Live Online | October 15–18, 2020

Dismantling Dysfunction,
Embracing Intimacy

An amazing 3 days 4 DAYS of inspiration and practical advice from experts in the fields of recovery, trauma, and relationships.


MORE THAN 20+ 30+ HOURS OF RELATIONSHIP-CHANGING INFORMATION


The 2020 Summit is over. But you can sign up to be one of the very first to receive info on the 2021 Summit!

The Choose Connection Summit's mission is simple....
 ...we will provide education, inspiration, and hope to individuals and couples seeking freedom from addiction and trauma into flourishing relationships of connection, healing, and love.

30+ Expert Presentations & Interviews Over 3 4 Days

In the search for solid information on recovery and healing for your relationship after the discovery of addiction and/or betrayal, knowing which sources to trust is a constant concern.

 

So many so-called "experts" share tips, advice, and rules that are outdated and, frankly, unhelpful. They do not take into account advances in the fields of attachment studies, couple therapy, and interpersonal neurobiology, instead overly focusing on individual processes, often to the detriment of the relationship. 

 

This summit will present more than 30 experts who understand the importance of your relationship and its place in you and your partner's healing journeys. Hear cutting edge presentations, personal testimonies, and interviews with those who have personally and/or professionally walked this road before!

OUR AMAZING SPEAKERS!

We've had such an amazing response from speaker invites,
we have had to expand our Summit

from three to FOUR powerful, inspiration-packed days!

Dr. Sheri Keffer
LMFT, CPTT-S, CCPS EMDR

Dr. Barbara Steffens
LPCC, BCC, CCPS, CPC

MJ Denis
LPC, LMFT, CST, CCPS

Dr. Stefanie Carnes
President, IITAP

Carol Juergensen Sheets
LCSW, CSAT, CCPS, PCC

Catherine Etherington
Naked Truth Recovery

Dr. Barbara Lowe
LP, BCC, SEP

Jonathan Daugherty
Be Broken Ministries

Marnie Ferree
MA, LMFT, CSAT

Dr. Jake Porter
Founder, Daring Ventures

Connie & Bob Spiegel
Reconciled Relationships

Andrea Rogers
MS, BCC, CPC-C

Enod Gray
LCSW, CSAT, CPLC, EMDR

Jenna Riemersma
LPC, CSAT-S

Janice Caudill
CSAT-S, CCPS-S, PBTT, IAT, SEP

Jessica Guillory
Daring Ventures Recovery

John & Karen Rellos
CPC, CCLC, IAC, CPM

Julie St. Onge
RN, BSN, ACSTH, CPC-c, C-SASI

Kim Petroni
MA, CPC-c, CPLC

Lyschel Burket
PCC, RLC, CPC, ADOH

Marnie Breecker
LMFT, CSAT, CCPS

Sara Schulting-Kranz
Living Boldly Coaching

Stacey Sadler, LPC
staceysadler.com

Tina Wehner, LCMHC
Hope and Freedom Counseling

Lisa Taylor, CCPS
Naked Truth Project

Gaelyn Rae Emerson
CPLC, CCRC, CDRC, ACC, CPC

Delphi Medina
LCSW-S, CSAT-S, CMAT-S, CDWF

Lynn & Julie Calhoun
Healing Together, LLC

BJ Ramon
HCCC

Conrad & Kathy Reynolds

Daring Ventures Recovery

Jen Cole, RN, CPC
JenniferCole.coach

Dan Drake
LMFT, LPCC, CSAT-S, CCPS-S

Sarah Morales, CPC, CRC

Sarah Morales Coaching

Dr. Windell Gill, PSAP
The Daring Ventures Initiative

Janet Nicholas,LPC, LCDC

Author & Therapist

Michael & Kristin Cary
Living Truth Ministries

Stephen Cabler

Cabler Polygraph, LLC

Sharon Rinearson, LCSW
CORE Relationship Recovery

James Annear, LMHC
CORE Relationship Recovery

Laurie Hall, CPC-S, PSAP
President, APSATS

HERE'S JUST A PORTION OF
THE FULL SPEAKER SCHEDULE!

Day 1 - October 15, 2020 - Partial Schedule

A Reconciled Relationship: Sobriety, Recovery, and the Holy Grail of Intimacy

Session Starts 2pm Central


After years of marital devastation by sex addiction and expensive yet damaging counseling, Connie and Bob experienced a divorce and then a remarriage. They suffered insane days of continual betrayal until Bob was finally taught the ABC's of sex addiction. He learned why he used sex to medicate his emotions, and Connie found her voice to state what she needed to feel safe and connected to him.

 

Intimacy came and went like the wind. Closeness was followed by withholding as both struggled in adjusting to a new normal of sober sex. Connie and Bob learned empathy for each other's pain and vulnerably discussed triggers while emotionally escalated — all while grasping for healing and closeness. It felt like a full time job. Connie and Bob now say, "We don't have a fairy-tale marriage. But we wouldn't trade intimately knowing each other, and we are both willing to fight for connection even if it hurts at times."

Bob & Connie Spiegel, CPC
Relational Recovery Coach, Daring Ventures
Founder, Reconciled Relationships

Carol Juergensen Sheets,
LCSW, CSAT, CCPC, PCC

Carol the Coach Strategic Coaching and Therapies

Helping Her Heal: Teaching Couples to Trust Again to Rebuild Intimacy and Empathy

Session Starts 5pm Central


Couples are in chaos after sexual betrayal. This session will help couples begin to develop the skills necessary to rebuild their relationship after infidelity. Carol the Coach will teach tools that all couples wold benefit from learning to enhance relationship building — tools essential after betrayal to rebuild trust and intimacy, and to develop the empathy to help her heal.

Marnie Ferree, MA, LMFT, CSAT
Founder & Director, Bethesda Workshops

Help and Hope for Women Struggling with Sex and Love Addiction: Practicing Genuine Intimacy through Recovery & Healing

Session Starts 6PM Central


If you are a woman who struggles with sex, love or relationship addiction, you’re not alone! It may feel that way because relatively few women are open, much less public, about their challenges in this area.

 

Yet women struggle, too, and in huge numbers. At least one in three visitors to an online adult site is female. Shame often keeps women silent, and sadly, most churches and even counselors don’t recognize their struggle or provide resources for women.

 

In this interview session between Marnie and Dr. Jake, we will explore the uniquenesses of the recovery experience for the female sex and love addict, and also provide insight and hope for those finding their way toward healing and intimacy.

Surviving Sexual Betrayal

Session Starts 7pm Central


Betrayal can be devastating to your partner and your relationship, but many couples still love one another and are committed to mending their relationships. In order to do this, it is important for the unfaithful party to understand the traumatic nature of betrayal, and understand how to respond sensitively to their partner's pain. It is also critical they adopt a stance of honesty, transparency and commitment in their relationships. This often includes participating in a facilitated disclosure and emotional restitution process.

 

Dr. Carnes will be discussing the strategies for relational healing outlined in her new book, Courageous Love: A Couples Guide to Conquering Betrayal.

Stefanie Carnes, PhD

President, IITAP
Senior Fellow, The Meadows

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Day 2 - October 16, 2020 - Partial Schedule

Dr. Barbara Lowe, LP, BCC, SEP 

DrBarbaraLowe.com
Co-Founder, World Women's Wholeness Summit

Intimacy After a Lifetime of Trauma

Session Starts 10am Central


Dr. Barbara Lowe is a licensed psychologist, founder and owner of Greenleaf Psychological Services, a Somatic Experience Practitioner, EMDR Practitioner, Board Certified Life Coach, educator, lay minister, and author. As a gifted international speaker, her audiences are left with the feeling that they have been seen, that their pain has been witnessed, and that their hope for a better life has been renewed. She led the women's panel at the American Association of Christian Counselors World Conference 2019 and she also chaired the AACC World committee for preventing sexual abuse, harassment, and abuses of power.

 

She and her husband Pastor Tim Sauve are founders of the World Women’s Wholeness Summits (3WSummit.com), international on-line conferences dedicated to unity with diversity, legacy, and women’s wholeness from a mental health and faith integrated platform. She is the founder of the Hearts Returning Home Course and soul transformation method that hundreds of women have used to exchange their deepest hurts, wounds, and fears for real hope and joyful confidence. She is the visionary and editor of the Wholeness Rising wholeness handbook for all women. Her programs have impacted over 25,000 women in over 100 countries. She is also the host of the popular Live at 5 Show with Dr. Barbara on Facebook and YouTube and of the internationally acclaimed the Whole Life Podcast.

Couples Recovery: Forgiveness and Reconciliation After Betrayal

Session Starts 7pm Central


Sexual betrayal of any kind in a committed relationship – especially when the betrayal was on going and held secret by the betrayer- has a devastating effect on the connection and trust between the two individuals. This can be the death of a relationship if true reconciliation does not occur. So, what is reconciliation? How does forgiveness and trust play a role in that process?

 

In this talk, we will discuss this process and dispel often held myths about what it takes to forgive, to trust, and to reconcile. We’ll use our own process of reconciliation to illustrate the concepts we share with the goal of providing help and hope to couples who are committed to building an honest and intimate relationship after betrayal. For those who are not sure if reconciliation is possible, we hope to give you sign posts to help you determine where you are and where you might be headed.

Steve & Barbara Steffens,
PhD, LPCC, BCC, CCPS

Safe Passages
Former President, APSATS

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Day 3 - October 17, 2020 - Partial Schedule

Don't Quit Before the Miracle! Hope for When It's Hard

Session Starts 10am Central


There are some periods in the journey to relational healing and wholeness where dismantling dysfunction and embracing intimacy feel like never ending, all consuming jobs!

 

In this interview, Cat will unpack some of the common relational dynamics that keep couples stuck and cycling and some of the ways she works with couples through these sticky patches. She will offer some hopeful examples of couples doing the work to move beyond these phases and will encourage you to not "quit before the miracle". Through stories and case studies, Cat will demonstrate that hope and healing are possible and reframe the challenges faced by many couples as opportunities for growth and intimacy development, dismantling dysfunction and growing into health.

Catherine Etherington, CPC 

Head of Recovery, Naked Truth Recovery

Rebuilding Intimacy After Sexual Betrayal

Session Starts 9am Central


When the sexual brokenness of pornography, affairs, etc., devastates a marriage, is there hope for restoration and rebuilding intimacy?

 

Discover the hope and healing that can transform what seems to be a total loss into a remarkable victory. Learn what it means to speak the truth in love, heal wounds through empathy, (re)learn true intimacy, and guard the treasure of a restored marriage.

Jonathan Daugherty

Be Broken Ministries

The 40 Day Choose Connection Challenge: Applying the Science of Change for Relational Transformation

Session Starts 7pm Central


Disfunction doesn’t just disappear, and intimacy isn’t created through mere intention. No, we must ACT differently to create a life of renewed relationships. In Dr. Jake’s brand new, free program—The 40 Day Choose Connection Challenge—couples learn how to take small steps toward the dismantling of their dysfunctional dynamics and the actual embrace of intimate connection.

In his summit address, Dr. Jake will lay the foundation for choosing connection and explain the neuroscience of why we must behave differently to think and feel differently. With the fundamentals of the Choose Connection paradigm in place, couples will be prepared to launch into their own 40-day adventure, discovering the power of small steps toward big change.

Dr. Jake Porter
Founder & President, Daring Ventures
& The Choose Connection Summit

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Day 4 - October 18, 2020 - Partial Schedule

Maneuvering Sexual Intimacy After Infidelity

Session Starts 11am Central


After sexual betrayal, couples experience sexual dysfunction. During "Maneuvering Sexual Intimacy After Infidelity," Daring Ventures Team Member Connie Spiegel will talk with MJ about common sexual challenges after infidelity and share guidance regarding conversations couples can have and steps couples can take to help them maneuver their sexual relationship to increase both individual and couples healing.

MJ Dennis, LPC, LMFT,
AASECT-CST, CCPS

Crossroads Counseling Associates

Intimate Deception: Healing the Wounds of Sexual Betrayal

Session Starts 4pm Central


Beyond broken vows, discovering that your significant other has been viewing pornography, sexting, or having an affair deals a devastating blow to your self-image and self-worth. You must grapple with the fact that the one you thought you knew has intentionally lied and deceived you.

 

Dr. Sheri Keffer will invite you to discover the healing you can have after the trauma of sexual betrayal. She'll unpack how betrayal affects your mind, body, spirit, and sexuality. So often, those of us that have been sexually betrayed, heal broken. Much like a broken bone that isn't set before healing, betrayed partners can be left with residual pain and suffer longterm effects. Sheri's desire is to not only help you heal, but heal well.

Sheri Keffer, PhD, LMFT,
CPTT-S, CSAT, CCPS, EMDR

Author, Intimate Deception
Founder, BraveOne.com

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Where is the event being held? 

Is the event really free?

Who is this summit best suited too? 

Is this summit a "Christian" faith-based event? 

What if I can't make the live event on October 15–18, 2020? 

Is the summit really just online?