Some of the issues that bring couples to counseling are:
- Impasses in communication
- Deceptions and betrayals
- Intimacy and sexuality conflicts
- Lack of affection, persistent boredom
- Emotional over-reaction or indifference
- Conflicts over children, money, in-laws
- Life changes and stresses--new babies, losses, illnesses
How To Stop An Affair
An Interview With Dr. Janet K. Smith by author J Weber
Are you having an affair? Would you like to stop the affair and tell your spouse but don't know how to go about in doing it? To help learn how you can stop an affair and tell your spouse, I have interviewed Dr. Janet K. Smith.
What are some reasons a person would have an affair in the first place?
People have affairs for reasons we are familiar with: poor communication between the partners, feelings of anger, longing, loss of attraction to the spouse and needs and wants that are not being met. The question of how an affair functions within the relationship is primary . Why does a person make an intimate connection with someone other than the spouse, yet stay connected to his or her spouse? Perhaps the affair provides enough outside satisfaction to keep the marriage together, and that is the function it serves. In cases where it is not practical to divorce yet painful to be in a relationship that is not fulfilling, an affair may seem like the answer. It is important that the person having the affair understands and faces his or her need for going outside of the relationship for intimacy. Many times it seems these things "happen" outside conscious awareness, so taking honest stock of the situation, usually with a neutral therapist, is the first step to the "why" question and the prelude to the next question, how to stop it.
How can someone stop an affair?
What would happen if the affair were to end? Where would the needs be filled that are being filled in the extra-marital relationship? Can these needs be met within the marriage? This would mean assessing whether it is still possible to re-invest in the marriage. It also involves letting go of the other man or woman. This is easy to say, but a not-so-simple task of disconnecting from someone who has come to represent a powerful, exciting emotional connection. If it’s true that affairs sometimes hold marriages together, it must mean that there are reasons to save the marriage, but not enough oomph in the marriage to exist without the affair. If the affair is to stop, the partners will have to face up to the truths about their relationship, their values and themselves and rediscover the “oomph.”
How can they tell their spouse that they had an affair?
Telling the spouse that one has been intimate outside their relationship requires tact, empathy, and clarity of thought. There is no formula for such a disclosure, not as to timing, place or script. The situation demands that the feelings of the other be considered with care and are received openly . The spouse who's been left for the affair may certainly need some time to react, to express hurt, rage, and humiliation--perhaps feelings of failure. He or she may be vindictive and irrational at first and may need to express these feelings and be taken seriously. However the disclosure occurs, it will surely be a complex emotional process-- and it could be the beginning of renewed mutual understanding and eventual re-commitment.
What type of help is available for a couple that has been impacted by an affair?
There is help and hope for the couple with an understanding therapist who can assist both parties in getting to their feelings and expressing them, and by facilitating the communication between the partners. Listening with empathy and patience needs to be cultivated by both partners. When trust and intimacy can be restored and a sexual connection re-established, couples can repair the damage done by affairs, and find their way back to a stronger bond between them. How they deal with and care for one another’s emotions are critical factors in repairing their relationship. Both members of the couple may benefit from individual as well as marital therapy, with each having a separate individual therapist.
What last advice do you have for the person who had the affair and the one spouse who was cheated on?
While it may be excruciating to learn that a partner has strayed--or to be the one who strayed--it may ultimately lead to change for the better. A process of self-examination leads to increased awareness of one's inner motivations, flaws and strengths and those of the couple. It can be a time of growth. I would advise people to keep this in mind and to stay open to their inner voices, and of course to listen to each other. If the relationship can’t be repaired, we can work toward acceptance of the dissolution and find closure with sensitivity and dignity--this is especially important when children are involved.
About Janet K. Smith, PhD
I am a psychologist and psychoanalyst in Los Angeles, working with individuals, couples and groups for 30 years. I am especially attuned to the dynamics between people and interested in the motivations that drive behavior. I believe that by understanding our family histories and becoming aware of feelings we often cover up or feel bad about, we can ease self-criticism and shame. I am thoroughly committed to the journey of self-discovery. My work has taken me to a specialty in eating disorders and other addictions, with people who struggle with body image and who people who have suffered abuse and trauma in childhood