Success with Polyamory and Infidelity; We Could all Learn a Lot by Tracy Deagan Success with Polyamory and Infidelity Ben and Claire came in to therapy with me to work on the common couples issues of not being sexually faithful and jealousy. They were unusual in the manner that they …
Don’t Think Your Marriage is Affair-Proof! by Harriet Lerner Ph.D When you feel threatened by a partner’s relationship outside the marriage, speak up. You can’t stamp out his desire for others, nor can you stop her from being unfaithful. But that doesn’t mean that you have to shut up, or …
As we explored in It’s Not Infidelity - It’s Sex Addiction, despite popular culture labels, the idea of sex addiction is not based on any diagnostic criteria and was again recently excluded from the DSM (American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders). Claiming ‘sex addiction’ as cause …
Is Infidelity Natural? by Pamela Regan It depends on what you mean by “natural.” I teach a university class on close relationships, and the last few weeks of the quarter we discussed some of the darker aspects of our intimate associations — betrayal, conflict, violence, and so forth. During our discussion …
After an Affair by Ian Kerner (edited) We’ve all heard the adage: “Once a cheater, always a cheater.” If your partner has been unfaithful, you’re likely getting all sorts of advice from well-meaning friends and family. Much of that advice may involve ending your relationship. Yet it’s possible — and …
There are numerous attempts at definitions for what constitutes an affair. Typically affairs are categorized as either an emotional affair, or a physical affair, but both terms suggest a consistent interaction between the cheater and another person over a period of time. These two labels alone (or even the term …
Cultural Norms and Agreed Commitments There are widely available articles, views and discussions about the approach to affairs and infidelity across cultures, and which increasingly challenge the longevity of monogamy in human society. Monogamy is often cited as being a religious atavism and that it is foolish for humanity to …
On Monogamy, Happiness, and Adultery by Mark D White Ross Douthat’s recent New York Times piece claiming that monogamy leads to, or causes, happiness, has stirred up quite the critical commentary, most recently from Dr. Maryanne Fisher. As she explains, causality does not imply correlation, and any possible causal link between …
