Rise: Hope and Healing After Sexual Betrayal Podcast

Understanding PTSD Symptoms After Sexual Betrayal

In this episode of Rise: Hope and Healing After Sexual Betrayal, Dr. Kevin Skinner and Marianne Michaels dive deep into why sexual betrayal is best understood through the lens of trauma and PTSD. They discuss the history of partner responses—moving away from the outdated “co-addict” model—and explain how research since the mid-2000s has validated that betrayed partners often experience symptoms identical to PTSD.

Together, they explore the five PTSD criteria as they relate to betrayal:

Criteria B: Reliving it through triggers, flashbacks, and nightmares.

Criteria C: Avoidance of people, places, or even one’s own emotions.

Criteria D: Negative mood and cognitions, including shame, self-blame, and feeling “not enough.”

Criteria E: Hyperarousal and hypervigilance, including sleep issues and self-harm risk.

Criteria A: Threats to life, including risks of STDs, sexual violence, or unsafe relationship dynamics.

This episode emphasizes that betrayed partners are not crazy—their reactions are normal trauma responses. By identifying symptoms through proper assessments, betrayed partners can validate their experiences and take steps toward healing.

Assessment: Trauma Inventory for Betrayed Partners (free access)

Skinner, K. (2018). Treating Trauma from Sexual Betrayal.

Stephens, B., & Rennie, R. (2006). Early research linking betrayal trauma with PTSD symptoms.

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). DSM-5: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (for PTSD criteria).

Additional Recommended Reading & Support

Becker, M. (2019). Compassion for Couples: Building the Skills of Loving Connection.

Mays, M. (2023). The Betrayal Bind: How to Heal When the Person You Love the Most Hurts You the Worst.

Keffer, S. (2018). Intimate Deception: Healing the Wounds of Sexual Betrayal.

HumanIntimacy.com — courses, resources, and upcoming retreats.

In this opening episode of Rise: Hope and Healing After Sexual Betrayal, Dr. Kevin Skinner and MaryAnn Michaelis speak directly to those standing in the aftermath of discovery day—the moment life suddenly changes because of sexual betrayal.

They share clinical expertise, personal stories, and research insights from thousands of betrayed partners to validate the shock, confusion, and pain that follow betrayal. Using powerful metaphors like “being hit by a truck,” they help listeners name the trauma and understand why the experience feels so overwhelming.

Dr. Skinner and MaryAnn also outline how betrayal trauma mirrors the symptoms of PTSD, including intrusive thoughts, hypervigilance, avoidance, mood changes, and a deep sense of shattered safety. To bring grounding and relief amidst racing thoughts and overwhelming emotions, they introduce the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding tool, a simple yet powerful exercise that uses the five senses to calm the nervous system.

Above all, this episode offers a message of hope: though life may feel broken beyond repair, healing is possible step by step, breath by breath. You are not alone, and there is a pathway forward.

Assessment: Betrayal Trauma Symptom Assessment – measure your current experiences and begin tracking your healing journey.

Book: Treating Trauma from Sexual Betrayal by Dr. Kevin Skinner – research-based guidance for understanding and healing betrayal trauma.

Grounding Exercise: The 5-4-3-2-1 Tool (identify 5 things you see, 4 you feel, 3 you hear, 2 you smell, 1 you taste).

12-Step Insight: “A day at a time, a step at a time, a breath at a time.” – a reminder for pacing yourself in the healing process.

Support: Visit humanintimacy.com/reclaim for resources, courses, and ongoing support for betrayed partners.