EP.30 Women and Porn Addiction: Breaking Shame and Finding Freedom with Ellie Berry
Dating and Desire PodcastShow Notes
Ellie Berry, a Sexual Addiction and Recovery coach, joins Lauren and Bridgett for an honest conversation about women, pornography, and what the path toward real freedom can look like. Drawing from her own experience with pornography addiction and recovery, Ellie names the isolation many women carry when their story does not fit the common assumption that pornography is primarily a man's struggle. Together, they explore why healing takes more than shame, willpower, or simply trying harder. Ellie shares how understanding triggers and the brain's addiction cycle changed the way she understood recovery, why telling a safe person became such an important part of her own healing, and what it can look like to become curious about the deeper needs for connection, relief, pleasure, and care underneath unwanted sexual behavior. The conversation also makes room for a question many Christian women may not know how to ask: What do I do with sexual desire when I'm single, recovering, or choosing not to act on it? Lauren, Bridgett, and Ellie talk about learning to listen to the body without treating desire as dirty or dangerous, finding healthy ways to move that energy toward life and connection, and discovering that sexual wholeness is about much more than whether or not a particular behavior stops. For any woman who has struggled quietly, wondered whether she is the only one, or felt like she should have figured this out by now, this episode offers both practical first steps and a deeply hopeful picture of recovery. And for the friend who may someday be trusted with someone's story, it offers guidance for how to respond with care instead of shame. Through it all is a reminder that healing does not begin with earning your way back to God. His delight has not disappeared because you struggle.
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SHOW RESOURCES Beyond the Porn Phenomenon from Pure Desire Ministries and Barna Group Fight the New Drug Ellie offers a free First Steps in Recovery PDF for women who want to begin taking immediate steps toward healing and recovery.
CONNECT WITH ELLIE BERRY - Website - Instagram: @elliebe_ - Ellie also offers an individual coaching package that includes six sessions over three months for women who want more personalized support in their recovery journey.
ABOUT ELLIE BERRY Ellie Berry is a Sexual Addiction and Recovery coach based in Northern Idaho who is passionate about empowering and equipping women through individual coaching, resources, and group sessions.Outside of her coaching work, Ellie is getting back into running as a hobby and enjoys sitting in a cute coffee shop and walking her two golden retrievers, Margo and Maple.
Want help applying this to your dating life? If something in this episode resonated with you, here are two ways to go deeper depending on what you need:
🩷 Work with Bridgett You don’t need more rules. You need a deeper understanding of your sexual desire.If you still feel confused about how to navigate dating without shutting down or crossing your boundaries, Bridgett helps you build sexual self-trust and honor your values → RECLAIM Cohort 📓 Free Guides and Ecourse → Instagram → Website
💙 Work with Lauren If you’re feeling unsure what to do next— whether that’s meeting people, choosing who to pursue, or trusting your judgment in dating, Lauren helps you move forward with clarity and confidence. → Work with Lauren 📔 Get the free guide Dating Apps Don’t Have to Be Confusing → Instagram → Website
Have more questions? Email us at [email protected]
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