How to Mend a Relationship After an Affair
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In this informative discussion, Dr. Jeanne Michele joins Dr. Jessica Higgins on The Empowered Relationship Podcast where they talk about how to strengthen a relationship after an affair. They discuss the landscape of long-term intimacy, why the challenges we face can help us discover opportunities for personal and relational growth, and how we can engage and co-create with our significant other in that relationship growth.
Dr. Jeanne, who specializes in affair recovery and counseling, shares her experience of where disconnect can occur in relationships when we withhold our feelings and how we can avoid getting to that stage with our partner. We dive into what kind of changes people can make in their relationships to rebuild trust after infidelity and how to initiate courageous conversations to create positive impact. Opening ourselves up emotionally can make us feel vulnerable, but it is vital to move past hurt and pain into a connected future.
Dr. Jeanne Michele designs and delivers personalized programs to men, women, and couples to help them create lives, relationships, and business partnerships that thrive. She is passionate about helping people create extraordinary relationships and lives. Her work immediately addresses crises, such as infidelity, grief, and lack of life direction, as well as the day-to-day challenges faced by couples and individuals seeking love, recovering from heartache, and those seeking greater clarity in their home and business lives. Individuals and couples experiencing a love or identity crisis find that working with Dr. Jeanne provides immediate relief and gives them the tools to create lasting change.
In this Episode
06:52 What made Dr. Jeanne turn towards the issue and challenge of infidelity in relationships
09:52 What rebuilding trust and forging new connections can look like after infidelity — and how having those courageous conversations can be challenging after deal-breaker situations
12:11 Shining a light on a deficiency or discontent in a relationship can expose issues that need to be addressed and explored.
14:45 The three fundamental needs that should be fulfilled in a relationship
18:03 Why it’s helpful to highlight the masculine dynamic and historical development when discussing the underlying causes of emotional connections or affairs outside the primary bond
31:07 Understanding the feminine need to be seen and to be validated and the inner conflict that comes when boundaries are crossed
34:39 Dr. Jeannie gives her tips on specific language to use when starting a courageous conversation about potential infidelity with a partner and why having those conversations can have a long term beneficial impact
37:46 Why baring yourself honestly and authentically helps you to connect with your spouse
41:15 Why courageous conversations and even relational-emotional hygiene help build trust in a relationship
44:43 How Dr. Jeanne supports couples to do the repair work and navigate the journey of recovering from an injury like infidelity
48:45 How to connect with Dr. Jeanne Michele and download her free ebook
Your Check List of Actions to Take
- Set aside time to have regular conversations with your partner to address issues that you need to get out in the open and keep those channels of communication open
- Don’t lose sight of your fundamental needs or those of your spouse in the course of your daily life
- If you’re feeling a disconnect in your relationship, put time and effort into bridging the gap, even if it requires a level of vulnerability that can be difficult to engage with
- Understand that the long term beneficial impact of challenging conversations strengthens your relationship and enhances the connections you have curated
- Actively engage with the idea that building trust takes time and commitment to the little things in your relationship, as well as the big things
Mentioned
Living & Loving Courageously Website
