Affair Recovery Therapy
When an affair happens, trust is broken and connection is lost. An affair affects both partners in different, but equally overwhelming ways.
As the “betrayed partner,” your whole world has suddenly turned upside down at the discovery of an infidelity. You feel humiliated and broken, leaving you questioning your relationship and partner. You replay every moment, wondering what was real and what was not. You want to trust again, but you are unsure and do not know how. You are devastated.
For the partner who had the affair, you may be experiencing feelings of guilt and shame. It’s real difficult to hear your partner’s pain and anger. You do not know how to repair the damage of the affair, or if your partner will ever trust you again.
It takes tremendous courage, vulnerability and commitment for couples to work through the enormous pain of an affair. Couples often get stuck in a blame-defense cycle when trying to recover from an affair —one of you searching for answers, the other feeling overwhelmed by shame. It is exhausting, and you are likely at a loss of where to begin healing.
Affair recovery therapy can help you move forward—together.
How Affair Recovery Therapy Can Help
Our couples therapists will help you and your partner explore the impact of an affair in a safe, sensitive, and non-judgmental space. When both partners are committed to healing, therapy can help you grieve the loss of your first relationship and rebuild a new, stronger foundation built on trust and open communication. Therapy helps couples:
Process the emotions and pain of the affair – Both partners need space to express their feelings. The betrayed partner is encouraged to share their hurt, anger, and resentment, and the partner who had the affair is supported in taking responsibility and truly hearing their partner’s pain.
Manage obsessive thoughts and flashbacks – The betrayed partner often experiences flashbacks, intrusive thoughts, and distressing images. Therapy provides practical strategies, such as grounding techniques and mindfulness, to navigate triggers and to learn to prioritize self-care and self-compassion.
Understand underlying relationship patterns – Affairs do not happen in isolation. While infidelity is never justified, therapy will explore relationship dynamics, emotional disconnection, and unhealthy communication patterns that may have been present in the relationship before the affair. The goal is for both partners to acknowledge their own contribution to the relationship challenges and to make meaning of the infidelity.
Develop open and healthy communication – Many couples struggle with communication before an affair. Therapy will address negative patterns of communication like criticism, contempt, defensiveness, or shutting down. Couples will also learn to express their feelings and needs more effectively, to listen with curiosity, and to respond with empathy in a way that builds connection.
Rebuild trust and create a shared vision for the future – Healing is not about going back to how things were before the affair. It is about building something new— a bond where both partners feel safe, valued, and deeply connected. Rebuilding trust takes time. Small intentional moments of connection—an act of kindness, an appreciation, a walk, a shared meal—can be the first steps toward repair and safety.
Is Affair Recovery Therapy Right for You?
Affair recovery therapy may be helpful if you and your partner:
Want to repair the relationship but feel stuck in hurt and resentment.
Struggle with trust and communication after infidelity.
Want to rebuild intimacy and connection.
Are committed to working through the pain together.
Healing from an affair is not easy, but it is possible.
What If I Am Unsure About Staying in the Relationship?
Feeling uncertain is completely normal. If you are struggling with whether to stay or leave, Discernment Counselling may be a good fit.
It is a short-term, structured process that helps individuals and couples gain confidence and clarity about how to move forward in their relationship —whether to commit to couples therapy or to separate with mutual understanding.
Take the First Step Toward Healing
An affair does not have to mean the end of your relationship. With the right support, it is possible to rebuild the trust and connection in your relationship. With the right support, it is possible to rebuild your relationship, to reconnect and to trust again.
