The 3 Unexpected Gifts You’ll Receive at Restoring Hearts
by Karen Crawford, Coach
Pastoral Sex Addiction Professional Candidate
Senior Program Director, Prodigals International
God has given me an unexplained love for women experiencing sexual betrayal.
Although it is admittedly difficult to hold the excruciatingly painful stories of the thousands of women I’ve mentored and walked alongside over the 22 years I have been doing this work, I continue to experience a life-giving passion to help women find their voice and experience healing after the gut punch of sexual betrayal enters their lives. I won’t deny it: this is hard work! But, as I prepare for Prodigals International’s 14th annual Restoring Hearts Women’s Conference, I’m mindful of what a Prodigals’ past board chairman said almost 20 years ago: “If I can help one couple, I have succeeded.”
I am honored to be a part of Prodigals International, a 12-step recovery and counseling ministry that has helped thousands of individuals and couples finding recovery and healing from the impact of sexual brokenness. I’ve watched marriages be restored, one couple at a time. And I’m EXCITED about our first IN-PERSON Restoring Hearts Conference in three years! And, I can say from experience, when women attend our conference, they come away with 3 very UNEXPECTED gifts:
Refreshingly Honest Answers
From secrecy, to denial, to gaslighting – women who love a husband (or boyfriend) who struggles with sexual brokenness (pornography use, sexting, 900 numbers, affairs – you name it!) know all too well the dishonesty they’ve had to unravel to finally get to the truth of their partner’s betrayal. It’s exhausting. And, when the truth finally surfaces, it can be so disorienting and difficult for women to know what to do and where to turn. I invite you to join us at Restoring Hearts 2022 for a day of refreshingly honest answers to the pain you are experiencing. Our 2022 conference features a keynote speaker who is an EXPERT in trauma – specifically betrayal trauma – and 13 highly experienced breakout speakers and 3 Partners in Process panel members who will deliver a day FULL of information, resources and honest answers women need to start – and continue – the journey toward healing.
200+ Years of Collective Wisdom – accessed in ONE DAY
We’ve been at this work a long time. As such, we’ve developed an incredible network of speakers who’ve spent years as therapists and ministry leaders in the space of helping men and women heal from the wounds of sexual brokenness. The collective experience of our speakers is unmatched! Dr. Sheri Keffer and I each have 22 years of experience in the field of sexual betrayal which came out of our own betrayal stories. With all of our speakers at Restoring Hearts we have over 200 years of collective experience in the sexual addiction recovery arena! Where else can you find that in a day of education?Considering that a 50-minute therapy session ranges from $125 to $200 (depending on location and extent of training) for a qualified betrayal trauma therapist or coach, by attending Restoring Hearts, you are receiving the equivalent of 5 sessions of counseling (15 if you count the breakout session recordings you’ll receive after the conference)! Estimating $170 per hour of counseling, you are receiving over $850 of services in just one day for just $65 (or less than that if you register as a group or are Active/Retired Military)!
A Community of HOPE
When the truth of betrayal first lands at our feet, a woman so often thinks ‘it’s just me, right?’ The shame, the confusion can keep women thinking they have to navigate this on their own. But, YOU ARE NOT ALONE. Pornography and other forms of sexually acting out are hitting the church like a tsunami, and the pandemic just compounded the crisis. When a woman walks into Restoring Hearts and sees a room filled with other women with the same story, this unique COMMUNITY OF HOPE activates a powerful healing process. And don’t just take my word for it. Following are a few testimonials from previous attendees, who’ve come for multiple years:
I was told about the Restoring Hearts Conference when I was at my lowest, most hopeless point in my journey – 2 years after discovery, floundering and paralyzed in shame and isolation, not understanding what I was living with. Then I heard the life changing words – certified sexual addiction therapists, sexual addiction, intimate betrayal and betrayal trauma. I finally realized I was not alone. I found that there was a way out and that others who had traveled this path were willing to walk with me.
Restoring Hearts is always direct and straightforward; the conference is a huge help in my healing journey!
Going to the conference made me realize that I was not alone and gave me the opportunity to build the beginning of friendships with other women that could relate. There was camaraderie and the ability to check out the breakout sessions gave me an opportunity to taste test some possible recovery outlets.
I am eternally grateful for your ministry: Restoring Hearts and Prodigals’ Partners in Process helped me survive the unfolding revelation of my partner’s betrayal and further understanding the roots of his struggle. Furthermore, they’ve helped me understand codependency , propelling my personal growth. This is a journey that cannot be done solo. The information and the support of others on a similar journey was a treasure and, dare I say, a joy.
I attended my first Restoring Hearts conference about 9 months after I started counseling and being involved in Partners in Process. I was nervous to attend for the first time, but was overcome by the compassion from those putting on the conference. It really helped me understand at a new level just how important the recovery journey is. Hearing from many counselors and speakers on topics pertaining to partner of a sex addict was invaluable. I felt even less alone and more empowered moving forward.
Certified Sex Addiction Therapist Helen Hofman, who will be presenting a special breakout addressing RELAPSE at Restoring Hearts, has on the top of her website homepage the words Always learning, Always growing. If you’re a women who has been impacted by your partner’s sexual betrayal – whether through discovering his pornography addiction, affair or other form of sexual brokenness – I invite you to come and join us at Restoring Hearts Saturday, May 14th at Northwest Church in Lynnwood.
Come and experience these three unexpected and beautiful gifts as we move toward one another to learn and grow alongside other women who understand the uniqueness of this pain. Together, we embrace HOPE as we journey through the process of healing.
Dr. Sheri Keffer will be the keynote speaker at Restoring Hearts Women’s Conference Saturday, May 14 at Northwest Church in Lynnwood, WA. The event is presented by Prodigals International for women who are facing the startling discovery of their husband’s sexual unfaithfulness – from pornography use to extramarital affairs – as well as for women who have been dealing with this issue long-term. In addition to Dr. Keffer’s mainstage messages, attendees can choose from a selection of in-depth breakout sessions – on topics such as healthy boundaries, understanding EMDR for trauma recovery, rebuilding marital trust, healthy sexuality and more. Breakout sessions are presented by Pacific Northwest Christian therapists with decades of experience working with women impacted by betrayal trauma.
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