Helping couples recover from physical or emotional affairs is unfortunately standard work in couples counseling. Most affairs occur when couples disconnect due to conflict and unresolved issues. Individuals are not typically looking for affairs, but are more vulnerable to affairs when their needs are not getting met in their relationship. Couples counseling is an appropriate place for couples to heal from the betrayal of infidelity, explore the underlying issues that created the vulnerability, and strengthen the friendship to affair-proof the relationship in the future.

Serial infidelity involves an individual who has had affairs but is unable to stop once discovered. It’s possible couples counseling can prevent the pattern if the infidelity is related to relationship issues. However, if the unremitting pattern is due primarily to individual issues and the individual can’t stop the infidelity behaviors, the person may be dealing with a sexual addiction that needs treatment.