Reasons to Seek Couples Counseling After Affair
You likely feel shocked, hurt, and betrayed if your partner recently had an affair. You may feel like your relationship is over and that there’s nothing that can repair it. However, consider going to couples counseling instead of calling it quits right away.
As a therapist in Bethesda, MD, from an office like Lindsey Hoskins & Associates can explain, there are some important reasons to talk to a couples counselor after an affair.
You Should Understand How It Happened
While there is no good excuse for having an affair in a relationship, it’s still important to understand how it happened in the first place. However, without the help of a skilled couples counselor, you may just point fingers at each other and not get anywhere. A couples counselor can help the two of you conclude why the affair occurred. For instance, maybe your partner feels that you have been emotionally unavailable for a while and sought love and companionship elsewhere. Once you find out how the affair happened, you can start to make sense of it and move forward.
You Should Learn to Communicate Instead of Acting Out Your Unhappiness
People who have affairs in a committed relationship with someone else typically aren’t very happy. They are dissatisfied with the relationship somehow and can’t express what they want with words. They instead get romantically involved with someone else and forget about their partner’s needs and feelings. During couples therapy, a skilled counselor can help you and your partner communicate more effectively so that another affair is less likely to occur in the future.
You Can Learn to Better Understand Your Partner
Even if you’ve been with your partner for a long time, you still might not truly understand all of his or her needs. A couples counselor can help you learn what’s truly important to your partner. Once you can understand your partner’s needs fully, the likelihood of another affair in the future will greatly diminish.
You Have to Learn How to Improve the Relationship
A relationship can be damaged after an affair, but it’s not permanent. The other partner feels betrayed and may find it difficult to trust the other person again. It may take a long time to rebuild the relationship, but it’s possible. A couples counselor can work with you and your partner to rebuild trust in the relationship and create new boundaries.
If you and your partner have relationship issues, schedule a consultation with a reputable couples counselor today.
