An Affair to Remember: A Mixed-Methods Survey Examining Therapists’ Experiences Treating Infidelity
Abstract
In this mixed-methods study, we analyzed data from 351 couple therapists who completed our Therapists' Experiences Treating Infidelity (TETI) survey. The present survey is a follow-up of previous iterations that examined therapists' attitudes toward infidelity and affair recovery treatment. Our TETI survey provided additional questions pertaining to therapists' personal history with affairs and perceptions on current research and training standards. Results showed that various therapist and couple factors serve to impede affair recovery treatment. Additionally, this survey revealed several similarities in therapists' attitudes from prior surveys, despite decades having passed between when the present survey and previous versions. In this article, we (a) outline findings from this mixed-methods survey, (b) discuss implications for the field, and (c) offer directions for future research.
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The specific experiences of the counselor directly impact the competency of treatment for those recovering from a romantic affair.
“They found that the specific experiences of the counselor directly impact the competency of treatment for those recovering from a romantic affair.”
From Love and Infidelity: Causes and Consequences (2023) · cites this paper as [108]
Factors that may impede effective treatment delivery include managing countertransference, addressing trauma, managing emotional reactivity, possessing clinical experience, and balancing needs in therapy.
“Several factors which may impede effective treatment delivery have been identified by Irvine and Peluso [108]. These factors included learning how to manage one’s countertransference reactions, knowing how to address trauma and manage emotional reactivity, possessing clinical experience and balancing needs that arise in the process of therapy.”
From Love and Infidelity: Causes and Consequences (2023) · cites this paper as [108]
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“In turn, four factors in couples were identified by Irvine and Peluso that negatively affect recovery from romantic affairs [108].”
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Self-citation
- Authors
- Irvine, T. J., & Peluso, P. R.
- Affiliations
- Florida Atlantic University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Peluso, Paul R.
- Venue
- The Family Journal
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2021-12-02
- Volume
- 30
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 324-333
- ISSN
- 1066-4807 (ISSN-L)
- 1552-3950
- OpenAlex
- W4200424577
- Cited by
- 14
- References
- 26
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 3
- FWCI
- 2.43
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- The Family Journal (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Marriage and Sexual Relationships
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychotherapy Techniques and Applications
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Counseling Practices and Supervision
- Keywords
- infidelity, couple therapy, therapist attitudes, therapist experience, barriers to treatment
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