Choose To Be with Choose Recovery Services; Betrayal Trauma Healing

Is it gaslighting — or defensiveness rooted in shame? For betrayed partners, the difference matters…but not in the way you might think.

In this episode, Sarah Morales joins Amie to break down:

• Gaslighting vs normal relational conflict

• Why “I didn’t mean to” isn’t the deciding factor

• How repeated harm still counts — even without malicious intent

• What it actually means to take your power back

If you’ve been stuck second-guessing your reality, this episode is for you.

Chapters

• 02:55 Understanding Gaslighting and Misunderstandings

• 04:30 The Scale of Gaslighting

• 07:05 Shame Responses

• 16:09 The Broken Arm Analogy

• 24:02 The Bow and Arrow Analogy

• 25:57 Values and Boundaries

• 28:16 Recovery and Self-Awareness

• 32:13 Healthy Communication and Vulnerability

• 45:52 Distinguishing Between Abuse and Gaslighting 

Register Now!

• Rise, Renew, Restore Somatic Healing Retreat in Costa Rica -  Ready to experience deep somatic healing? Join us this July for a transformative 5-day intensive created specifically for women healing from betrayal trauma or navigating divorce. This is your opportunity to reconnect with your body's wisdom, release what you've been carrying, and heal alongside other women who truly understand your journey. 

Get our FREE eBook - Healing From Betrayal Trauma: A Compassionate Guide to Reclaiming Your Life

Questions or topics you'd like us to address? Send us an email with “Choose To Be” as the subject to [email protected]. 

Watch us⁠ on YouTube.

Follow us on Instagram: @choose_recovery_services

⁠Schedule⁠ a complimentary consultation.

Join our email list to be notified when new episodes air.

More from Choose Recovery Services

• Beyond the Facade Podcast - Podcast geared toward helping men live authentically and in harmony with their values.

• Choose Healing - Weekly support group for women who have recently experienced betrayal and are needing help coping with the symptoms of trauma. 

• Intensives - Accelerate your healing journey with one of our intensives. Foster connection with others who share similar experiences, creating an immersive environment that enables profound transformation in a short period of time.

• Help. Her. Heal - This program is for men seeking to learn more about empathy, conflict resolution, and healthy communication. 

• Beyond the Facade: Men’s Healing Group - We help men move through the pains of addiction, relationship healing, managing emotions, and moving past shame. You’ll learn how to better connect with others, understand your own emotional experience, and build a deeper sense of self respect.

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Empowered Divorce Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ with Amie Woolsey for those who are leaning toward divorce.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

• Dating From Within - Amie Woolsey hosts this workshop which teaches you how to date yourself first. Learn how to know if you are ready to date again and what a healthy relationship looks like. 

• Should I Stay or Go? - Self-paced course designed to be a companion on your journey toward self-discovery and personal empowerment. 

• Trauma Trigger Kit - Triggers can come out of nowhere. Keep a Trauma Trigger Kit on hand to help you use your five senses to stay grounded and connected to yourself.

• Believing in You - In this program Amie teaches you how to work WITH your brain instead of against it. Learn tools that will help you move forward to trust, love, empowerment, and finding joy once again.

• Intimacy Within ⁠- Creating healthy intimacy with your partner begins with creating healthy intimacy within. Amie’s self-paced course and guidebook will walk you through the seven levels of intimacy. Learn how to embrace authenticity and vulnerability even in the face of potential rejection.

If you’ve done the work — therapy, somatic healing, journaling, inner reflection — yet still feel a part of you is collapsed, disconnected, or joyless, you’re not alone...and you’re not done healing yet.

In this special bonus episode, Alana, Amie, and Hali get raw, passionate, and vulnerable about the Rise, Renew, Restore Retreat — a soul-level transformational experience specifically designed for women who’ve survived betrayal and are ready to thrive.

They share:✨ Why betrayal isn’t just emotional — it lives in the nervous system✨ What it means to rise gently — not by forcing, but by supported embodiment✨ How this retreat helps women reconnect with their bodies, intuition, and joy✨ The unique blend of somatic healing, adventure, sisterhood, and restoration✨ Real-life fears about travel + how the retreat holds your hand every step

Rise, Renew, Restore is for women who have already done meaningful healing work but still feel like parts of them haven’t fully come back online. Through somatic practices, nervous system regulation, adventure, rest, and intentional sisterhood, this retreat helps you reconnect to your body, your intuition, and your joy.

This isn’t about becoming someone new — it’s about coming home to yourself.

📍 Uvita, Costa Rica🗓 July 13–18, 2026
🌿 Limited spots | Payment plans available

If your body is saying yes but your fear is saying no — listen to this episode.

👉 Learn more & save your spot:
https://www.chooserecoveryservices.com/rise-renew-restore-retreat/

Unsure if this retreat is right for you? Email us at [email protected] to ask questions!

If healing feels uncomfortable lately, this episode is for you.

This week Alana talks about the difference between dysregulation and readiness — and how discomfort can be a sign you’re ready to move from survival into growth. This episode offers a compassionate, trauma-informed reframe for betrayal trauma survivors who feel stuck, restless, or unsure of their next step.

You’re not broken. You might just be ready. 

Chapters

• 01:55 Understanding Discomfort in Healing

• 05:53 Signs of Being Stuck vs. Being Tender

• 08:05 Recognizing the Need for Change

• 13:22 The Role of Talk Therapy and Somatic Work

• 18:06 Visualizing the Healing Process

• 21:15 Empowerment and Moving Forward

Register Now!

• Rise, Renew, Restore Somatic Healing Retreat in Costa Rica -  Ready to experience deep somatic healing? Join us this July for a transformative 5-day intensive created specifically for women healing from betrayal trauma or navigating divorce. This is your opportunity to reconnect with your body's wisdom, release what you've been carrying, and heal alongside other women who truly understand your journey. 

Questions or topics you'd like us to address? Send us an email with “Choose To Be” as the subject to [email protected]. 

Watch us⁠ on YouTube.

Follow us on Instagram: @choose_recovery_services

⁠Schedule⁠ a complimentary consultation.

Join our email list to be notified when new episodes air.

More from Choose Recovery Services

• Beyond the Facade Podcast - Podcast geared toward helping men live authentically and in harmony with their values.

• Choose Healing - Weekly support group for women who have recently experienced betrayal and are needing help coping with the symptoms of trauma. 

• Intensives - Accelerate your healing journey with one of our intensives. Foster connection with others who share similar experiences, creating an immersive environment that enables profound transformation in a short period of time.

• Help. Her. Heal - This program is for men seeking to learn more about empathy, conflict resolution, and healthy communication. 

• Beyond the Facade: Men’s Healing Group - We help men move through the pains of addiction, relationship healing, managing emotions, and moving past shame. You’ll learn how to better connect with others, understand your own emotional experience, and build a deeper sense of self respect.

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Empowered Divorce Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ with Amie Woolsey for those who are leaning toward divorce.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

• Dating From Within - Amie Woolsey hosts this workshop which teaches you how to date yourself first. Learn how to know if you are ready to date again and what a healthy relationship looks like. 

• Should I Stay or Go? - Self-paced course designed to be a companion on your journey toward self-discovery and personal empowerment. 

• Trauma Trigger Kit - Triggers can come out of nowhere. Keep a Trauma Trigger Kit on hand to help you use your five senses to stay grounded and connected to yourself.

• Believing in You - In this program Amie teaches you how to work WITH your brain instead of against it. Learn tools that will help you move forward to trust, love, empowerment, and finding joy once again.

• Intimacy Within ⁠- Creating healthy intimacy with your partner begins with creating healthy intimacy within. Amie’s self-paced course and guidebook will walk you through the seven levels of intimacy. Learn how to embrace authenticity and vulnerability even in the face of potential rejection.

Betrayal doesn’t just hurt—it changes how you attach, trust, and feel safe.

Dr. Laney Knowlton (LMFT-S, CSAT-S, CPTT-S, CCPS, CST, CCRDS-S, RAE) joins Amie and Alana and explains how betrayal trauma impacts attachment styles, why disorganized attachment is so common after infidelity, and how healing can happen even if your relationship doesn’t survive.

If you’ve ever wondered “Am I broken forever?”—this episode is for you.

Together, we unpack:

• Why betrayal often creates disorganized attachment

• How attachment styles shift after trauma

• The difference between innocent trust and earned trust

• Why healing is possible—even if your partner never changes

• How recovery can lead to deeper connection, confidence, and joy

Connect with Dr. Knowlton by visiting her website, checking out her worksheets, or reading her book, Healing From Betrayal, Infidelity, and Problematic Sexual Behaviors

 Chapters

• 00:54 Introducing Dr. Laney Knowlton

• 04:07 Understanding Attachment Styles

• 09:59 Impact of Betrayal on Attachment

• 14:06 Navigating Betrayal and Recovery

• 17:06 Challenges in Seeking Support

• 22:15 Understanding Normal Responses to Trauma

• 24:46 Stages of Recovery

• 25:08 The Role of Healthy Sexuality

• 37:58 The Path to Self-Connection and Joy

Register Now!

• Rise, Renew, Restore Somatic Healing Retreat in Costa Rica -  Ready to experience deep somatic healing? Join us this July for a transformative 5-day intensive created specifically for women healing from betrayal trauma or navigating divorce. This is your opportunity to reconnect with your body's wisdom, release what you've been carrying, and heal alongside other women who truly understand your journey. 

Questions or topics you'd like us to address? Send us an email with “Choose To Be” as the subject to [email protected]. 

Watch us⁠ on YouTube.

Follow us on Instagram: @choose_recovery_services

⁠Schedule⁠ a complimentary consultation.

Join our email list to be notified when new episodes air.

More from Choose Recovery Services

• Beyond the Facade Podcast - Podcast geared toward helping men live authentically and in harmony with their values.

• Choose Healing - Weekly support group for women who have recently experienced betrayal and are needing help coping with the symptoms of trauma. 

• Intensives - Accelerate your healing journey with one of our intensives. Foster connection with others who share similar experiences, creating an immersive environment that enables profound transformation in a short period of time.

• Help. Her. Heal - This program is for men seeking to learn more about empathy, conflict resolution, and healthy communication. 

• Beyond the Facade: Men’s Healing Group - We help men move through the pains of addiction, relationship healing, managing emotions, and moving past shame. You’ll learn how to better connect with others, understand your own emotional experience, and build a deeper sense of self respect.

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Empowered Divorce Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ with Amie Woolsey for those who are leaning toward divorce.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

• Dating From Within - Amie Woolsey hosts this workshop which teaches you how to date yourself first. Learn how to know if you are ready to date again and what a healthy relationship looks like. 

• Should I Stay or Go? - Self-paced course designed to be a companion on your journey toward self-discovery and personal empowerment. 

• Trauma Trigger Kit - Triggers can come out of nowhere. Keep a Trauma Trigger Kit on hand to help you use your five senses to stay grounded and connected to yourself.

• Believing in You - In this program Amie teaches you how to work WITH your brain instead of against it. Learn tools that will help you move forward to trust, love, and finding joy once again.

• Intimacy Within ⁠- Creating healthy intimacy with your partner begins with creating healthy intimacy within. Amie’s self-paced course and guidebook will walk you through the seven levels of intimacy. Learn how to embrace authenticity and vulnerability even in the face of potential rejection.

The stories we tell ourselves after trauma shape everything—our relationships, boundaries, and sense of worth.

In this episode, Bella shares her raw and transformative recovery journey, revealing how childhood trauma, shame, and survival defenses silently guided her life until everything fell apart. Through therapy, inner child healing, and radical self-honesty, she learned to rewrite the story—and reclaim herself.

A must-listen for anyone seeking healing, post-traumatic growth, or freedom from shame-based narratives.

Chapters

• 01:44 Bella’s Traumatic Experience

• 02:49 The Journey to Recovery

• 04:08 Understanding Childhood Patterns

• 04:32 Facing Family of Origin Work

• 09:40 The Turning Point in Therapy

• 19:07 Living in Reality and Self-Acceptance

• 22:19 Tools for Healing and Growth

• 27:26 Gratitude and Love as Recovery Tools

Register Now!

• Rise, Renew, Restore Somatic Healing Retreat in Costa Rica -  Ready to experience deep somatic healing? Join us this July for a transformative 5-day intensive created specifically for women healing from betrayal trauma or navigating divorce. This is your opportunity to reconnect with your body's wisdom, release what you've been carrying, and heal alongside other women who truly understand your journey. 

Questions or topics you'd like us to address? Send us an email with “Choose To Be” as the subject to [email protected]. 

Watch us⁠ on YouTube.

Follow us on Instagram: @choose_recovery_services

⁠Schedule⁠ a complimentary consultation.

Join our email list to be notified when new episodes air.

More from Choose Recovery Services

• Beyond the Facade Podcast - Podcast geared toward helping men live authentically and in harmony with their values.

• Choose Healing - Weekly support group for women who have recently experienced betrayal and are needing help coping with the symptoms of trauma. 

• Intensives - Accelerate your healing journey with one of our intensives. Foster connection with others who share similar experiences, creating an immersive environment that enables profound transformation in a short period of time.

• Help. Her. Heal - This program is for men seeking to learn more about empathy, conflict resolution, and healthy communication. 

• Beyond the Facade: Men’s Healing Group - We help men move through the pains of addiction, relationship healing, managing emotions, and moving past shame. You’ll learn how to better connect with others, understand your own emotional experience, and build a deeper sense of self respect.

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Empowered Divorce Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ with Amie Woolsey for those who are leaning toward divorce.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

• Dating From Within - Amie Woolsey hosts this workshop which teaches you how to date yourself first. Learn how to know if you are ready to date again and what a healthy relationship looks like. 

• Should I Stay or Go? - Self-paced course designed to be a companion on your journey toward self-discovery and personal empowerment. 

• Trauma Trigger Kit - Triggers can come out of nowhere. Keep a Trauma Trigger Kit on hand to help you use your five senses to stay grounded and connected to yourself.

• Believing in You - In this program Amie teaches you how to work WITH your brain instead of against it. Learn tools that will help you move forward to trust, love, empowerment, and finding joy once again.

• Intimacy Within ⁠- Creating healthy intimacy with your partner begins with creating healthy intimacy within. Amie’s self-paced course and guidebook will walk you through the seven levels of intimacy. Learn how to embrace authenticity and vulnerability even in the face of potential rejection.

Holidays can be triggering when you’re healing from betrayal or navigating a tender recovery season. Your body remembers the pain, even when your mind wants to enjoy the good moments.

This episode offers grounding tools, emotional validation, and practical strategies to move through the season without shame, self-judgment, or overwhelm. Learn why your reactions make sense and how to support yourself one moment at a time.

Chapters

• 00:13 Confusing Emotions During the Holidays

• 02:00 Holding It All Together

• 04:30 Your Nervous System Is Trying to Protect You

• 05:55 Validation That You Are Enough

• 10:21 Slow Down and Believe Your Body

• 15:05 Your Presence Matters

• 16:26 Season of Support Webinar Series Information

Register Now!

• Season of Support - Join us for a 4-week webinar series designed specifically for couples who want to stay connected, emotionally regulated, and intentional during the holidays — rather than simply surviving them. December 1, 8, 15, 22. Register to receive the Zoom link.

• Rise, Renew, Restore Somatic Healing Retreat in Costa Rica -  Ready to experience deep somatic healing? Join us this July for a transformative 5-day intensive created specifically for women healing from betrayal trauma or navigating divorce. This is your opportunity to reconnect with your body's wisdom, release what you've been carrying, and heal alongside other women who truly understand your journey. 

Questions or topics you'd like us to address? Send us an email with “Choose To Be” as the subject to [email protected]. 

Watch us⁠ on YouTube.

Follow us on Instagram: @choose_recovery_services

⁠Schedule⁠ a complimentary consultation.

Join our email list to be notified when new episodes air.

More from Choose Recovery Services

• Beyond the Facade Podcast - Podcast geared toward helping men live authentically and in harmony with their values.

• Choose Healing - Weekly support group for women who have recently experienced betrayal and are needing help coping with the symptoms of trauma. 

• Intensives - Accelerate your healing journey with one of our intensives. Foster connection with others who share similar experiences, creating an immersive environment that enables profound transformation in a short period of time.

• Healing Hearts - For couples seeking healing after betrayal. It emphasizes the development of empathy, integrity, and authentic intimacy. 

• Help. Her. Heal - This program is for men seeking to learn more about empathy, conflict resolution, and healthy communication. 

• Beyond the Facade: Men’s Healing Group - We help men move through the pains of addiction, relationship healing, managing emotions, and moving past shame. You’ll learn how to better connect with others, understand your own emotional experience, and build a deeper sense of self respect.

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Empowered Divorce Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ with Amie Woolsey for those who are leaning toward divorce.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

• Dating From Within - Amie Woolsey hosts this workshop which teaches you how to date yourself first. Learn how to know if you are ready to date again and what a healthy relationship looks like. 

• Should I Stay or Go? - Self-paced course designed to be a companion on your journey toward self-discovery and personal empowerment. 

• Trauma Trigger Kit - Triggers can come out of nowhere. Keep a Trauma Trigger Kit on hand to help you use your five senses to stay grounded and connected to yourself.

• Believing in You - In this program Amie teaches you how to work WITH your brain instead of against it. Learn tools that will help you move forward to trust, love, empowerment, and finding joy once again.

• Intimacy Within ⁠- Creating healthy intimacy with your partner begins with creating healthy intimacy within. Amie’s self-paced course and guidebook will walk you through the seven levels of intimacy. Learn how to embrace authenticity and vulnerability even in the face of potential rejection.

What happens after betrayal turns your life upside down? In this hope-filled episode, Amie and Alana talk with author and expert Tammy Gustafson, LPC, whose new book Broken to Brave maps out the four phases of healing after intimate betrayal.

Together they explore:

• Why early urgency (“Should I stay or go?”) can derail healing

• What the nervous system needs after relational trauma

• Why trust isn't yours to “give back” — it’s his to earn

• The most common places betrayed partners get stuck

• How post-traumatic growth reshapes your entire sense of self

Connect with Tammy:

• Tammy’s website

• Broken to Brave book

Chapters

02:17 Shock and Overwhelm04:21 Why Slowing Down Matters05:19 Stay or Go? 08:08 The Rumble16:47 Trusting Too Soon20:51 He Broke It - He Has to Fix It21:49 What Betrayed Partners Can Control24:02 Post-Traumatic Growth27:43 Permission to Heal Your Way29:49 Rise, Renew, and Restore Retreat

Register Now!

• Season of Support - Join us for a 4-week webinar series designed specifically for couples who want to stay connected, emotionally regulated, and intentional during the holidays — rather than simply surviving them. December 1, 8, 15, 22. Register to receive the Zoom link.

• Rise, Renew, Restore Somatic Healing Retreat in Costa Rica -  Ready to experience deep somatic healing? Join us this July for a transformative 5-day intensive created specifically for women healing from betrayal trauma or navigating divorce. This is your opportunity to reconnect with your body's wisdom, release what you've been carrying, and heal alongside other women who truly understand your journey. 

Questions or topics you'd like us to address? Send us an email with “Choose To Be” as the subject to [email protected]. 

Watch us⁠ on YouTube.

Follow us on Instagram: @choose_recovery_services

⁠Schedule⁠ a complimentary consultation.

Join our email list to be notified when new episodes air.

More from Choose Recovery Services

• Beyond the Facade Podcast - Podcast geared toward helping men live authentically and in harmony with their values.

• Choose Healing - Weekly support group for women who have recently experienced betrayal and are needing help coping with the symptoms of trauma. 

• Intensives - Accelerate your healing journey with one of our intensives. Foster connection with others who share similar experiences, creating an immersive environment that enables profound transformation in a short period of time.

• Healing Hearts - For couples seeking healing after betrayal. It emphasizes the development of empathy, integrity, and authentic intimacy. 

• Help. Her. Heal - This program is for men seeking to learn more about empathy, conflict resolution, and healthy communication. 

• Beyond the Facade: Men’s Healing Group - We help men move through the pains of addiction, relationship healing, managing emotions, and moving past shame. You’ll learn how to better connect with others, understand your own emotional experience, and build a deeper sense of self respect.

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Empowered Divorce Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ with Amie Woolsey for those who are leaning toward divorce.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

• Dating From Within - Amie Woolsey hosts this workshop which teaches you how to date yourself first. Learn how to know if you are ready to date again and what a healthy relationship looks like. 

• Should I Stay or Go? - Self-paced course designed to be a companion on your journey toward self-discovery and personal empowerment. 

• Believing in You - In this program Amie teaches you how to work WITH your brain instead of against it. Learn tools that will help you move forward to trust, love, empowerment, and finding joy once again.

• Intimacy Within ⁠- Creating healthy intimacy with your partner begins with creating healthy intimacy within. Amie’s self-paced course and guidebook will walk you through the seven levels of intimacy. Learn how to embrace authenticity and vulnerability even in the face of potential rejection.

When betrayal trauma enters a relationship, the question “Should I stay or should I go?” becomes unavoidable—even if it feels terrifying to consider. In this episode, Amie explores trauma-informed ways to evaluate safety, patterns, repair, and whether healing is possible inside the relationship.

You’ll learn why considering divorce is not the same as choosing it, how to assess real change, and how to reclaim agency, clarity, and emotional safety.

Chapters

• 02:07 The Fear and Stigma of Divorce

• 04:36 Freedom to Consider Divorce

• 05:54 Two Realities

• 10:17 Impact on Children and Personal Well-Being

• 19:44 Pattern Journaling

• 21:01 Season of Support: Holiday Webinar Series

• 25:21 When the Damage is Too Great

• 27:00 Reclaiming Agency 

• 39:40 The Cost of Staying vs. Leaving

Register Now!

• Should I Stay or Go? - Self-paced course designed to be a companion on your journey toward self-discovery and personal empowerment. 

• Season of Support - Join us for a 4-week webinar series designed specifically for couples who want to stay connected, emotionally regulated, and intentional during the holidays — rather than simply surviving them. December 1, 8, 15, 22. Register to receive the Zoom link.

• Rise, Renew, Restore Somatic Healing Retreat in Costa Rica -  Ready to experience deep somatic healing? Join us this July for a transformative 5-day intensive created specifically for women healing from betrayal trauma or navigating divorce. This is your opportunity to reconnect with your body's wisdom, release what you've been carrying, and heal alongside other women who truly understand your journey. 

• Revive and Thrive Somatic  Intensive for Women - Join us for a transformative four-day somatic healing intensive for women carrying trauma and tension in their bodies. Experience gentle release through expert-guided breathwork, brainspotting, energy healing, and nature immersion as you reclaim your body. Intensive is Jan 27-30, 2026 in Spanish Fork, Utah. 

• We don’t want finances to get in the way of your healing. Scholarships and payment plans (including buy now, pay later options) are available for all of our intensives. Learn more and see if you qualify.

Questions or topics you'd like us to address? Send us an email with “Choose To Be” as the subject to [email protected]. 

Watch us⁠ on YouTube.

Follow us on Instagram: @choose_recovery_services

⁠Schedule⁠ a complimentary consultation.

Join our email list to be notified when new episodes air.

More from Choose Recovery Services

• Beyond the Facade Podcast - Luke Gordon hosts a podcast geared toward helping men live authentically and in harmony with their values.

• Choose Healing - Weekly support group for women who have recently experienced betrayal. 

• Intensives - Accelerate your healing journey with one of our intensives. Foster connection with others who share similar experiences, creating an immersive environment that enables profound transformation in a short period of time.

• Healing Hearts - For couples seeking healing after betrayal.

• Help. Her. Heal - This program is for men seeking to learn more about empathy, conflict resolution, and healthy communication. 

• Beyond the Facade: Men’s Healing Group - We help men move through the pains of addiction, relationship healing, managing emotions, and moving past shame.

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Empowered Divorce Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ with Amie Woolsey for those who are leaning toward divorce.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

• Dating From Within - Workshop which teaches you how to date yourself first. Learn how to know if you are ready to date again and what a healthy relationship looks like. 

• Trauma Trigger Kit - Triggers can come out of nowhere. Keep a Trauma Trigger Kit on hand to help you use your five senses to stay grounded and connected to yourself.

• Believing in You - Learn tools that will help you move forward to trust, love, empowerment, and finding joy once again.

• Intimacy Within ⁠- Self-paced course and guidebook will walk you through the seven levels of intimacy.

In this episode, Amie and Alana unpack what a couple check-in really is, why so many partners feel confused or re-injured during them, and how to structure check-ins in a way that protects emotional safety.

They discuss readiness, timing, frequency, boundaries, and why the betraying partner must lead the process—not as a checkbox, but as genuine accountability. If your check-ins feel tense, weaponized, or performative, this episode offers clarity and validation.

Chapters

• 02:49 Understanding Couples Check-ins

• 03:58 Purpose and Timing of Check-ins

• 06:06 Navigating Early Stages of Recovery

• 08:50 Challenges and Misconceptions

• 18:42 Different Models of Check-ins

• 22:05 The Pitfalls of Check-ins

• 23:04 Managing Expectations in Recovery

• 28:27 Taking Responsibility

• 35:20 Avoiding Weaponization in Check-ins

Register Now!

• Season of Support - Join us for a 4-week webinar series designed specifically for couples who want to stay connected, emotionally regulated, and intentional during the holidays — rather than simply surviving them. December 1, 8, 15, 22. Register to receive the Zoom link.

• Rise, Renew, Restore Somatic Healing Retreat in Costa Rica -  Ready to experience deep somatic healing? Join us this July for a transformative 5-day intensive created specifically for women healing from betrayal trauma or navigating divorce. This is your opportunity to reconnect with your body's wisdom, release what you've been carrying, and heal alongside other women who truly understand your journey. 

• Revive and Thrive Somatic  Intensive for Women - Join us for a transformative four-day somatic healing intensive for women carrying trauma and tension in their bodies. Experience gentle release through expert-guided breathwork, brainspotting, energy healing, and nature immersion as you reclaim your body. Intensive is Jan 27-30, 2026 in Spanish Fork, Utah. 

• We don’t want finances to get in the way of your healing. Scholarships and payment plans (including buy now, pay later options) are available for all of our intensives. Learn more and see if you qualify.

Questions or topics you'd like us to address? Send us an email with “Choose To Be” as the subject to [email protected]. 

Watch us⁠ on YouTube.

Follow us on Instagram: @choose_recovery_services

⁠Schedule⁠ a complimentary consultation.

Join our email list to be notified when new episodes air.

More from Choose Recovery Services

• Beyond the Facade Podcast - Luke Gordon hosts a podcast geared toward helping men live authentically and in harmony with their values.

• Choose Healing - Weekly support group for women who have recently experienced betrayal. 

• Intensives - Accelerate your healing journey with one of our intensives. Foster connection with others who share similar experiences, creating an immersive environment that enables profound transformation in a short period of time.

• Healing Hearts - For couples seeking healing after betrayal.

• Help. Her. Heal - This program is for men seeking to learn more about empathy, conflict resolution, and healthy communication. 

• Beyond the Facade: Men’s Healing Group - We help men move through the pains of addiction, relationship healing, managing emotions, and moving past shame.

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Empowered Divorce Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ with Amie Woolsey for those who are leaning toward divorce.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

• Dating From Within - Amie Woolsey hosts this workshop which teaches you how to date yourself first.

• Should I Stay or Go? - Self-paced course designed to be a companion on your journey toward self-discovery and personal empowerment. 

• Trauma Trigger Kit - Keep a Trauma Trigger Kit on hand to help you use your five senses to stay grounded and connected to yourself.

• Believing in You - In this program Amie teaches you how to work WITH your brain instead of against it.

• Intimacy Within ⁠- Creating healthy intimacy with your partner begins with creating healthy intimacy within. Amie’s self-paced course and guidebook will walk you through the seven levels of intimacy.

Trauma lives in the body—sometimes long after the crisis ends. In this episode, nutritionist and trauma specialist Meg Bowman (MS, CNS, LDN, CHES) breaks down how food, stress, safety, and the nervous system are woven together.

You’ll learn why your body might still feel unsafe, how trauma impacts digestion and hunger, and what compassionate nutrition can do to support betrayal trauma recovery. We also explore simple practices to help your body shift out of survival mode.

Perfect for anyone navigating relational trauma, burnout, chronic stress, or dysregulation.

Connect with Meg:

• This Is Your Body on Trauma book

• Website

Chapters

• 00:16 Introducing Meg Bowman

• 01:47 Holistic Healing and Trauma

• 02:44 Nutrition and Trauma Recovery

• 04:09 Practical Tips for Nutrition and Safety

• 08:08 Challenges and Self-Compassion

• 11:59 Polyvagal Theory

• 27:44 Holiday Nutrition and Emotional Triggers

Register Now!

• Season of Support - Join us for a 4-week webinar series designed specifically for couples who want to stay connected, emotionally regulated, and intentional during the holidays — rather than simply surviving them. December 1, 8, 15, 22. Register to receive the Zoom link.

  
  

Rise, Renew, Restore Somatic Healing Retreat in Costa Rica -  Ready to experience deep somatic healing? Join us this July for a transformative 5-day intensive created specifically for women healing from betrayal trauma or navigating divorce. This is your opportunity to reconnect with your body's wisdom, release what you've been carrying, and heal alongside other women who truly understand your journey. 

• Revive and Thrive Somatic  Intensive for Women - Join us for a transformative four-day somatic healing intensive for women carrying trauma and tension in their bodies. Experience gentle release through expert-guided breathwork, brainspotting, energy healing, and nature immersion as you reclaim your body. Intensive is Jan 27-30, 2026 in Spanish Fork, Utah. 

• Scholarships and payment plans (including buy now, pay later options) are available for all of our intensives. Learn more and see if you qualify.

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More from Choose Recovery Services

• Beyond the Facade Podcast - Luke Gordon hosts a podcast geared toward helping men live authentically and in harmony with their values.

• Choose Healing - Weekly support group for women who have recently experienced betrayal and are needing help coping with the symptoms of trauma. 

• Intensives - Accelerate your healing journey with one of our intensives. Foster connection with others who share similar experiences, creating an immersive environment that enables profound transformation in a short period of time.

• Healing Hearts - For couples seeking healing after betrayal. It emphasizes the development of empathy, integrity, and authentic intimacy. 

• Help. Her. Heal - This program is for men seeking to learn more about empathy, conflict resolution, and healthy communication. 

• Beyond the Facade: Men’s Healing Group - We help men move through the pains of addiction, relationship healing, managing emotions, and moving past shame.

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Empowered Divorce Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ with Amie Woolsey for those who are leaning toward divorce.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

• Dating From Within - Amie Woolsey hosts this workshop which teaches you how to date yourself first.

• Should I Stay or Go? - Self-paced course designed to be a companion on your journey toward self-discovery and personal empowerment. 

• Trauma Trigger Kit - Triggers can come out of nowhere. Keep a Trauma Trigger Kit on hand to help you use your five senses to stay grounded and connected to yourself.

• Believing in You - In this program Amie teaches you how to work WITH your brain instead of against it.

• Intimacy Within ⁠- Amie’s self-paced course and guidebook will walk you through the seven levels of intimacy.