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Today, I sit down in person with Andrea Epting, a specialist in betrayal trauma, sexual compulsivity, intimacy recovery, and behavioral addictions. Ms. Epting is a third-generation Savannian, a therapist with more than two decades of experience, and the founder of Resolve Strategies as well as the nonprofit HUGS—Heads Up Guidance Services. We open our conversation by discussing the impact of intimacy, the meaning behind “Into me, you see,” and how addiction, trauma, and emotional wounds shape the way individuals experience relationships. 

Ms. Epting explains how betrayal extends far beyond cheating. She breaks down emotional betrayal, financial secrecy, addiction-related betrayal, and even body betrayal—when trauma, medical events, or chronic stress cause a person’s own body to turn against them. She walks me through how intimacy betrayal and sexual compulsivity often develop alongside childhood wounds, unresolved trauma, and all-or-nothing behavioral patterns such as eating disorders, overspending, gambling, or pornography addiction. We explore how the nervous system becomes hyper-aroused, how trauma imprints on the body, and why many partners sense the truth long before it’s ever revealed. 

We also talk about the complex stages of recovery. Ms. Epting outlines the first 30–90 days of abstinence, the rollercoaster emotional cycle, and the importance of separating codependency from real healing. She details what rebuilding trust actually looks like: both partners entering their own recovery, completing 24 core tasks, joining process groups, and participating in a formal disclosure process that reestablishes honesty and creates a foundation for reconciliation. She emphasizes that some couples rebuild stronger than ever, while others part ways peacefully after finally understanding themselves and each other clearly. 

Our conversation also covers Ms. Epting’s work with body betrayal and her personal near-death medical experience, which reshaped her understanding of trauma and led her to create resources for individuals without financial access to long-term care. She shares the story behind founding HUGS, a nonprofit providing low-cost, long-term counseling through volunteer professionals, and the creation of her “Lightning in a Bottle” platform, including her 90-day “Plan to Recover” journal designed to help people build healthy habits, emotional regulation, and self-trust. 

Before we close, Ms. Epting leaves listeners with a powerful message: you are worth it. Whether you’re battling addiction, recovering from betrayal, or supporting someone who is hurting, your value does not disappear. Recovery requires turning toward yourself—not away—and recognizing when resistance signals deeper wounds.

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*Couple O' Nukes LLC and Mr. Whiskey are not licensed medical entities, nor do they take responsibility for any advice or information put forth by guests. Take all advice at your own risk.