What Are Infidelity and Betrayal, and How Do They Show Up?
Infidelity and betrayal don’t just break trust, they shake the foundation of safety, identity, and attachment in a relationship.
Betrayal can include:
Emotional or physical affairs
Secretive behaviours, lying, or hidden communication
Boundary violations that break the agreed-upon trust
Discovering information that changes how you see your partner or relationship
After betrayal, many people experience:
Shock, disbelief, or emotional numbness
Intense anxiety, intrusive thoughts, or hypervigilance
Anger, grief, confusion, and self-doubt
Loss of trust, not just in a partner, but in yourself
Feeling torn between wanting closeness and wanting to pull away
For the partner who betrayed trust, there may also be:
Deep shame, guilt, and fear of loss
Difficulty understanding their own behaviour
Feeling overwhelmed, defensive, or unsure how to repair the damage
Betrayal creates pain on both sides, and it doesn’t mean the relationship is beyond repair.
How Therapy Helps with Infidelity and Betrayal
Therapy provides a structured, emotionally safe space to slow things down and begin repairing what feels broken.
In therapy, we work to:
Stabilize intense emotions and reduce reactivity
Create safety so that difficult conversations can happen without further harm
Understand what happened without minimizing the pain
Support accountability, transparency, and empathy
Rebuild trust intentionally, not through pressure or time alone
Help each partner decide, clearly and honestly, what they need moving forward
Healing is not about forgetting or “moving on.” It’s about making sense of the rupture and deciding how to move forward with integrity.
What Interventions Might Be Used?
Infidelity work is delicate and requires intention, pacing, and structure.
Depending on your situation, therapy may include:
Guided conversations to process the betrayal safely
Emotion-focused interventions to repair attachment injuries
Boundary clarification and trust-rebuilding agreements
Support for accountability and responsibility without shaming
Individual processing within couples therapy when needed
Tools for managing triggers, flashbacks, and emotional overwhelm
The work is paced carefully, honoring both partners’ nervous systems and emotional limits.
How can I book a session?
1
Book online
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2
Get in touch directly
If you’d rather speak with someone directly, reach out by phone or email, and we’ll help you book your initial session.
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