Earlier psychotherapists believed that people cheat in a relationship out of boredom. But infidelity is related to a much more complex array of human emotions than just boredom. No matter what the case is, infidelity doesn’t mean an end to a relationship.
Although it is difficult to move on from infidelity, couples need to understand that unfaithfulness is rarely due to a lack of love. It is more about the complex emotions that a human being goes through every day. If you are a resident of Texas and currently in an infidel relationship, couples counseling in Austin, TX, can help. Let us find out how.
What is Couples Counseling?
Couples counseling is an approach in which two people who are in an unfaithful relationship are given an opportunity to communicate openly with each other alongside a professional therapist. This approach also includes different techniques that allow each individual to understand each other better.
Couples counseling after an incident of infidelity is particularly helpful as it allows the individuals to understand why it occurred and the emotional turmoil that the other person is facing. This approach helps both individuals overcome feelings of guilt, betrayal, anger, and unworthiness and allows both people to find a way to move forward in their relationship, either by staying together or breaking up.
Counseling is a discourse where both people face each other and aim towards building a healthy relationship. However, this doesn’t mean they both have to stay together. If they both agree to part ways, the therapy also allows them to come to a mutual ground and initiate the separation with respect and an amicable feeling.
What Are The Approaches Used in Couple’s Therapy?
Couples counseling uses evidence-based approaches to help couples overcome this tough phase. Here are some of the techniques used:
1. Reflective Listening:
This technique is a type of active listening practice that allows couples to improve their communication. The couple is provided with an open and safe environment where both become active listeners.
2. Emotion Focused Therapy:
EFT examines the destructive habits in a relationship that caused both individuals to drift apart. By focusing on habits that make both people in the relationship feel closer to each other, this technique helps both individuals heal and strengthen their bond.
3. Narrative Therapy:
It requires both individuals to narrate their relationship and rewrite it to form one single narration. This approach is best for individuals who believe that they are the reason why the relationship is falling apart. It helps them overcome their feelings of guilt and unworthiness.
4. Solution-Focused Therapy:
Solution-focused therapy aims to find a solution to repetitive infidelity. This approach helps individuals address the root cause and work towards practicing faithfulness.
5. Gottam Method:
This method provides partners with different skills and techniques to build a deeper understanding of each other. It offers problem-solving skills that help couples strengthen their intimacy and friendship.
6. Imago relationship therapy (IRT):
IRT takes a dig into childhood trauma to understand the reason for infidelity. So, instead of looking at the action of the individual as it is, the therapy looks at the reason that made them commit the act.
Is Couples Therapy The Right Choice For Us?
When you are undergoing the trauma of infidelity, you need a knowledgeable and unbiased person to analyze the situation. In couples therapy, you have a licensed therapist who knows the complexities of human emotions. This allows you to ensure that you are taking your relationship in the right direction. Here are a few cases where couples therapy after infidelity is the right choice for you:
- You want to identify the underlying challenges: Infidelity may have much deeper underlying issues, such as childhood trauma, an inability to communicate one’s needs, and being emotionally unavailable. A therapist will help you understand the root cause of continuous unfaithful actions.
- You want to develop healthy communication: When your therapist says that communication is the key, they mean it. Communication can fix a relationship, no matter how strained it is. However, after an episode of infidelity, many couples face a communication gap. One way to fix it is through couples therapy.
- You want to fix emotional neglect: Lack of emotional intimacy is another reason why couples experience infidelity. When a person feels neglected, they start seeking emotional intimacy elsewhere. A therapist offers various techniques and practices that allow individuals to connect emotionally with one another.
Conclusion
Couples therapy is great for individuals who are currently undergoing infidelity. It allows them to fix their relationship with their partner and, most importantly, fix their relationship with themselves. In this approach, individuals look into their own behavior rather than pointing out other’s mistakes. So, instead of a “you” narrative, one focuses on the “I” narrative. This ensures that no matter whether the couple decides to stay together or break up, they are able to overcome negative emotions and move forward with a positive mindset.
