Guarding the Gift: Pornography, Gender Differences, and the Restoration of Marital Intimacy

Pornography use is one of the most common presenting issues in both pastoral and clinical settings — and one of the most underprepared-for. Most counselors and spiritual directors encounter it regularly but feel limited in their ability to address the gender-specific pathways that lead people into it, or the complex relational dynamics it leaves in its wake.

Guarding the Gift: Pornography, Gender Differences, and the Restoration of Marital Intimacy addresses this gap directly. Developed by the Life Long Learning Institute at Divine Mercy University, this one-hour NBCC CE course features Dr. Harvey Payne, Psy.D., Dr. Lisa Klewicki, MAT, Ph.D., and an experienced spiritual director in conversation about the real dynamics of pornography use: its emotional roots, its gender-specific pathways, its devastating effect on marital intimacy, and the team-based approach that supports genuine recovery.

The course is grounded in the Catholic Christian Meta-Model of the Person (CCMMP), which integrates psychological and theological wisdom without sacrificing the rigor of either. It is designed for licensed counselors, spiritual directors, and pastoral ministers who want to help — and who want the framework to do it well.