Therapy in Beverly Hills, MI for Infidelity, Adultery, and Cheating
Most likely, you have heard these lyrics describing how one woman responded to adultery. Do you recognize these words?
“I dug my key into the side
Of his pretty little souped-up four-wheel drive
Carved my name into his leather seats
I took a Louisville slugger to both head lights
I slashed a hole in all four tires
Maybe next time he’ll think before he cheats”
Most likely, you could sing along with Carrie Underwood because “Before He Cheats” is one of country music’s most popular songs of all time. People tend to resonate with the song because it captures the intensity of adultery. Singing about taking revenge on a cheater is understandably cathartic. But there are healthier, more helpful responses to infidelity. Many people see a therapist in the aftermath of an affair to help them find healing, whether the relationship is reconciled or not.
Thriveworks Beverly Hills, MI therapists understand that adultery can be traumatizing. They have guided many people toward healing, regardless of whether the relationship survives or not.
Infidelity and Its Many Shades
Cheating seems like a simple concept: someone in a committed relationship breaks the rules. The relationship may be a marriage, but it could also be a long-term relationship. Either way, fidelity is the clear expectation for both partners. The concept of infidelity is simple but, unfortunately, the reality is almost always more complicated. Therapists often label affairs to help couples understand what happened.
Emotional Affairs
An emotional affair is a bond formed outside of the marriage or committed relationship that inhibits connection within the relationship. Emotional affairs are different than close friendships that support a couple. In contrast, emotional affairs can involve lies, secrecy, flirting, innuendo, fantasy and other actions that break down trust.
Sexual Affairs
Adultery can also have almost no emotional component. Examples of sexual-only affairs include one-night stands, pornography addictions, visits to strip-clubs, soliciting sex, and more. Sexual addiction may be a factor in sexually-drive affairs.
Sexual and Emotional Affairs
Often, infidelity combines emotional and sexual components. Long-term liaisons may begin as emotional affairs that turn sexual.
Circumstances of Infidelity
Spouses who are caught in their infidelity may offer an abundance of excuses for it, none of which are helpful to them or the uninvolved spouse. The reality is that cheating is a choice and a hurtful choice regardless of the reasons why a person made that decision.
However, understanding the circumstances of the affair can help couples understand how to pursue recovery. Each affair and each couple is unique. Exploring why and how the adultery happened can give couples valuable information to make important decisions. Counselors often speak about two circumstances that may lead to an affair: Deficit and Context
- Deficit – Sometimes people commit adultery because of a deficit in themselves, their spouse, or their marriage. This deficit can be real or perceived, and it is a very personal, internal reason to commit adultery. Recovering from an affair that was committed because of real or perceived deficit may involve Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT). The spouse who committed adultery may benefit from therapy that can help them address negative belief systems and develop healthy coping strategies.
- Context – Some contexts lend themselves to developing illicit relationships and make choosing adultery easier. One example of context is work environment. Many people first form relationships that turn sexual at their place of employment or conduct one-night stands while traveling for work. Recovering from an affair that was conducted under these circumstances may require boundaries and accountability.
Affairs can, of course, combine context and deficit. A skilled therapist can help couples sort through the circumstances of the affair and find the right path toward healing, whether that means saving the marriage or pursuing separation.
Appointments for Infidelity Recovery Therapy
Reaching out for help after an affair can be a difficult decision to make. Talking about pain and betrayal to a therapist takes courage. The therapists at Thriveworks Beverly Hills understand how hard it can be, especially to make that first call.
If your marriage or relationship is floundering after an affair, know that many couples have found the help they need through counseling. Thriveworks Beverly Hills, MI has appointments available, and our office has done our best to make scheduling that first appointment as easy as possible.
These are the experiences you can expect when you call our office…
- A person will answer your call.
- You may be able to see your therapist within 24-hours.
- We do not keep waitlists.
- We work with many insurance providers.
- If you need an evening or weekend appointment, our therapists have them available.
Is it time for you to start processing an affair? Call today to get started.
