When it comes to celebrities or television/movies, people love watching affairs unfold. What’s going to happen next? How will they recover from this? Something is fascinating about watching these things from afar. Things are less enthralling if you are the one in this situation, potentially turning your world upside down. Sometimes this causes the relationship to just end. Sometimes couples decide to work through it.
Every person and situation is different, so not one solution is right for everyone. At Thriveworks Columbus, Ohio Polaris (614) 356-8565, you get a therapist or counselor who is compassionate about your situation and can help you work through what the next steps will be.
Looking at the Trauma Caused by Infidelity
There are many words to use that can describe the act of a person cheating on their partner/spouse, but the result is the same: someone gets hurt. When you commit to a relationship with another person, there is an expectation of fidelity. When that expectation fails, this can be extremely painful and disruptive to almost every aspect of your way of life.
Adultery and infidelity can entail a variety of different situations, including a one-night stand, porn addition, emotional affair, or a long-term extramarital relationship. In all the different cases, 3 things are consistent through all types of infidelity:
- It’s secretive.
- It involves lying.
- It breaks the trust in the relationship.
It’s normal for the spouse or partner who was cheated on to feel traumatized after the experience. When people are in a long-term relationship, this is supposed to be a place of comfort and relaxation, a safe place where people feel loved. After infidelity, this becomes an emotionally dangerous and uncomfortable place to be. All that seems to be left is betrayal.
In many cases, it’s more than just the couple who suffers because of someone’s infidelity. Other people associated with the relationship will also share in the betrayal and other negative emotions. However, the family is the most affected by cheating, with such adverse problems as:
- Children: Children can most definitely experience the effects of one parent’s infidelity. They can end up resenting the parent that betrayed the other. They can internalize it, and it can fester into other behavioral problems. They may even blame themselves, particularly if the parents end up divorced as a result.
- Uninvolved Spouse: When infidelity is discovered or confessed in a relationship, the uninvolved spouse can suffer from significant trauma. They may start displaying compulsive behaviors, anxiety, flashbacks, issues focusing, and depression. They may also blame themselves, thinking they aren’t worthy of love or unattractive and that the infidelity was their fault.
It can take a lot to recover from this level of betrayal, which is why infidelity counseling can be helpful. Contact Thriveworks Columbus, Ohio Polaris at (614) 356-8565 to see how work with one of our team members can benefit you.
How Infidelity Counseling and Marital Affair Counseling Helps
The most important thing to know is that counseling doesn’t offer you a quick fix for what infidelity does to a relationship. It can take a while for the uninvolved partner to forgive the indiscretion eventually. However, getting to the point of forgiveness and building that trust back up again can be a challenge and long road on which to travel. The counselor is there to help you through this journey and give you the tools that you need to communicate with each other effectively. It’s not just about healing the hurt that the infidelity caused; it’s also about discovering why the affair happened and how to move forward.
In many cases, with infidelity, there are cracks in the relationship that caused the partner to step out of the relationship. It’s crucial to discover what these reasons are to prevent this from happening again. Sometimes it’s because someone didn’t feel valued in the relationship. Maybe the partner lacked intimacy in the relationship. It doesn’t matter what caused the infidelity. It’s a painful experience that is best accomplished with an experienced professional like the counselors and therapists at Thriveworks Columbus, Ohio Polaris.
Recovery from Infidelity
Different factors will determine the future and road to recovery for the couple. Each couple may have their own goals, even if that means learning how to separate and move forward from the relationship. Others may think that the relationship is worth saving and want to work towards reconciliation.
By going to a counselor for infidelity therapy, they can work with you to come up with a recovery process based on your goals. This type of counseling can help by:
- Communication: In the aftermath of an affair, there is often a communication breakdown within the relationship. The therapist can help this by refocusing the couple on a healthy dialogue.
- Help Discover Future Relationship Goals: While some couples may have an immediate reaction of whether or not the relationship is worth saving, other couples may not be sure what the future holds. Through counseling, couples can make achievable goals and evaluate the situation as it goes. This evaluation can be helpful when determining if it’s possible to save the relationship or not.
- Regaining Trust: After the betrayal that infidelity can cause, there is little trust in the relationship, if any, at all. Counseling can help with recovery by working with boundaries to regain trust and show how accountability is necessary for moving forward.
If there was infidelity in your relationship, working with a professional at Thriveworks Columbus, Ohio (Polaris), can help you to start moving into the next chapter of your life.
Scheduling Your Appointment for Infidelity Counseling
Thriveworks Columbus, Ohio (Polaris) has a team of highly trained and experienced professionals to work with clients in infidelity counseling. You can make appointments during the day M-F, or on weekends and evenings if it’s more convenient for you. We also accept most major insurance plans, so it may be more affordable than you think. To schedule your infidelity counseling session, contact Thriveworks Columbus Polaris at (614) 356-8565.
