ABSTRACT
This chapter delves into the application of a Gottman Method Couples Therapy (GMCT) intervention, the Trust Revival Method, for treating infidelity. This treatment approach entails three phases: Atonement, Attunement, and Attachment. Before beginning therapy, therapists trained in GMCT conduct a thorough assessment of the relationship. This assessment process uses a multimodal approach which includes questionnaires, an interview with the couple, individual interviews with each partner, video recordings, an analysis of the couple’s interactions, and a feedback session. Treatment begins with the Atonement phase, during which there are conversations with the involved partner, who fully explains what happened from the beginning to the end of the affair and answers the uninvolved partner’s questions to their satisfaction. The uninvolved partner’s post-traumatic stress symptoms are also addressed in this phase. The Attunement phase of therapy is where the couple tunes back in to each other through candid conversations about the struggles they have experienced during the entire relationship, which have not been negotiated well. Finally, the Attachment phase of therapy occurs as the couple reconnects to each other emotionally and works to rebuild their friendship. As the therapy moves toward completion, the therapist helps the couple focus on relapse prevention. Couples are encouraged to create rituals for checking in with one another, expressing needs, sharing fondness and admiration for one another, and repairing any regrettable incidents which may have occurred between them. This chapter concludes with an in-depth case study demonstrating how to implement this treatment method with couples seeking affair recovery.
