The Sixth Anatomy of Intimacy Conference

Infidelity: Beyond Trauma to Transformation

 

EVEN THE MOST EXPERIENCED therapist can feel overwhelmed by couples struggling with infidelity. Conventional wisdom maintains that infidelity is always traumatic and a symptom of a troubled relationship, while recent thinking suggests there is no one-size-fits-all. This conference brings together a stellar group of experts on infidelity, offering two intense days of stimulating, thought-provoking presentations along with practical clinical skills. The goal of this conference is to present a wide range of clinical thinking about what exactly constitutes infidelity and the various approaches to treatment. The conference will offer the latest research on the science of trust and betrayal, illustrating clear examples of how to treat couples struggling with this crisis. The faculty will consider the complexities of marriage, sex, intimacy, and monogamy in couples. To conclude each day, provocative faculty panels will explore areas of divergence and convergence in their approaches.

Among the issues to be considered are the complexities of monogamy and the motivations behind infidelity. There will be focus on the impact of technology on infidelity, managing secrets, how much detail about the affair to disclose, and the erotic recovery for a couple after an affair. Those attending this conference will learn the most current methods for guiding a couple to best determine whether the legacy of an affair will be a break-up, simply surviving, or a transformative experience. Issues of countertransference and the therapist’s life experience will be considered, with a focus on the values of the therapist that can affect clinical decisions.

Learning Objectives:

Those attending this conference will be able to:

• Understand the complexities of marriage, sex and monogamy from a multicultural, nonjudgmental perspective
• Describe an open secrets policy to better manage confidentiality in couples therapy
• Explain how to reduce the couples’ vulnerability for future affairs
• Define several trust-building exercises that foster connection between partners
• Recognize how an affair may help to positively transform a marriage
• Assess the role of cybersex and pornography use in infidelity
• Describe the Atone-Attune-Attach model in the treatment of infidelity