Rebuilding Us: Marriage Podcast

Dana Che

[Sweet Repeat]: How to Bounce Back from an Emotional Affair (Healing After Infidelity)

April 29, 2025 ● 31 min

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Can an emotional affair be just as damaging as a physical one? Research says yes. Yet, the topic of emotional affairs is complex because of their impact on the psyche and the marriage. This episode (a sweet repeat of ep. 284) focuses on understanding, prevention, and healing, providing valuable insights for couples navigating this challenging terrain.

Key Highlights:

Defining Emotional Affairs: What constitutes an emotional affair? We emphasize the need to clearly distinguish between emotional and physical affairs.
Recognizing the Signs: Learn to identify the indicators of an emotional affair, such as inappropriate emotional investment or intimate sharing with someone outside your marriage.
Research Insights: Research suggests that women are more likely to engage in emotional affairs. And other kinds of vulnerable people.
The Role of Disconnection: Discover how disconnection within a marriage can lead to emotional affairs, often occurring in workplaces or through digital channels, where individuals present idealized versions of themselves.
Normalizing Terms: We're critiquing casual terms like "work wife" that could normalize inappropriate emotional connections.
Rebuilding Trust: For those who have experienced an emotional affair, we outline four crucial steps for rebuilding trust, emphasizing the importance of severing ties, honest communication, self-reflection, and establishing boundaries.
Setting Boundaries: We discuss three boundary guidelines designed to prevent future issues.
Cooperating in Rebuilding: Not all relationships may be able to withstand the impact of an emotional affair. Will yours?