Why This Therapist Says Connection Is Key to Quitting Porn

Licensed professional counselor Jarrod Hoffman works with children, teens, and families navigating addiction, trauma, and the challenges of growing up in a digital world. But his understanding of these struggles is also deeply personal. After first encountering pornography at age 11, Jarrod spent years trying to quit before seeking counseling at 25.How does pornography affect the developing teenage brain? Why is it so hard to quit watching porn? Can childhood trauma contribute to porn addiction? And how can parents help a teenager struggling with pornography? In this episode, Jarrod shares his personal journey with pornography and recovery, what he's seeing among young people today, and why overcoming shame and building meaningful connections can be essential parts of healing. He also discusses pornography's impact on young people, the role of counseling and EMDR therapy, and why recovery is possible even after years of struggling.This episode is sponsored by Relay, a secure peer-support app that connects you with a small group of people who understand what you’re going through and help you stay accountable on your journey to quit porn. CBC listeners can try Relay free for 7 days by signing up at http://ftnd.org/joinrelay.Episode Resources:Jarrod's Website: Jarrod HoffmanFight the New Drug: Parenting GuideSexaholics AnonymousAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Trigger Warning: This episode includes discussions of child sexual exploitation, sextortion, suicide, and suicidal ideation. Listener discretion is advised.Kellye Netz is a detective sergeant who has spent years investigating crimes against children and is a parent navigating many of the same decisions about technology, social media, and online safety as other families.How are predators reaching kids through gaming and social platforms? What happens when AI-generated explicit images are used for sextortion? And how can parents protect their kids without simply trying to keep them offline? In this bonus episode, Kellye shares what she’s seeing firsthand in investigations involving sextortion, AI deepfakes, and online exploitation, along with the rules she follows in her own home and why she believes ongoing, open conversations are one of the most important tools parents have.Episode Resource:NCMEC Resource: Into the CloudConversation Guide: Let's Talk About PornHave Questions? Ask FTNDFTND PresentationsDocumentary: Brain, Heart, WorldAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Trigger Warning: This episode contains discussions of sexual abuse, coercion, exploitation, child sexualization, and other potentially distressing experiences. Listener discretion is advised.Crystal Harris, author, advocate, and widow of Playboy founder Hugh Hefner, spent nearly a decade inside the Playboy Mansion.What was life inside the Playboy Mansion actually like? How did an environment marketed as glamorous and empowering affect the women living within it? And what happens to intimate images when the people depicted no longer have control over where—or how—they're used?In this episode of Consider Before Consuming, Crystal joins us to discuss entering the Playboy world at 21, the control and abuse she says she experienced inside the Mansion, the sexualization of young women and girls, similarities she sees between Playboy and platforms like OnlyFans, and her ongoing fight to protect private images in Hugh Hefner's archives from being digitized. She also shares how her understanding of consent has evolved, her concerns about AI and image ownership, and what healing has looked like as she's worked to reclaim her identity and voice.Episode Resources:Article: “Secrets of Playboy” Docuseries Exposes Decades of Alleged Exploitation and Abuse by Hugh HefnerVictim ResourcesCrystal's Instagram: crystalmharrisAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

What does sexual assault prevention actually look like—and are we starting the conversation early enough?In this bonus episode of Consider Before Consuming, Elisabeth and Jordan discuss recent cases involving college students at Cornell University and the University of Florida, and the broader problem of sexual violence on college campuses. How can pornography and peer culture shape ideas about sex, consent, and rejection? And what everyday actions can help prevent harm before an assault ever occurs?They explore these questions and practical “micro-preventions” that can help create a safer, healthier culture.Episode Resources:Article: Does Porn Fuel Rape Culture and Sexual Assault on College Campuses?FTND College PresentationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Freddie Woodward is an Olympian and former Team Great Britain diver who began viewing pornography as a young teenager. Despite the extraordinary discipline it took to reach the 2016 Olympic Games, Freddie found himself unable to simply use that same discipline to quit porn.Can you be addicted to porn and not realize it? Why is it so hard to quit porn? How does porn affect motivation, relationships, and mental health? What actually helps someone stop watching porn for good?In this episode, Freddie shares how his porn use became a daily habit, how it escalated into other online sexual behaviors, and what happened when intimate content of him was leaked online in 2017. He also reflects on using porn to cope with difficult emotions, life after the Olympics, years of unsuccessful attempts to quit, and the tools that ultimately helped him change. Today, Freddie says he's more proud of quitting porn than becoming an Olympian.This episode is sponsored by Relay, a secure peer-support app that connects you with a small group of people who understand what you’re going through and help you stay accountable on your journey to quit porn. CBC listeners can try Relay free for 7 days by signing up at http://ftnd.org/joinrelay.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

*This episode includes discussions of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Listener discretion is advised.Kellye Netz is a detective sergeant who has spent years investigating sexual offenses against children and interviewing individuals arrested for possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Through those investigations, she says she has repeatedly encountered offenders whose behavior did not begin with CSAM, but progressed after years of pornography consumption and increasingly extreme content.How can pornography use escalate into more extreme material? What do offenders say about how they ended up viewing CSAM? And how has technology changed the way illegal sexual content is accessed and investigated? In this episode, Kellye shares what she has observed firsthand, including why some offenders seem relieved when they're finally caught, how mainstream social platforms can become part of the pathway to illegal material, and what her work has taught her as a parent about talking openly with kids about pornography and online safetyEpisode Resources:Podcast: Consider Before Consuming Ep. 159: Dr. Alexandra BaileyArticle: Letter From a Sex Offender: I Went from Watching Adult Hardcore Porn to KidsGet Help: Join RelayAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Dr. Michael Robb is a developmental psychologist and Head of Research at Common Sense Media. In this episode, he joins us to unpack findings from two major Common Sense Media studies: Teens and Pornography, which explores how teens are exposed to and engage with online pornography, and Teens in the AI Era: Pornography and Sexual Content, which examines how AI-generated explicit content is creating new challenges for young people.Common Sense Media’s research found that the average reported age of first exposure to pornography was 12, while 30% of teens reported seeing pornography during the school day. And as AI-generated sexual content becomes increasingly common, 44% of teens say they’ve encountered it, with about 1 in 4 of those teens seeing AI sexual content depicting themselves or someone they personally know.Why do teens watch porn? What are teens learning from pornography about sex? And how is AI-generated porn changing what young people encounter online? Dr. Robb discusses differences in how boys and girls engage with pornography, why so much exposure happens accidentally, what teens themselves say they're learning from porn, and what parents and trusted adults should know about explicit deepfakes and AI-generated sexual content.Episode Resources:Article: Nearly Half of Teens Exposed to AI-Generated Sexual ContentArticle: How Many Students Watch Porn at School?Common Sense Study 2023: Teens and PornographyCommon Sense Study 2026: Teens in the AI EraConversation Guide: Let's Talk About PornAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Madyson is a former OnlyFans creator who spent three and a half years creating pornographic content before leaving the industry. After first being exposed to pornography at seven years old, Madyson says she began imagining a future in the porn industry by age 12 and started creating content shortly after turning 18.What is it really like to be an OnlyFans creator? How much money do OnlyFans creators actually make? And is OnlyFans really empowering for its creators?In this episode, Madyson shares how the promise of easy money and empowerment compared with her experience of increasing subscriber demands, shifting personal boundaries, body-image struggles, and objectification. She also discusses why leaving wasn't as simple as deciding to stop, how her content continues to affect her years later, and what she wishes young people considering OnlyFans understood before joining.Episode Resources:Article: The “OnlyFans Era” and What Pop Culture Gets Wrong About Selling Sexual Content OnlinePodcast: Consider Before Consuming Ep. 153: TaylorConversation Guide: Let's Talk About PornAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

What is it like to be the first generation to grow up with smartphones, social media, and internet pornography?In this bonus episode, we unpack new survey findings about Gen Z's experiences with pornography, relationships, and consent. They discuss how online pornography became many young people's first exposure to sex, why social media has become a major source of exposure, and what today's young adults say they wish had been different.Episode Resources:Article: How Are Gen Z Using Porn?FTND Parent PageAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Joseph Alto is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and the Head of Growth at Relay Health, a recovery app designed to help individuals overcome compulsive pornography use through accountability, community, and evidence-informed support.How do you quit pornography? Why is it so difficult to stop, even when you genuinely want to? What actually helps people experience lasting recovery?In this episode, Joe shares practical, compassionate guidance for anyone trying to quit pornography. Drawing from both his clinical experience and his own recovery journey, he explains why willpower alone often isn't enough, how to identify the emotions and patterns driving pornography use, what to do after setbacks, and how accountability, community, and healthier coping strategies can support long-term recovery.This episode is sponsored by Relay, a secure peer-support app that connects you with a small group of people who understand what you’re going through and help you stay accountable on your journey to quit porn. CBC listeners can try Relay free for 7 days by signing up at http://ftnd.org/joinrelay.Episode Resources:Article: How to Actually Quit Porn This YearPodcast: Consider Before Consuming Ep. 152: Chris ChandlerConversation Guide: Let's Talk About PornAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy