Infidelity & Affair Recovery
How Cheating Hurts Marriages
An affair kills a marriage. Nothing is the same anymore. Trust is broken. Is there still a path forward in the midst of the storm? While there are various types of infidelity, the pain from sexual affairs still tops the list. Some marriages are secure and withhold the test of rising opportunities for an affair. Other marriages are not.
Being attracted to a person other than one’s spouse is not an unusual or a necessarily wrong phenomenon. However in the setting of an insecure, disconnected marriage it can grow to be a transgression of marriage vows.
80 percent of men and women who had engaged in extramarital sex said that it was “almost always” or “always wrong.”
Shirley Glass, author of Not Just Friends
Counseling Services for Infidelity & Extramarital Affairs
At Doxa, we aim at a thorough understanding of the situation that has landed the couple in an extramarital affair. We help couples navigate the crisis of disclosing the affair, we help them “to pick up the broken pieces,” and gently but confidently guide them towards making the decisions they wish to make about their marriage. We do not have preconceived notions about whether a couple should stay together or part ways. While we value the covenant of marriage greatly, we believe it is important to explore such questions openly, honestly, and thoroughly.
Once your goals are established, we will work diligently to support you in achieving them, whatever they may be.
Marti Witherow has extensive training and experience in helping couples overcome infidelity, build trust back into their relationship or respectfully choose the outcome that is the best for them.
Yes. Research shows many couples not only survive but grow stronger after affair recovery when both partners are committed to the process. Gottman Method therapy, which our therapists are trained in, has a specific protocol for treating infidelity in Ridgeland, Jackson, and Madison MS.
Affair recovery is one of the more intensive therapy processes, typically requiring at least 6 months of consistent work. Some couples continue for a year or more. The timeline depends on the nature of the affair and both partners commitment to healing.
Yes, affair recovery therapy is most effective when both partners participate. If your spouse is unwilling to attend, individual therapy can still help you process the betrayal and decide your path forward.
The Gottman Method has a research-based protocol specifically for treating infidelity called “Treating Affairs and Trauma.” It involves rebuilding trust, processing the emotional aftermath, and creating a new shared meaning as a couple. Doxa therapists are Gottman-trained and use this approach with couples in the Jackson MS area.