Infidelity & Betrayal Couples Counseling

“Betrayal is the secret that lies at the heart of every failing relationship – it is there even if the couple is unaware of it.” – John Gottman

Few experiences can be as painful or cut as deeply as the betrayal and trauma of infidelity. As challenging as it may seem, healing is possible. Through our Infidelity Recovery Service, we’ll guide you and your partner to greater well-being within yourselves and your relationship.

About one third of couples I see are coming for help because one partner has become aware of the other partner’s affair. Because of the focus on building safety with the emotional bond between partners, Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy is well suited to handle an affair.

During your couples sessions, we’ll assess your struggles and capabilities together, helping you to learn the skills and techniques you need to foster and re-establish trust, safety, and commitment in your relationship

Betrayal Trauma & PTSD

When one’s primary attachment figure is both the source of and the solution to pain and fear in a relationship, it results in a breakdown of the attachment bond and wreaks havoc on a marriage (Johnson, 2005).

Symptoms such as excessive rumination, hypervigilance, and flashbacks alternating with avoidance and numbing are key symptoms that have caused some to notice that many of the symptoms experienced by betrayed spouses correspond to the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Couples Counseling For Betrayal

Our sessions will focus on helping to deal with the shock of the news, helping the partner who had the affair be with their partner’s pain and slowly rebuild trust. The injured partner wants to know if the partner who had the affair is really there for them and often needs a lot of reassurance and validation. The partner who had the affair may already have difficulty being emotionally present and is now being asked to be more present. Our sessions help to deal with these challenges.