Kimberly Schildbach Therapy
Online Couples Therapy and Discernment Counseling in Washington, Massachusetts, Connecticut, & Florida.
Couples Therapy for Infidelity and Betrayal in Darien, Connecticut
Reeling from an affair or disclosure? You don't have to navigate it alone.
Online in Darien and all of Connecticut.
You can handle almost
anything - except feeling this disconnected.
Every attempt to talk or bring up past hurts spirals out of control. One of you fears being hurt again, the other fears you’ll never believe they can change.
Your conversations typically lead right to conflict, and you’re terrified that one more fight might be the one you can’t recover from.
You’re might both be living with the shock of infidelity - one carrying the wound, the other carrying the weight - and neither of you knows what to do next.
You’re stuck in a painful limbo: afraid of losing the relationship, yet just as afraid of staying where you are. One of you leans out, the other leans in - both knowing you don’t want this to continue.
You’re in the right place. Couples therapy is the ideal process made for this kind of relationship injury. In our work - you'll find hope.
Infidelity doesn’t just shake your attachment system - it makes you question who you are. How could I have missed this? How could I do this? The person you once trusted the most feels like a stranger. Unsafe. Your heart shuts down.
I want to help you open it again.
At the heart of Emotionally Focused Therapy is the process of expanding safety between you so you can actually reach each other. It starts with de-escalation - helping you both find the hurt and fear beneath the spicy words, the rage, or the shut-down withdrawals. We uncover the softer, more vulnerable feelings and give you the language to share them in a way your partner not only hears, but actually wants to hear.
Once curiosity and openness take root, we move deeper into repair. Within EFT, we use a model called the Attachment Injury Repair Model (AIRM). It’s a roadmap built from research and years of clinical experience, showing couples how to heal serious relationship injuries.
For the injured partner, we work to share your devastation from the depths - without blame, without fangs - so your partner moves closer and feels your pain inside them. For the injurer, we focus on taking full emotional responsibility for your actions. When both partners are truly “felt,” your relationship becomes bulletproof.
And we don’t stop at repair. We examine the patterns that brought you here, the turning out, and how to strengthen your emotional signals so this never happens again. I’ve helped countless couples come back from the abyss stronger than before - and I can help you too.
When Trust Breaks, Love Can Still Heal. Here’s How.
Couples therapy for infidelity and betrayal in Darian, Connecticut
Couples Therapy for Infidelity in Darian, Connecticut FAQs
What if the affair is ongoing?
If the affair is ongoing, we can meet (if everyone is aware of the affair) for a limited number of sessions to help you both sort things out, but my ability to help you reconnect is limited. I cannot ask the hurt partner to reach out, be vulnerable, and risk connection while the betrayal is still happening. If one of you is unsure about staying in the marriage, I recommend Discernment Counseling - a structured process to help you gain clarity on whether to repair or separate.
Can a relationship survive infidelity?
Yes, many relationships do survive infidelity - and some even grow stronger and more authentic in the long run. You don't have to give up on your relationship after their has been an injury.
How does therapy help after cheating?
Therapy creates a structured, neutral space where:
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The betrayed partner can process shock, grief, and anger
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The partner who had the affair can offer honesty, apology, and make true amends
They’ll also explore what led to their unskilled behavior - gaining insight into themselves, so both of you can trust that it won’t happen again.
What if we’re not sure we want to stay together?
Before you waste months in couples therapy consider Discernment Counseling. Discernment Counseling is a time limited, structured program to help you both decide if you'd like to heal the relationship or move to divorce or separate with more understanding.
Is therapy for infidelity just about the affair?
No. The affair is a part of the story, not the whole story. Therapy digs deeper into:
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Relationship patterns - such as a pattern of turning out of the relationship in times of stress
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Attachment wounds - other injuries your relationship has sustained.
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Emotional disconnection - ways you've missed each other over the years, even before the injury
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Personal and relational history - how these influence how we act, how we react, and what we expect from our relationships.
How long does it take to heal from infidelity?
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer. (Helpful, right?) Generally, healing from infidelity takes months - not weeks. Safety will come slowly at first but every gain will be celebrated. Eventually you won't need me anymore.
Do you work with emotional affairs or online cheating in Darian, CT?
Yes. Emotional affairs, online infidelity, sexting, and other forms of sexual secrecy are all real forms of relational injury. What matters is how it impacted your ability to trust each other.
What if I feel broken after being cheated on?
Betrayal shakes your sense of self, safety, and reality. Most experience it like PTSD - with flashbacks, lack of trust in themselves and others, and lack of sleep along with other symptoms. The best healing is in relationship - so if you and your partner are willing to repair - their love and care can help relieve your symptoms.
Do you offer intensive therapy for infidelity?
Yes. For couples in crisis, I offer two-day and three-day therapy intensives.
These are ideal when you know you'll both be able to open up more when you're not watching the clock. After a therapy intensive you can transition to the supportive structure of weekly/biweekly therapy or ongoing intensive work.
Will you take my partner's side against me in therapy?
This is a valid concern. Friends and coworkers usually "take a side", leaving us feeling judged and ganged up on. I am specifically trained to connect and understand each member's point of view. Each member has a valid opinion of what has happened. Our sessions will be balanced and fair with each of you having ample time to speak and feel validated.
Will I get to tell my side of the story?
We'll meet all together for our first session and then I'll have individual sessions with both of you. These sessions are a time to discuss your goals for therapy and to get to know about your history in your family of origin and your history as a couple.
You're Covered in Connecticut
Couples Therapy for Infidelity in Darian, CT
I provide online couples therapy for infidelity and betrayal for couples in Darien, Connecticut, who are struggling to rebuild trust, make sense of what happened, or figure out whether their relationship can recover after a painful discovery.
I work with couples throughout Darien, including Noroton, Noroton Heights, Tokeneke, Long Neck Point, the Tokeneke area, and Downtown Darien, as well as couples in nearby Stamford, New Canaan, Norwalk, Rowayton, Greenwich, Westport, and Fairfield.
Whether you’re reeling from an affair, struggling with sexual secrecy or broken promises, caught in painful cycles of questioning and defensiveness, or unsure how to move forward together, couples therapy can help you understand what’s happening between you, address the hurt, and begin working toward a more secure and honest relationship.
I also provide online couples therapy throughout Connecticut, making it possible to access specialized support for infidelity, betrayal, and affair recovery without adding another commute to your already-full life.