Rise: Hope and Healing Podcast

When betrayal shatters your reality, it's natural to look outward for safety. But safety can be difficult to find when you feel disconnected from yourself, questioning your instincts, doubting your reality, and struggling to regulate overwhelming emotions. What if healing begins by learning to trust yourself again? Healing doesn't begin by controlling your emotions—it begins by changing your relat...

How do you know when you are ready for couples therapy after betrayal? An Attachment-Based Conversation with Dan Oakes Healing after betrayal isn't simply about stopping unwanted behaviors—it's about rebuilding safety, restoring attachment, and learning an entirely new way of relating. In this episode, MaryAnn Michaelis, LCSW, CSAT, CPTT, sits down with Dan Oakes, LPC, CSAT, and Certified Sex Offe...

Financial infidelity is a hidden but powerful dimension of betrayal that can significantly intensify the emotional, relational, and financial impact of sexual betrayal. Drawing on her unique background in both Wall Street finance and clinical therapy, guest Debra L. Kaplan, MA, MBA, LPC, PACT-II, CSAT-S joins MaryAnn Michaelis, LCSW, CSAT, CPTT as they explore the often overlooked intersection of...

In this episode of Rise, MaryAnn Michaelis sits down with Michelle Mays for a deeply grounded conversation on BRAVING, attachment injury, identity, belonging, self-trust, and the Betrayal Bind. Michelle Mays is a licensed clinician, betrayal trauma specialist, and the creator of the BRAVING Hope® framework, an attachment-based model for healing after sexual betrayal and relational trauma. Her work...

After discovery or disclosure, many betrayed partners find themselves searching for answers. They read books, listen to podcasts, join support groups, and begin learning about betrayal trauma. Yet even with all of that information, many continue to feel overwhelmed, disconnected, and deeply wounded. In this episode of Rise, MaryAnn Michaelis, LCSW, CSAT, CPTT, and Dr. Karen Strange, LMFT, CSAT, CP...

From Sifting Sand to Bedrock: Rebuilding a Foundation After Sexual Betrayal with Kris Cristiano, Rise Season 2, Episode 21 For many betrayed partners, life after D-Day can feel futile, like grabbing at sand—confusing, unstable, and overwhelming, with every thought, memory, or trigger adding to the emotionally unmanageable mess.  In this episode of Rise, Hope and Healing After Sexual Betrayal, Mary...

In this episode of Rise: Hope and Healing After Sexual Betrayal, MaryAnn Michaelis, LCSW, CSAT, CPTT, and Dr. Kevin Skinner, LMFT, CSAT, CPTT, continue their series on rebuilding life after betrayal trauma by focusing on one of the most essential—and most difficult—parts of healing: connection. After betrayal, many survivors begin questioning not only their relationship, but their entire sense of...

Finding Yourself After Betrayal: Identity and the 8 C’s of Self with Kris Cristiano (Rise Season 2, Episode 19) In this episode of Rise: Hope and Healing After Sexual Betrayal, MaryAnn Michaelis, LCSW, CSAT, CPTT and Kris Cristiano, LCSW, CSAT, explore one of the deepest and most painful questions betrayal trauma survivors face: “Who am I now?” When betrayal shatters trust, it often disrupts ident...

In this episode of Rise: Hope and Healing After Sexual Betrayal, MaryAnn Michaelis LCSW, CSAT, CPTT,  is joined by Dr. Karen Strange, LMFT, CSAT, CPTT, for a deeply compassionate conversation about what happens when betrayal trauma shakes not only our relationships—but also our faith, identity, and sense of meaning. Together, they explore the often unspoken spiritual impact of betrayal and the pai...

You Are Not Your Partner's Mother, Sponsor, or Dumping Ground: Boundaries and Trusting Your Gut with Rhyll Croshaw (Rise Season 2, Episode 17) In this powerful episode of Rise: Hope and Healing After Sexual Betrayal, MaryAnn Michaelis LCSW, CSAT, CPTT is joined by Rhyll Croshaw, a pioneer in betrayal trauma recovery, author of "What Can I Do About Me?",and co-founder of the SA Lifeline Foundation...

Holding Boundaries In Discomfort: Emotions, Pushback and Staying Grounded with Dr. Skinner (Rise Season 2, Episode 16) In this episode of Rise: Hope & Healing After Sexual Betrayal, MaryAnn Michaelis, LCSW, CSAT, CPTT is joined again by Dr. Kevin Skinner LMFT, CSAT, CPTT to continue the powerful conversation on boundaries—this time focusing on what happens after you set one. Because the truth...

Slow Down, Don’t Torch It Down: Why Attachment Makes Boundaries Feel So Threatening If boundaries feel overwhelming, confusing, or even dangerous to your relationships—this episode is for you. In this conversation, MaryAnn Michaelis LCSW, CSAT, CPTT, and Dr. Karen Strange, LMFT, CSAT, CPTT, slow things down to explore why boundaries are so hard, especially in the context of attachment. This isn’t...

Episode Summary What are boundaries—really? And why do they feel so hard to get right after betrayal? In this episode, Rise hostess MaryAnn Michaelis, LCSW, CSAT, CPTT sits  down with Kristin Kristiano, LCSW, CSAT to unpack the confusion around boundaries—what they are, what they’re not, and why so many attempts at “setting boundaries” actually create more disconnection. We explore the critical sh...

Stepping into one of the most requested—and misunderstood—topics: Boundaries, in this episode, Jennifer Johnson CMHC, CSAT, CPTT and MaryAnn Michaelis, LCSW, CSAT, CPTT break down what boundaries actually are, what they aren’t, and why they can feel so difficult—especially after betrayal. What Boundaries Are (And Aren’t) What Boundaries Are Not Punishment Control Ultimatums What Boundaries Actuall...

The Data of Devastation: Early Insights from the GABIS In this solo episode, betrayal trauma expert and host MaryAnn Michaelis, LCSW, CSAT, CPTT,  shares early findings from the Grief After Betrayal Impact Scale (GABIS)—drawing directly from the voices and lived experiences of listeners in this community. This is the data of devastation. Not just numbers—but real accounts of grief, identity loss,...

Why Betrayal Gets Worse After Discovery (What No One Tells You) What actually happens after betrayal is discovered? In this episode of Rise: Hope & Healing After Sexual Betrayal, MaryAnn Michaelis LCSW, CSAT, CPTT, and expert Pastor Darrell Brazell, PSAP, unpack the exposure phase (D-Day) using Dr. Omar Minwalla’s 22 Rooms of Betrayal framework. They discuss why many partners experience increa...

In this powerful continuation of last week’s conversation, MaryAnn Michaelis, LCSW, CSAT, CPTT is joined again by Pastor Daryl Brazell, PSAP  where they unpack the deeper dynamics of deception in sexual betrayal, based on Darrell's work with Dr. Omar Minwalla.  Together they expand on Minwalla's secret sexual basement metaphor, explore how secrecy, shame, and manipulation create an “intentionally...

The Hidden Damage of Betrayal: The Secret Sexual Basement & the Grief We Don’t See with Darrell Brazell, PSAP (Rise Season 2, Episode 9) Show Notes In this powerful conversation, MaryAnn Michaelis LCSW, CSAT, CPTT, welcomes pastor, recovery leader, and longtime colleague Darrel Brazell PSAP, to explore one of the most validating frameworks for understanding betrayal trauma: Dr. Omar Minwalla’s...

Should I Stay or Should I Go? Grief, Choice, and Healing After Sexual Betrayal with Dr. Karen Strange Host: MaryAnn Michaelis, LCSW, CSAT, CPTT  Guest: Dr. Karen Strange, LMFT, CSAT, CPTT MaryAnn welcomes Dr. Strange back to conclude the grief and loss series, focusing on the deeply personal and complex decision many betrayed partners face: Should I stay or should I go?, offering validation, pract...

Loss Before Grief: Rebuilding After Betrayal Take the Grief After Betrayal Scale We often say “grief and loss.” But what if it’s actually loss first — then grief? In this episode, MaryAnn Michaelis, LCSW, CSAT, CPTT and Dr. Kevin Skinner, LMFT, CSAT, CPTT explore the profound and often unnamed experience of loss after betrayal — and how grief emerges only after we cognitively realize what has actu...

Grieving through Burbles, Triggers, and Trauma-Anniversaries, with Dr. Karen Strange  Episode Summary Grief is something every human experiences—but grief after betrayal trauma carries a unique kind of pain. In this episode, MaryAnn Michaelis LCSW, CSAT, CPTT and Dr. Karen Strange PhD, LMFT, CSAT, CPTT continue their powerful series on grief and betrayal, exploring why healing feels messy, unpredi...

Show Notes Rise: Hope and Healing After Sexual Betrayal Season 2 Episode Title: The Grief of Betrayal: Loss that No One Talks About  Healing from sexual betrayal is not something you were meant to do alone. In this episode of Rise: Hope and Healing After Sexual Betrayal, host MaryAnn Michaelis, LCSW, CSAT, CPTT is joined again by Kris Cristiano, LCSW, CSAT, for an honest and grounding conversation...

In this episode of Rise: Hope and Healing After Sexual Betrayal, MaryAnn Michaelis LCSW, CSAT, CPTT, welcomes back Dr. Kevin Skinner to continue Season Two’s series on rebuilding trust. Together they explore why rebuilding trust after betrayal is so complex, especially through the lens of attachment and trauma, based on Sue Johnson's core attachment question: “Are you there for me?” They explain h...

Rebuilding Self-Trust After Betrayal: Empowerment, Group Healing, and Learning to Trust Yourself Again Host: MaryAnn Michaelis, LCSW, CSAT, CPTT Guest: Jennifer Johnson, CMHC, CSAT, CPTT Episode Summary Rebuilding trust after sexual betrayal begins not with your partner—but with yourself. In this deeply meaningful episode of Rise: Hope and Healing After Sexual Betrayal, host MaryAnn Michaelis, LCS...

Rise: Hope and Healing from Sexual Betrayal Rebuilding Trust After Betrayal: BRAVING, A Journey of Hope for Betrayed Partners with Dr. Karen Strange Host: MaryAnn Michaelis, LCSW, CSAT, CPTT Guest: Dr. Karen Strange, PhD, LMFT, CSAT, CPTT Episode Summary Healing from sexual betrayal is not something anyone is meant to navigate alone. In this Season 2 episode of Rise: Hope and Healing from Sexual B...