Facing Heartbreak. Steps to Recovery for Betrayed Partners (en Inglés) - Stefanie Carnes ;Mari A. Lee;Anthony Rodriquez MSW, CSAT, BCSA, LISW, LCSW

However you have discovered Facing Heartbreak, the simple fact that you are

reading this right now shows that you are a person of enormous courage.

We understand that you are likely going through one of the most difficult

and painful seasons of your life. There are days when you may want

to give up and just leave. There are nights where you may cry yourself to

sleep or stare at the ceiling feeling hopeless and more alone than you can ever

remember. There are times when you may feel misunderstood and unappreciated.

There are weeks where you may feel like your life has been shattered

into a million little pieces and you want to wake up from this nightmare. There

are moments where you may blame yourself, your family, and God, wanting

to scream, Why me?

We are therapists who have worked for years with clients healing from

compulsive sexual behavior, commonly known as “sex addiction,” and with

their spouses and partners who have been deeply wounded. We empathize with

the pain you have been struggling with. We have seen firsthand the strength

it takes for the hurting partner or spouse to move through the trauma of discovery,

the bitterness of betrayal, the fog of confusion, and the humiliation and

anger. And we know the kind of courage it takes to reach out in order to heal.

We are here to support you as you take hold of your own emotional

well-being. As you begin the work in Facing Heartbreak, we will support your

process one step at a time. Yet we will not sugarcoat what is ahead. Healing

from the pain of a loved one’s sex addiction is not an easy journey. It is an arduous

process that will take time, an investment of daily effort, and emotional

energy—especially when you may feel that you have none to give. Healing

takes place in the midst of the chaos, trauma, and enormous hurt that is the

unfortunate, but very real, consequence of being in a relationship with a sexually

compulsive partner.

However, as therapists who do this work every day we want to reassure

you that by giving yourself the gift of your own recovery, you will begin to see

hope again. Eventually you can create a peaceful, healthy life.