1. CRISIS MANAGEMENT:
The fallout from an affair can be brutal. The betrayed partner often bears the brunt of the initial trauma and will experience traumatic symptoms such as intrusive thoughts, hyper-vigilance, an inability to sleep and other emotional discomfort. The couple usually is engulfed in overwhelming emotions of betrayal, shame and loss.
Our team of therapists have supported countless couples with similar struggles. We are have learned what works and what doesn't work. And most important to you, we will walk with you, step-by-step, guiding you through the steps to restore some stability in the midst the chaos. Once chaos is stabilized, the stage can be set for healing to begin.
The crisis management steps include:
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Communication:
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We will introduce a basic communication tool for the couple which will allow each person can be heard without interruption. This will be used throughout our Affair Recovery work. We will also help you sort out who else should know about the affair and how much they should know. We want to balance your need for emotional support with the wisdom of not over-sharing. Lastly, we will discuss whether to tell the kids or not and, if so, what to tell them.
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Trauma:
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We will help you understand "betrayal trauma" and learn couples coping skills for trauma, anger and anxiety (including PTSD-like symptoms such as flashbacks). Different coping skills to heal the trauma include: deep breathing, mindfulness, grounding using our senses, and healthy physical and emotional outlets.
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Boundaries
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We will help you safely negotiate clear boundaries for physical touch, money, living arrangements, contact with the affair partner, conversations with each other, electronics, the unfaithful partner's recovery work, and information sharing.
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Workplace Affair
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We devote a special section to the crisis involved with an affair that takes place at work and what steps to take to address all that may be involved.
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STD Testing
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Physical safety may be threatened by a sexually transmitted disease and cause further feelings of crisis. We discuss why and when to take an STD test.
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