Cheating, both emotionally and physically, can harm a relationship. The betrayed individual who has been cheated on is usually in a state of shock, disbelief, and total confusion. Trust, when shattered, is the point of healing. However, it’s also the most delicate to rebuild.
At Leadership Empowerment and Psychological Services, LLC (LEAPS), we understand that restoring trust is not just a part of the healing process; it is also the very foundation. For couples tired of this trend in Orlando and Tampa, couples therapy is a structured, proven method for fostering hope, healing, and closeness.
The Importance of Trust After an Affair
Trust is the bread and butter of any intimate relationship. But when it’s broken, everything you do seems to be tinged with doubt and fear. Seventy percent of couples who experience infidelity try to stay together, according to a study published by the Journal of Marital and Family Therapy. Yet only a sliver truly rebuilds trust without outside help.
This is the reason why treatment is required. A talented couples therapist supports partners in seeing beyond the betrayal in multiple ways, emotionally, behaviorally, and psychologically, so that the underlying damage can be healed.
What Counts as Infidelity?
Understanding the full spectrum of betrayal is essential. Infidelity doesn’t always involve physical intimacy.
Types of affairs
Emotional infidelity
Intense emotional connection or secrecy with someone outside the relationship.
Physical infidelity
Any form of physical intimacy with another person.
Cyber infidelity
Romantic or sexual interactions online or via text.
Financial infidelity
Secret spending or hidden debts that violate shared agreements.
The emotional toll, however, is much the same regardless of the type: profound, deep betrayal, unsafe, and difficulty in moving forward.
The Betrayed Partner’s Emotional Response
For the betrayed partner, the emotional response may even resemble symptoms of trauma or PTSD:
- Nightmares or flashbacks
- Hypervigilance
- Intrusive thoughts about the affair
- Anxiety and depression
- Feelings of worthlessness or self-blame
That’s part of the reason why well-trained trauma-informed professionals have the ability to integrate trauma-focused approaches with their infidelity intervention treatment strategies. Redemptive trust rebuilding is a matter of methodical intervention, not carpet installation.
How Couples Therapy Can Help After an Affair
Couples therapy after an affair is not about blame. It’s about understanding, taking ownership, and, then, finally, rebuilding. It is a safe place for both to share their hurts and pose hard-hitting questions to initiate the healing process.
Key Therapeutic Goals
Establishing Safety
Creating emotional boundaries so that discussions don’t re-traumatize either partner.
Validating Pain
The therapist helps the betrayed partner feel heard and the unfaithful partner understand the depth of the harm.
Accountability
The partner who strayed must be open, consistent, and remorseful, not defensive or minimizing their actions.
Rebuilding Communication
Learning how to communicate with honesty and love using an evidence-based approach, such as Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), can help rewire your brain.
Creating a Shared Vision
Working together to define what reconstruction is going to be and whether reconciliation is possible or wanted.
Standard Therapy Methods Used at LEAPS
At LEAPS, our therapists use a wide range of clinically validated methods tailored to each couple’s needs:
EFT Emotionally Focused Therapy
Rebuilds safe emotional connections.
CBT and the Socratic Method
Assists couples in overcoming negative thoughts and developing healthy coping mechanisms.
Therapy Focused on Traumatic Experience (e.g., EMDR)
Heals PTSD-like reactions from betrayal.
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
Explores internal “parts” of ourselves that may contribute to or react to betrayal.
Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT)
Promotes baby steps toward healing.
Therapists can employ Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) to demonstrate presence and emotion regulation, or Attachment-Based Therapy to trace fears back to early relationships.
See also The Healing Journey: Stages of Trust Building.
Trust doesn’t just snap back into place overnight. It unfolds in stages, all of them critical in helping the couple reach a place of understanding and possibility.
1. Crisis Phase
- Intense emotions and instability
- Disclosure of the affair
- Clarifying boundaries (e.g., no contact with third parties)
- Scheduling therapy and possibly beginning individual therapy for one or both partners
2. Insight Phase
- Understanding why the affair happened (without excusing it)
- Learning each partner’s emotional triggers and vulnerabilities
- Discussing unmet needs and relationship patterns
3. Rebuilding Phase
- Learning new communication tools
- Re-establishing physical and emotional intimacy
- Setting shared goals
- Developing rituals to support trust (e.g., check-ins, transparency tools)
When Is It Time to Seek Couples Therapy?
Couples therapy should begin as soon as:
- The affair has been disclosed
- Both partners express a willingness to engage.
- Emotional overwhelm prevents productive communication
- One or both partners feel “stuck” in blame or avoidance
The sooner you intervene, the better the chances of addressing long-term damage.
What About Forgiveness?
Forgiveness is not a box to check. That’s a process that typically occurs slowly, with the guidance of a therapist. I don’t mean forgetting or excusing what was done. Instead, it involves:
- Letting go of revenge
- Acknowledging the pain without being controlled by it
- Slowly rebuilding a sense of emotional safety during this time.
This is often supported by methods derived from Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT) or Positive Psychology, which encourage empathy, grace, and sustained healing.
Individual Therapy Also Plays a Role
Often, individual therapy complements couples counseling, especially for the betrayed partner. At LEAPS, our licensed therapists may integrate modalities such as:
- Christian Counseling (if faith-based values are essential)
- Narrative Therapy (to help re-author one’s story post-betrayal)
- Motivational Interviewing (for goal-setting and rebuilding identity)
- Adlerian Therapy (to explore early life influences and self-worth)
This dual approach helps each partner heal personally while growing together.
Rebuilding Intimacy
Trust is not just emotional, it’s also physical and relational. Affairs often damage the couple’s sense of closeness. In therapy, couples can:
- Discuss intimacy without pressure
- Work on rebuilding non-sexual affection
- Relearn to touch, kiss, and connect emotionally
- Develop rituals of reconnection.
This is typically the final step and part of the physical healing process as well.
Cultural Sensitivity Matters
LEAPS is implemented through a culturally humble and trauma-informed approach. We are mindful of the many variations on marriage, fidelity, and emotional expression that exist in different cultures and even within different households. We’ve trained our therapists to be inclusive, so when the two of you walk through the door, you’re heard, you’re seen, and you’re supported for precisely who you are.
Why Choose LEAPS for Infidelity Therapy in Orlando and Tampa?
Leadership Empowerment and Psychological Services, LLC (LEAPS) offers:
- Expert therapists trained in over 20 therapeutic modalities
- Licensed trauma-informed professionals
- Discreet, confidential counseling environments
- In-person and teletherapy options for Orlando and Tampa clients
- An Evidence-Based, empathetic approach to building your resilience and well-being
Whether you’re newly stung or still struggling to reconnect after years, our community is here to walk with you.
The Healing Begins Here – As A Team
Opinion Reclaiming Trust: You Don’t Have to Do This Alone
Infidelity may be one of the most damaging chapters of a relationship, but it doesn’t have to be the end of the story. With professional help, you can go from chaos to clarity and from pain to progress.
At LEAPS, we are dedicated to assisting couples in Orlando and Tampa who not only survive betrayal but also build a relationship that is stronger, healthier, and more honest than it was before.
Let us support your journey toward healing.
Visit www.leapsinc.com to schedule your first appointment or learn more about our couples therapy and trauma-informed counseling services.
