Empathy Is the Foundation of Healing
Move beyond apologies and build trust through understanding and compassion.
Unpacking Betrayal Trauma: Learning Empathy is a self-paced, six-lesson course for people in recovery who want to move from survival into stability by developing empathy as a daily practice. Through self-awareness, listening skills, and practical tools, you’ll learn how to create emotional safety and connection that can support real healing—for you and your partner.
Here's What You'll Learn in
Unpacking Betrayal Trauma: Learning Empathy
What Is
Betrayal Trauma?
Understand the devastating impact of betrayal trauma, why empathy matters more than apologies, and common mistakes addicted partners make when trying to show care.
Self-Awareness
& Mindfulness
Learn practical techniques for identifying your triggers, regulating your emotions, and becoming more present and resilient in charged moments.
Reflective Listening
& Validation
Discover active listening skills, nonverbal cues, and validating words that can calm, reassure, and rebuild connection.
Empathy Mapping & Perspective Taking
Practice putting yourself in your partner’s shoes and rebuilding trust by learning to map and understand their emotional experience.
Why Trust Is a
Felt Experience
Explore how trust is rebuilt through emotional safety, clear boundaries, and consistent respect.
Applying Empathy in Daily Interactions
Integrate empathy into everyday conversations, conflicts, and problem-solving so that empathy becomes your natural response.
Who This Is For:
- You’re in the early stages of recovery and want to strengthen your relationship
- You’ve apologized, but your partner says they still don’t feel it
- You struggle to manage your own emotions in hard conversations
- You want to replace defensiveness and shame with empathy and compassion
This course is honest, practical, and hopeful. You’ll gain the tools to build trust and emotional safety—not by “fixing” her pain, but by learning to sit with it.
Begin Your Healing Today
ENROLLÂ in
Unpacking Betrayal Trauma: Learning Empathy
What’s Included…
- 6 video lessons (10–20 minutes each)
- Downloadable worksheets and tools to practice empathy in real life
- Reflection exercises to apply each lesson
- 6 months of course access so you begin your recovery journey right away
- Practical skills that support your personal recovery and rebuild your relationship
You can begin right now. Healing your relationship begins with learning empathy.
START THE COURSE FOR ONLY $47Note: Hope & Freedom University recommends beginning your recovery journey with our foundational courses, in this order: 1)Â Sex Addiction 101, 2)Â iRecovery 101, and 3)Â Beginning Recovery for the Addicted 111.
Then, move into Unpacking Betrayal Trauma 111: Learning Empathy to strengthen your relationships and begin your transition from Survival to Stability.
However, if you’re already established in your recovery journey, this course is perfect to dive deeper into relationship rebuilding and enhance your understanding and practice of empathy in real-life situations.
Welcome to Hope and Freedom University — let me tell you how we began…
In late 2012, a deeply discouraged couple came into my office after being told by a different therapist they should walk away and divorce because their marriage was likely irreparable. At the time, they didn't even know the term sex addiction. Candidly, it was a relatively new term for me as well.Â
That led me to find Dr. Milton Magness and his practice, Hope and Freedom Counseling Services in Houston, TX. We quickly inquired about the 3-Day Intensive option with a long-term program approach. I offered to walk alongside them and support them in their journey if they were open to making a commitment to the program.
Treating this couple became a defining moment in my practice. In fact, it spawned the treatment of hundreds more in my office and the desire to devote my practice to helping couples like them.Â
I go to the darkest places, find a source of hope and light, and guide them on their journey to healing and wholeness. I’ve dedicated my career to bringing restoration to couples ravaged by the effects of sexual addiction and training clinicians to do the same — so we can reach as many as possible!
As soon as I found Hope & Freedom and Milton Magness, I knew this treatment model was different and something that offered real hope and true freedom to couples whose relationships were at risk of complete devastation.Â
Over the years, I have used this treatment model and have seen Hundreds of couples not just salvage their relationship — but, in many cases, have healed, restored, and developed a closeness that they weren’t sure was possible. Â
You deserve hope and freedom, too — because it’ll bring healing and restoration for you. Perhaps one day, you too will be able to share it with others and experience the gift of introducing it to those in need the way I have.Â
