After Infidelity, Can Love & Relationships Survive?

Can a relationship survive infidelity? It is possible, but recovery isn't as simple as forgiving a cheating partner, staying together, or deciding to walk away.

In this episode, host Gabe Howard talks with licensed professional counselor Dr. Monique Thompson, author of The Infidelity Recovery Workbook for Couples, about what really happens to a relationship — and to a person's sense of self — after an affair.

The conversation also examines what the partner who cheated can do to rebuild trust, why apologies and grand gestures aren't enough, how “living amends” can demonstrate meaningful change, and why past behavior doesn't necessarily guarantee future behavior.

Listeners Will Learn:

Why couples shouldn't rush to stay or leave

Why betrayal can change how you remember the relationship

What the partner who cheated can do to rebuild trust

What forgiveness actually means after an affair

How long infidelity recovery can take

Whether you're trying to recover from infidelity, considering whether to stay, or struggling to understand what happened to your relationship, this conversation offers a compassionate look at healing after betrayal. Listen Now!

Our guest, Dr. Monique Thompson, is a licensed professional counselor, EMDR-trained therapist, and trauma-informed life coach with over 20 years of experience in private practice. She specializes in betrayal trauma, infidelity recovery, depression, anxiety, Bipolar Disorder, and PTSD.

Her work integrates neuroscience, body-based trauma approaches, attachment theory, and parts-based work to help clients restore internal stability, self-trust, and clarity after emotionally destabilizing experiences. Dr. Thompson is known for translating complex psychological science into practical, humane insights that resonate with both clinical and general audiences.