, and effective communication of needs. They explore why “95% honesty” still leaves a hidden 5% that fuels shame, how to ask others for specific support to create safety, and how boundaries relate to unmet needs and validation-seeking. Jason emphasizes grieving lost time, widening one’s wi...

In this episode, Sam and James are joined by Dan Ostler to discuss their recent experiences at Warrior Heart Boot Camp. Sam shares a powerful, God-orchestrated moment of healing where confronting shame led to emotional breakthrough and support from God and his brothers.

The trio highlight Warrior Heart Boot Camp, the best resource for sexual addiction recovery, and how unplugging in the mountains for three days with Christ fosters healing. They also mention Glory and Heart of a Woman as equivalent programs for women.

First time attending Warrior Heart? Use the code UNASHAMED100 for $100 off.<...

In this episode of Unashamed, Unafraid, Mason and Sam welcome Mike Farr, a rock photographer, Spartan racer, husband to Jenny, and father to Wesley. Mike shares how his father leaving early, conflict with a stepfather, and feeling unlovable fueled a “character” that chased acceptance through music, drugs, escalating sexual behavior, and crime. He describes immersion in the late ’60s–’80s music scene, cocaine dealing, and eventual heroin addiction, repeated arrests, rehab attempts, and a Salvation Army program that helped him rebuild sobriety and career. After a six-year relapse, an overdose coma, and another arrest, he surrendered, returned to meetings, and found...

Sam shares a previously unreleased conversation with Chris and Joshua about gratitude in recovery and healing through Christ. They discuss how gratitude helps overcome shame, challenges entitlement, and creates lasting change, while sharing personal stories of recovery, relationships, and faith.

Buy Chris's favorite gratitude journal here 

In this story episode of Unashamed, Unafraid, Sam and Mason interview Cam, a BYU construction management student preparing to commission as a combat engineer officer. He tells how his porn addiction grew out of achievement pressure, comparison with high-achieving siblings, and deep shame. After moving frequently and living in a high-performance community, Cam internalized “you’re stupid,” then attended a harmful youth program that taught him to see sexuality as evil and God as vengeful. Family stress, his dad losing a job, not getting into West Point, and later COVID intensified depression and escalated acting out, including on his missio...

This episode explores the emotional impact of criticism and how unresolved shame can fuel relapse in recovery. Sam shares a personal experience of being hurt by a negative review, which triggered old beliefs and led to a setback, while highlighting the importance of connection over isolation. Chris centers his comments on the concept of repair, taking accountability, seeking forgiveness, and asking others what healing looks like for them. Chris emphasizes that true repair is ultimately demonstrated through consistent change and living in alignment with one’s values. Lasting recovery is rooted in rebuilding trust, fostering connection, and pursuing ongoing pe...

In Part III of our series with returning guest Roxy Johnson, author of Forgotten in the Battle with Sexual Addiction, we dive deep into the role boundaries play in healing relationships impacted by sexual addiction and betrayal trauma. Roxy brings powerful insight and hard-earned wisdom on how boundaries protect peace, create honesty, and invite real recovery. Jasmine and Sam also open up about their own journey, discussing how surrendering a spouse to God while taking responsibility for yourself can transform a marriage. This conversation challenges the belief that boundaries are selfish and shows why healthy conflict can actually be...

In part two of the Unashamed, Unafraid series, the hosts discuss becoming unafraid to come unto Christ for healing in sexual addiction recovery by first learning who God truly is. He is kind, loving, forgiving, and relentless rather than judgmental. They explore how shame, secrecy, and “shame goggles” distort church, relationships, and one’s view of God, creating fear that keeps people from seeking healing. Chris shares a financial secrecy that nearly ended his marriage and how turning to God helped him accept support and accountability. Sam admits coasting in “manageable” relapse and delaying deeper healing. James identifies fear of God’s h...

Chris and Sam sit down with Ryan Carnahan from King’s Core to explore the deeper layers of addiction recovery. From relapse and discouragement to identity shifts and emotional resilience, this conversation dives into what actually creates lasting change. Ryan shares his personal 15-year journey through pornography addiction, the turning points that led to healing, and the core framework he now uses to help other men break free. Together, they unpack the difference between surface-level sobriety and true transformation—highlighting the role of identity, community, and mindset in recovery.

Free resources from Ryan here:

kings-core.com...

Sam, Chris, and James discuss what it means to be “unashamed” in sexual addiction recovery. Shame thrives in secrecy, silence, and judgment and that speaking openly breaks isolation. They explore how context and boundaries matter when sharing, distinguishing healthy vulnerability from “vomiting,” and noting that relapse often intensifies shame. Sam shares how he’s become able to admit recent relapse without spiraling, crediting safe community, repeated honest conversations, trauma therapy, and a spiritual experience that helped him accept he is still good even when he relapses. The group encourages listeners to cultivate emotionally safe relationships, face fear within that community...

In this episode of Unashamed Unafraid, Sam and Mason welcome Drew Boa, author of Outgrow Porn and founder of Husband Material Ministries, who explains inner child work as understanding sexual temptation and intolerable emotional pain as implicit “body memory” rather than mature adult desire. Drew shares how recognizing his own sexual imprinting and connecting it to childhood trauma replaced self-hatred with self-compassion and inviting Jesus into wounded places. Using the cave rescue documentary as an analogy, he outlines a process of locating, loving, and leading multiple “inner boys,” emphasizing connection over control, co-regulation, curiosity-based questions, and identifying attachment needs be...

In this Live Unashamed episode of Unashamed Unafraid, the hosts discuss the impact of sharing honest, raw stories in sexual addiction recovery and how storytelling combats the shame that fuels isolation and acting out. They explain that people connect through stories, and that naming taboo experiences with courage and vulnerability can break shame and bring healing.

In this episode of Unashamed Unafraid, we return with Roxanna Johnson for a second recording as she explains how spouses are changed by the “dance” of addiction, why both partners have parallel recovery paths, and how hope can emerge over years of work. She teaches surrender as releasing control to God, addressing fear and hypervigilance, and emphasizes grieving, emotional regulation, movement with breath, journaling, and a step-by-step surrender practice, urging those struggling with addiction to “see” and validate their spouse’s pain while seeking the God who knows their name. Roxanna is the author of Forgotten in the Battle with Sexua...

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Nathan Maxwell returns after a lost recording to share updated perspectives on recovery and marriage. He recounts early exposure to pornography in fourth grade, his parents’ divorce, his half-brother’s suicide, and how shame and suppressed grief fueled compulsive porn use and a growing need for validation from various sexual partners. Nathan describes how religious culture, lack of sex education, and scrupulosity shaped a belief that God hated him, contributing to misery and suicidal ideation. Recovery began when a church member introduced him to Unashamed, Unafraid, 12-step meetings, and boot camp. Nathan now lives with a changed view of G...

**Click here to buy tickets to the Utah Coalition Against Pornography Help, Hope, and Healing Conference on March 14th, 2026.
Make sure to use the code ucap2026 for $10 off your ticket!

In this episode of Live Unashamed, the hosts discuss the importance of slowing down in the journey of recovery from sexual addiction. They explore how rushing through recovery can lead to overwhelming feelings and failure, whereas taking time to pause, reflect, and integrate new practices can lead to more sustainable progress. The conversation covers practical strategies such as focusing on one or two recovery tools...

This episode dives deep into the raw truth that sobriety is vital, shame is a battle, and authentic recovery requires honesty and courage. Listen as Troy shares his powerful story, struggles, and how God's grace rewrites everything.

Timestamps:

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In this episode of Live Unashamed, we discuss a pivotal quote from The Stick of Joseph podcast about resisting temptation not by direct confrontation but by turning towards positive actions and thoughts. Our conversation covers the importance of connection with others, honesty, and creating a lifestyle centered around connection and healing. Listen as we share our experiences and practical advice on turning the light up in recovery.

In this enlightening episode of Unashamed Unafraid, we delve into the challenging yet transformative journey of porn addiction recovery with Dr. Trish Leigh, a cognitive neuroscientist. Dr. Leigh shares her unique approach of using EEG technology to understand and regulate the brain's functioning, helping individuals overcome compulsive sexual behaviors. She discusses the impact of dopamine dependency and the importance of unwiring, rewiring, and hardwiring the brain for long-term recovery. This episode is packed with insights and practical strategies for anyone struggling with or supporting someone through porn addiction recovery.

To connect with Dr. Leigh:
WEBSITE...

In this episode, we introduce Madi Davis, host of 'Sisters on the Front Lines', who brings a fresh perspective on women's struggles with pornography. Join hosts Sam, James, Chris, and Madi as they discuss the unique challenges women face, the impact of shame, and the importance of connection. Madi shares her personal journey and highlights valuable resources that support women in their recovery. This episode is a must for anyone looking to understand and support women dealing with pornography addiction.

Check out Madi's podcast & connect with her here: https://www.instagram.com/sistersonthefrontlines

In this special episode of Unashamed Unafraid, we welcome Madi and Douglas, who share their experiences with pornography addiction and recovery. They represent the Un-Alone Club at BYU, a student organization aimed at supporting individuals struggling with pornography and other related issues. Douglas discusses his personal journey with addiction recovery, including how he overcame shame and learned to communicate openly with his wife. Madi shares her efforts in starting a podcast focused on helping young women struggling with pornography. Together, they emphasize the importance of community and connection in overcoming addiction. Tune in to hear their inspiring stories and...

Join the Unashamed Unafraid crew for a Live Unashamed episode where they openly discuss their experiences with sexual addiction, recovery, and the journey to self-forgiveness. Through heartfelt conversations, they explore the immense challenges of forgiving oneself despite being forgiven by others, the power of brotherhood and support, and how spirituality plays a crucial role in healing. Dive deep into personal stories, struggles, and moments of divine revelation that helped shape their paths to redemption. Whether you're in recovery or supporting someone who is, this episode is a powerful testament to the transformative power of grace and self-compassion.

In this episode of Unashamed Unafraid, we delve deep into the journey of sexual addiction recovery with professional coach Austin Hamilton. Austin shares his personal story of overcoming pornography addiction and infidelity, emphasizing the importance of truth-telling and courage in the healing process. Highlighting how hidden struggles can impact relationships, Austin outlines his methods for guiding clients through recovery using story work, journaling, and compassionate self-reflection. Join us for an inspiring conversation on embracing vulnerability, understanding the roots of addiction, and fostering authentic connections. Don't miss valuable insights on how to live unashamed and unafraid.

To...