Dan Bernard, M.A., N.C.C.
Licensed Professional Counselor

A sexual or emotional affair shakes a relationship to its core, as sure as the hurt partner feels like the rug has been pulled from under them. The trust they might have taken for granted is suddenly gone. It is replaced by anger, sadness and doubt. In the flood of questions the inevitable, “How could this happen to us?”, or “How could you do this to me?” and "Why?", come up again and again.

Recovering from an affair is an enormous challenge.  The hurt partner will doubt their resolve or desire to do this work. While it clearly is overwhelming and it may seem like a long shot as you read this, many couples not only manage to recover, they also find that they can greatly enhance their relationship in the process.

My counseling goal is to help couples rebuild trust and turn crisis into opportunity through a series of steps:

· Establishing a desire to do the work of recovery.

· Exploring the feelings and questions of the hurt partner.

· Coaching the couple in their efforts to communicate.

· Exploring the thoughts and feeling of the unfaithful partner.

· Setting the groundwork for getting closure and rebuilding trust.

· Uncovering the causes for choosing to step outside the relationship.

· Renewing and reinventing the relationship through more indepth therapy.

As you can imagine, this process takes time. The journey must be taken one step at a time and there will be setbacks. Still, with hard work, a desire to do things differently and a commitment to give the relationship a chance you can recover from infidelity.

Go ahead and contact me.  We'll schedule a free 30 minute in-office consultation to discuss your situation and how therapy could help.
 
(503) 827-0199
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