“Love is the easiest thing in the world when it happens by accident, but it doesn’t get real until you do it on purpose.” – Entergalatic.
Relationships can be a challenging yet rewarding experience. One that requires consistency in effort, healthy communication, romantic spontaneity, and trust. When you or your significant other fail to apply any of these four pillars in your relationship, it can sometimes lead to infidelity.
As a relationship therapist at the Coral Springs Counseling Center, clients often ask, “Can a relationship recover after someone is unfaithful?” This is a difficult question to answer because, in truth, it depends. It depends on the people involved, the severity of the betrayal, and the effort both partners are willing to put into affair recovery.
Feeling shame is a common response to both cheating and being cheated on. For the one who strayed, there may be shame about their behavior and how it affected their partner. For the one who was cheated on, there may be shame about not being enough for their partner or for not realizing the infidelity was occurring.
Affairs are one of the most damaging events that can happen in a relationship. The betrayal, secrecy, and emotional heartache can be incredibly difficult to navigate. But, that doesn’t mean recovery is impossible.
Affair recovery involves acknowledging the betrayal and the hurt it caused, committing to rebuilding trust, and learning how to communicate and be vulnerable with one another again. It’s important for both partners to be willing to take responsibility for their part in the affair and work towards repairing the damage.
Playing detective and worrying about the possibility of another affair can also be detrimental to the relationship. It’s important to recognize that while trust may have been broken, constantly checking up on your partner will not help in the healing process. It’s crucial to set boundaries and communicate openly about your concerns.
Ultimately, the road to recovery after infidelity can be long and painful. But, with commitment, patience, and support from a trusted therapist such as Susan Block and her team of licensed therapists, a relationship can heal and even come out stronger on the other side. It’s important to remember that shame and heartache may linger, but they don’t have to define the future of the relationship.
If you or someone you know is struggling with infidelity and betrayal, don’t hesitate to seek support from a licensed therapist. Recovery is possible and healing can happen.
Susan Block, LMFT, aims to make couples and individuals stronger and more emotionally and mentally stable. Our telehealth counseling sessions have immediate openings to see anyone in Broward, Miami-Dade, Palm Beach, and the surrounding counties throughout South, Central, and North Florida.