Over the years, many betrayed partners have asked me: Is it really possible for a couple to survive chronic betrayal long-term? Or a partner will send me an email desperately wanting to know if there is hope. She may ask if I know a partner who is still in her marriage that she can connect… Continue Reading…
Is There Hope After Betrayal?
Betrayed partners often want to know whether there is hope after long-term sexual betrayal. Hope is defined as: a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen. It’s interesting to note that the archaic definition of hope is: a feeling of trust. While all betrayed partners might not agree about what they expect… Continue Reading…
Revisiting Your Rights as a Betrayed Partner
Back in September of 2014 I wrote A Partner’s Bill of Rights, an article that includes a list of rights for betrayed partners, also available in my book, Moving Beyond Betrayal. I was reminded this past Tuesday night during a Live Q&A Call for the launch of Taming Triggers Solution Online Course, that from time to time it… Continue Reading…
Planning In-House Separation
Periods of separation in long-term relationships can be healing, illuminating, and even necessary—not just in relationships impacted by chronic sexual betrayal. In my article 7 Key Components of a “Therapeutic” Separation Agreement, I outlined the fundamentals of a therapeutic separation agreement for couples who are living in two separate residences. However, there are times when… Continue Reading…
The ONE Belief Every Betrayed Partner Must Embrace
In early January, I was honored to be the keynote speaker for the first annual Infidelity Survivors Anonymous Retreat here in Texas. During the Q&A Session on Saturday afternoon, one of the participants wanted to explore why she still gets triggered sometimes—even after many years of solid self-care, relationship healing, and boundary work. Like most… Continue Reading…
When Your Spouse Won’t Talk About His Therapy
Over the years, I’ve heard from a number of betrayed partners that their spouse won’t share anything about his therapy, despite being asked how their session went or what he/she is working on. To be fair, there are some very good reasons for a person not to share everything they talk about in therapy, or… Continue Reading…
Negotiating Non-Negotiables [for Addicts]
Boundaries—the foundation of safety and protection—are vital to anyone who has survived betrayal trauma. And the most powerful boundaries are those that are non-negotiable. Non-negotiable boundaries are: Something you must have or something you can’t tolerate in order to stay in a relationship. Non-negotiable boundaries are relationship deal-breakers. Survivors of betrayal trauma are eager to establish… Continue Reading…