Helping Sex Traffic Victims Find Their IdentityHelping Sex Traffic Victims Find Their Identity
Life Recovery Today with Stephen Arterburn
Stephen Arterburn talks with Terry Ladow about his journey from lifelong alcohol use to faith-based recovery and ministry with sex trafficking survivors. The conversation centres on identity, shedding labels, and helping deeply wounded people see their worth in Christ.
26:21•6 Apr 2026
From Childhood Drinking to Defending the Exploited: Terry Ladow’s Story of Identity and Freedom
Episode Overview
- A direct, honest confrontation about drinking can be a turning point, even if it comes from a stranger.
- Recovery groups and meetings can start to make sense over time, especially when combined with spiritual support.
- Identity rooted in being made in the image of God challenges the labels and shame placed on victims and those in addiction.
- Faith-based safe houses and transitional support help trafficked survivors leave the streets and see their value beyond past abuse.
- Compassion, rather than judgment, reflects Jesus’ approach and is vital when supporting people with deep trauma and painful histories.
“None of us don’t have to be who we were.”
How do people find strength in their journey to sobriety? This conversation on *Life Recovery Today with Stephen Arterburn* follows Terry Ladow, a man who drank from age seven to forty-five and later found a new life and identity through faith—and then used that healing to serve victims of sex trafficking. Terry shares how a single sentence from a stranger in an Orange County jail—“You’re an alcoholic.
As Terry puts it, society and “the enemy” are quick to say that behaviour and labels define a person, yet he points back to Genesis 1:27 and insists, “Our identity is in him.” One powerful moment centres on Anna, a hardened woman in Nicaragua who initially refused a hug, saying, “I’m not worth it.” After days of teaching on identity and God’s love, she slowly accepted that, as Terry says, “We have a God who loves us anyway.” Now she runs to him for a hug, a picture of how shame can loosen its grip when someone finally believes they matter.
You need to get help.”—sent him home to stare in the bathroom mirror, wondering what others could see that he couldn’t. Meetings started to make sense, and sobriety opened the door to a deeper relationship with Christ and a calling to restoration ministry. You’ll hear how Terry’s work with a Christian organisation, Finding Freedom International, supports faith-based safe houses for children and women who’ve been trafficked. The focus isn’t on their past, but on identity.
The episode speaks to anyone wrestling with addiction, shame, or a painful past—highlighting how faith, redemptive community, and a new view of identity can support lasting change. It also gently challenges those in recovery to consider how their own healing might ripple out to others who are deeply wounded. It may leave you asking: if labels don’t define you, what truth about who you are are you finally ready to accept?
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