I’m thrilled to announce that I was recently interviewed on the Divorcing Religion podcast in an episode titled “Porn is Not the Problem.” This was a powerful, honest, and deeply personal conversation that I’m so excited to share with you all.
In this interview, I dive into my journey of becoming a Christian and a therapist, my “recovery” from porn addiction, my work in the field of sex addiction, and—most importantly—my own healing from religious trauma and sexual shame. We explore big questions like:
- How do religion and purity culture harm sexuality?
- Is porn addiction real?
- What is ethical porn?
- How do we explore our sexuality without shame?
- What does recovery really look like when you’re deconstructing old beliefs?
We also talk about Internal Family Systems (IFS) and how life-changing it has been for me and the people I work with. I share how IFS helps us tune into our internal compass—learning to trust ourselves rather than relying on authority figures to define who we are or how we should live.
If you’ve experienced religious trauma, childhood trauma, or just carry shame around your sexuality or orientation, I truly believe this episode will speak to you. It’s a hopeful, insightful, and at times controversial conversation—not just about deconstruction, but about reconstruction too: reclaiming your sexuality, your identity, and your freedom.
My heartfelt thanks to Janice Selbie for creating such a meaningful space and sharing her own courageous story of healing.
👉 Watch it on YouTube (highly recommended for the full experience), or listen on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Check out previous podcast interviews here.
💫 If this conversation resonates with you and you’re looking for support on your own journey of healing, sexual empowerment, or deconstruction—I’d love to work with you. Reach out anytime. This is the work I love, and I’m honored to walk alongside others reconnecting with themselves and reclaiming their truth.
In empowering support,
Forest Benedict, LMFT
For more articles and poems on political anxiety, self-connection, IFS, sexuality. religious trauma, CPTSD, codependency, healing, and embodied transformation, I invite you to follow and explore my blog and follow along for future posts.
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