Infidelity & Affair Recovery Counselling
Marriage Counselling for Infidelity & Affair Recovery
The affair is not the whole story.
Virtual couples therapy for infidelity guided by the research-based Gottman Method — plus individual support for the betrayed partner or the partner who strayed. No blame, no sides. Serving BC, Ontario, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba & Newfoundland.
After the discovery, everything feels unsteady
Whether the affair surfaced this week or months ago, you are probably carrying more than you can sort out alone. The hurt partner cycles through rage, grief, and relentless questions; the partner who strayed carries shame, defensiveness, and fear that one choice now defines them.
Replaying the discovery and struggling to stop checking or questioning
Swinging between wanting to repair and wanting to leave
Shame or guilt so heavy that honest conversation feels impossible
Intrusive images, poor sleep, or panic — betrayal can act like trauma
Counselling gives you:
A structured process instead of the same argument on repeat
A neutral third person — no sides taken, no verdicts issued
Tools for triggers, flashbacks, and obsessive thoughts
Clarity about what happens next — together or apart
How affair recovery works: atone, attune, attach
The Gottman Institute's research-based three-phase model for healing after infidelity.
Phase 1 — Atone
The partner who had the affair answers questions honestly, listens without defensiveness, and expresses genuine remorse. The hurt partner's pain is witnessed, not argued with, and together you define what safety requires from here.
Phase 2 — Attune
Once the crisis settles, attention turns to the relationship itself — how conflict was handled and which needs went unspoken. Attunement rebuilds emotional connection and teaches a different way to talk about what hurts.
Phase 3 — Attach
The final phase renews commitment and intimacy on honest terms — building rituals of connection and a shared understanding that the affair belongs to your history, not your future.
Couples work is led by Mohamad Shabib, MACP, CCC — Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying), CRPO — trained in Gottman Method Levels 1 & 2, EMDR, and Internal Family Systems, in English or Arabic. Meet Mohamad · About the Gottman Method
Couples counselling or individual support — or both
Couples therapy for infidelity
You attend together by secure video, working through the three phases at your own pace. Marriage counselling for infidelity is not about assigning blame — it is about telling the truth safely and deciding, together, what comes next.
Best for:
Individual affair-recovery counselling
You attend alone — as the hurt partner or the partner who had the affair. Betrayal can produce real trauma responses; guilt needs honest space of its own. Individual sessions are also available with Rola Shbib, BSW (Hons), RSW (OCSWSSW) — trauma-informed, English & Arabic — or, for BC clients, Alison Shaji, MA Clinical Psychology, RCC (BCACC).
Best for:
Unsure which fits? Start with the free consultation — or explore our broader couples & relationship counselling.
Session details
Receipts provided after every session — many extended health plans cover our clinicians' designations. See our fees & insurance page.
Is the relationship repairable?
Often, yes. Gottman research found many couples who completed affair recovery described their relationship as stronger and more honest than before. Sometimes the healthiest outcome is different: the real work becomes ending well — with dignity, clear agreements, and workable co-parenting where children are involved.
No ethical therapist will promise you a saved marriage, and we will not either. What we offer is a fair process: both partners heard, nothing rushed, and any decision made with open eyes rather than in the fog of crisis.
Infidelity counselling — common questions
Can a marriage survive infidelity?
Many do. Gottman Institute research shows couples who complete a structured recovery process can rebuild — some describe a more honest relationship than before the affair. No therapist can promise that outcome; counselling provides a safe, methodical way to do the repair work and reach a clear decision.
Should we do couples therapy or individual counselling?
They serve different purposes, and many clients combine them. Couples sessions ($175 per hour) work on the relationship itself; individual sessions ($150 per hour) give either partner private space to process shock, trauma responses, or guilt.
What if my partner refuses to come?
Start on your own. Individual counselling helps you steady yourself, understand what happened, and work out what you need next — whether or not your partner ever attends. Many partners join later, once they see the process is about repair, not blame.
Does online couples therapy work for affair recovery?
Yes. Video sessions follow the same structured, Gottman-based process used in person, and research shows comparable outcomes for online couples therapy. Partners can even join from separate locations.
Will my insurance cover infidelity counselling?
You will receive a receipt after every session. Many extended health plans cover Canadian Certified Counsellors, Registered Psychotherapists, or Registered Social Workers — check your plan to confirm which designations it covers.
No blame. No verdicts. Just a way forward.
Book a free 15–20 minute consultation — together or on your own — and find out whether this process fits. Evening and weekend appointments across six provinces.
Book Free ConsultationPrefer individual support? Book with Rola · Book with Alison (BC clients) · Or call (519) 760-5211