Partners are often lost in the trauma of the discovery. They are living in a world that they do not understand. The life they thought they had, who they thought they were, and the future they had imagined has blown up.
I am committed to work with you, as a partner experiencing betrayal trauma, on your road to recovery, growth and discovery. I will help you see a life of possibilities on your road in determining who you are and creating a future that brings you joy.
Initial treatment for partners in individual therapy and in groups, begins where you are when you walk through the door. Often, my clients are in a crisis state having recently experienced the trauma and shock of the discovery of the sexually compulsive and secretive behavior.
Partners need to understand that their reactions and the feelings that their world has exploded and you are in an altered life state is a trauma reaction. All the thoughts and questions swirling around are a normal response to betrayal trauma.
- “Who is this person?”
- “Was anything in this relationship real?”
- "Who am I?”
- “What else don’t I know?”
- “Will my kids be OK?”
- “What will my family and friends think?”
- “Will I be judged?”
- “Is this my fault?”
- “What will my future look like? The future I imagined no longer exists….”
Initially I focus on safety, stabilization, and self-care. Partners can feel an overwhelming loss of safety, stability and control. Therapy begins the work of developing boundaries, a support network, managing emotions and developing strategies to deal with traumatic memories and with triggers. I provide psycho-education on sex addiction, partner betrayal trauma, grief and relationship healing.