Most people look successful but feel dead inside.

They’ve lost their spark, their purpose, and their voice — and they’re stuck people pleasing, hiding the truth, and calling it “love.”

In this episode of Sex Afflictions and Porn Addictions, I sit down with Melanie Spring — brand muse, international keynote speaker, and creator of Speak With Confidence — to talk about what authenticity really means, why lying is abuse (yes, even “little” lies), and how people pleasing is actually manipulation that keeps everyone stuck.

If you’re a man struggling with sex or porn addiction — or a partner exhausted from carrying the weight of his secrets — this conversation is for you.

We talk about:
• What a brand muse actually does and why finding your voice is soul work
• How we lose our creative spark and identity as adults
• Why so many “successful” people are secretly miserable
• The impact of addiction on partners: energetic abuse, gaslighting, lost intuition
• Why lying is abuse even when he “doesn’t mean to hurt you”
• Boundaries as love and why love must be boundaried
• How Melanie set a hard boundary with her husband — and held it
• Why women need conscious community, not gossip circles
• How childhood betrayal loops repeat until we finally close them
• Why people pleasing is lying and manipulation
• What radical honesty and radical responsibility look like
• Personal style as an expression of your authentic self

If you’re tired of pretending and ready to stand fully in your truth, this episode will hit you in the best way.

We don’t promote other programs very often — but this one aligns perfectly with what we teach at The Mindful Habit.

Melanie Spring is incredible at helping people find and express their authentic voice, and I know some of you have been wanting to step into bigger stages, deeper truth, and more confident communication. If that’s you, you’ll get real value from this.

Here are the details:

Melanie’s SPEAK With Confidence program is on Black Friday sale right now — up to $1500 off through Tuesday at 8pm ET.
Use code PERRA for an extra 10% off + it gives me 10% of what you pay.

Program info: melaniespring.com/swc
Swipe copy for emails, texts, or social posts if you want to share it too: melaniespring.com/swc/affiliates
Code: PERRA

If you’ve been feeling called to speak more powerfully in 2025, this might be the perfect next step.

Connect with Melanie Spring
🔸 Website & retreats: https://www.melaniespring.com
🔸 Learn more about her Speak With Confidence program and upcoming women’s retreats on her site.

Most men are taught to hate the part of them that struggles.
What if that part isn’t your enemy at all… but your protector?

Buy The Book Altogether You: https://amzn.to/4rvtnex

In this groundbreaking conversation, Coach Craig sits down with trauma therapist and bestselling author Jenna Riemersma, whose book Altogether You bridges Internal Family Systems (IFS) with Christian faith in a way that is nothing short of revolutionary.

Together, they expose why the traditional addiction model keeps men trapped in shame and powerlessness—and how IFS offers a radically different path to healing, integrity, and self-leadership.

You’ll hear:

    •    Why identifying as an “addict” feels empowering at first—but eventually becomes a cage.
    •    Why the part of you that acts out isn’t sinful, broken, or demonic… it’s protective.
    •    How Christian theology and modern psychology actually reinforce each other when it comes to understanding your parts.
    •    Why partners get stuck in reactive boundary cycles—and how to break them.
    •    Why relationship, compassion, and self-leadership heal what shame and control never will.

Craig and Jenna unpack the Core Self from two directions—psychology and Christianity—and reveal a way of operationalizing faith that most churches completely miss.

If you or your spouse is struggling with pornography, unwanted sexual behavior, or betrayal trauma, this episode will fundamentally shift how you see the struggle, yourself, and each other.

This is the conversation every Christian man—and every church—needs to hear.

Resources and Links Mentioned

Buy The Book Altogether You: https://amzn.to/4rvtnex

Jenna’s website https://movetoward.com

Altogether You On Demand Workshop https://movetoward.com
Use code AY15 for 15% off

Free IFS guided meditations and resources Available at https://movetoward.com

Book referenced in the episode Altogether You by Jenna Riemersma

You can’t build a powerful life on a foundation of chaos at home. And most men don’t struggle because they don’t love their partner — they struggle because no one ever taught them how to talk about hard things without it blowing up.

Download The BRAVE Framework here: https://www.melissananavati.com/BRAVEscripts

In this powerful episode, you will learn:
🔥 Why love is not enough without structure
🔥 How to talk about hard topics without triggering defensiveness
🔥 Why creating safety must happen before chemistry
🔥 How physical touch regulates the nervous system during conflict
🔥 Why “I’m sorry” means nothing without action
🔥 And how to co-create solutions that actually stick

If you’ve broken trust, kept secrets, or feel disconnected from your partner, this episode will give you a system to repair, rebuild, and lead your relationship with courage.

Download The BRAVE Framework here: https://www.melissananavati.com/BRAVEscripts

Melissa Nanavati is a speaker, author, and Relationship Architect who helps high performers rebuild trust, reignite chemistry, and create systems for love that last. She blends neuroscience, biology, and lived experience to teach the art of relational courage.

Despite early success as a Fortune 100 consultant and bestselling textbook author, Melissa spent years struggling with an anxiety disorder, battling alcohol abuse, and enduring over 100 first dates in her search for a partner.

When she finally met her husband, their relationship was forged under extraordinary pressure, including raising $1.1 million for his world-record expedition and spending 4 months apart while running two businesses.

Through that journey, Melissa developed frameworks and tools to help high achievers build peaceful, powerful relationships. She is a trusted relationship coach for executives, founders, and driven individuals seeking actionable, science-backed tools to navigate love. 

Melissa reveals her BRAVE Framework, a neuroscience-backed, action-driven structure that transforms the way couples communicate. This isn’t fluffy advice — it’s tactical, practical, and built for real life.

Download The BRAVE Framework here: https://www.melissananavati.com/BRAVEscripts

She offers powerful one-on-one coaching, so reach out and apply here:

Apply for Coaching: https://www.melissananavati.com/coaching
Learn more at: www.MelissaNanavati.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/MelissaNanavati
YouTube: www.youtube.com/@PeakPerformanceLove
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/MelissaNanavati

Remember: Your relationship won’t fix itself. Courage will.

They told you masculinity was toxic.
They were wrong.

In this episode, Craig Perra sits down with Geoff Laughton and Mark Johnson, founders of The Undaunted Man, for one of the most raw and powerful conversations you’ll hear this year.

They expose how modern men have been shamed for being masculine, how this has left millions lost, numb, and disconnected, and what it takes to reclaim strength without losing heart.

You’ll learn:

-Why so many men secretly feel broken
-The difference between healthy masculine and unhealthy control
-Why community and brotherhood matter more than ever
-How to be fearless and live with purpose again

If you’ve ever felt disconnected from your power, this conversation will wake you up. 

👉 Learn more at www.theundauntedman.com

Remember: No one’s coming to save you. Feed the right wolf inside you.

Visit: https://mindfulhabithelp.com/group-coaching

In this episode, Coach Craig Perra tackles one of the most controversial and important topics in the church today: why so many faith-based porn recovery programs fail—and how they may actually make things worse (unintentionally of course).

Drawing on over a decade of coaching pastors, Christian leaders, and men of faith, Craig exposes the hidden disconnect between sin-based approaches and neuroscience. He explores why shame-based recovery fuels relapse, why “perfect sobriety” is an illusion, and how Internal Family Systems (IFS) offers a Christ-aligned, science-backed path toward healing.

🔥 Topics Covered:
Why so many pastors secretly struggle with porn
How “don’t lust” and “don’t touch” rules backfire
The dangerous all-or-nothing myth of “perfect sobriety”
The truth about our biology, trauma, and unmet needs
A faith-aligned alternative: leading your “addict part” with grace, not shame

🧠 If you’ve ever felt like your faith and your biology are at war, this episode might change how you see addiction forever.

👉 Learn more or get help at www.mindfulhabithelp.com

If you just found out your husband is a sex addict, you’re probably feeling lost, angry, and unsure of what to do next. You’re not alone.

In this episode, Craig talks about what recovery really looks like for couples facing sexual betrayal. He shares the first steps for healing, what to expect during the process, and how to protect your emotional well-being while your partner does the work to change.

You’ll learn why recovery isn’t just about stopping the behavior—it’s about rebuilding honesty, trust, and connection one step at a time.

Visit https://mindfulhabithelp.com to learn more about our Partner Empowerment Group for spouses of sex addicts, or explore our friend Dr. Debbie Silber’s Post Betrayal Transformation Institute, a wonderful program and friend of ours: https://mypbtinstitute.com/~access/a8c2087f/

If you’re ready to start healing, this episode will help you take your first step toward strength and clarity.

Most men want deeper connection with their partner but don’t know how to get there - especially after recovering from sex and porn addiction. The harder they try, the more disconnected it feels.

In this episode, Craig talks with Shana James, author of Honest Sex, A Passionate Path to Deepen Connection and Keep Relationships Alive, about building trust, passion, and truth in your relationship. They explore how fear, shame, and performance keep men from being fully present—and how honesty can actually bring more attraction, safety, and fulfillment into your sex life.

If you’ve ever felt stuck in surface-level intimacy or afraid to express what you really want, this conversation will help you understand how honesty can transform everything.

Get Shana’s book Honest Sex: https://amzn.to/47keh3G
Learn more: MindfulHabitHelp.com

Connect with Shana: www.ShanaJamesCoaching.com

About Shana James:
Shana James has spent over 20 years helping men and women create real connections and authentic communication. Through her Man Alive podcast and her book Honest Sex, she helps people drop the masks, tell the truth, and experience relationships that are alive, open, and real.

Takeaway:
Honesty isn’t the end of passion. It’s the beginning of it.

Most men were never taught how to have a healthy sex life. Porn, shame, and silence replaced real intimacy—and it’s destroying connection, confidence, and marriages.

In this episode, Craig talks with men’s coach Rob Kansler about what it really takes to create great sex and a great life. They explore how porn and peak release cycles disconnect men from their partners, why integrity and nervous system regulation are key, and how healthy sexuality transforms everything—from your marriage to your purpose.

If you’re a married man ready to move from addiction and secrecy to clarity, strength, and connection, this conversation will hit home.

Learn more: MindfulHabitHelp.com
Take the Men of Substance Bedroom Compass Assessment – know exactly where you stand with the universal building blocks of a great sex life: BedroomCompass.com
Connect with Rob: RobKansler.com
Socials: @robkancler

About Rob Kansler:
Rob Kancler is an artist, athlete, entrepreneur, and modern mystic. He runs Men of Substance™️, a sexual mastery program serving men worldwide. His revolutionary work gives all people access to the profound sexual experiences hidden in the most obscure spiritual traditions—radically expanding a conversation most people take for granted and revealing the blind spots about sex that everyone carries but no one sees. The truth is this quietly keeps men and women from the confidence, vitality, love, meaning, and deeper fulfillment available in every part of life. Check out the foundational Men of Substance™️ program at www.robkancler.com
And take the free assessment at www.bedroomcompass.com

Takeaway:
Great sex isn’t just about technique—it’s about integrity, honesty, and being fully present.

If you’ve spent years being the nice guy—trying to make everyone happy while secretly feeling empty or stuck in unhealthy habits—this episode is for you. Craig talks directly to married men who are ready to break free from porn addiction, people pleasing, and the patterns that keep them disconnected from their true power.

Drawing on insights from No More Mr Nice Guy A Proven Plan for Getting What You Want in Love Sex and Life by Dr Robert Glover, Craig explains how reclaiming honesty, integrity, and masculine strength can transform your relationships and your life. He also introduces MindfulHabitMastery.com, a new program built for leaders and professionals who want to overcome destructive habits, rebuild trust, and live with purpose and self control. He also introduces his new podcast for leaders titled patterns of power. 

Get the book: No More Mr Nice Guy by Dr Robert Glover
Learn more: MindfulHabitHelp.com
Coming soon: MindfulHabitMastery.com

Takeaway:
What would you say to your partner if you knew it would be received with honesty, understanding, and love?

There are only 5 days left until we begin Patterns of Power, a 10 week experience built for leaders and professionals who have done the work but still feel drained, stuck performing, and unsure why success feels like suffocation. THE START DATE IS OCTOBER 14TH - DONE BY CHRISTMAS, START THE NEW YEAR IN SELF-LEADERSHIP!!!

In this episode, Coach Craig sits down with leadership coach and author Brent Perkins, former CEO of two eight figure companies and writer of Paper Cuts The Art of Self Delusion — available now on Amazon. https://amzn.to/3IAwqAF 

Together they talk about capacity, your ability to hold more without breaking. They explore what happens when your vault is empty, why discipline alone is not enough, and how a thousand small paper cuts quietly drain your energy, attention, and presence.

This is the first time Craig has ever collaborated with another coach in this way because he has never been so confident in the value of the partnership. Craig’s expertise in destructive habits combined with Brent’s expertise in leadership creates a powerful experience for high performers ready to make lasting change.

If you lead teams, businesses, or people and still feel like you are white knuckling life, this conversation is your wake up call. It is time to stop performing and start leading from a place of power.

Spots for Patterns of Power are almost full. Enrollment closes in 5 days. Click the link below to learn more about the program, including how you can be reimbursed through your company’s leadership or professional development budget.
https://coach-craig-b8c2.mykajabi.com/patterns-of-power-cohort 

If you want to talk directly with Craig, schedule a free 30 minute consultation call to see if Patterns of Power is the right fit for you. The program investment is 5,000 dollars and includes a 100 percent money back guarantee.
https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/bookings/consult-for-leaders-w-craig-pe 

Take the next step today before enrollment closes.