Simone Merkl | Counsellor - In-Person & Online

Moving Beyond Explanation and Justification Toward Understanding the Impact of Your Choices “I said I was sorry. What else am I supposed to do?” “I didn't mean for this to happen.” “I was unhappy in the marriage.” “I felt lonely.” “We had been disconnected for years.” “I never planned for it to go this far.” “I love my partner. I made a terrible mistake.” These statements may contain pieces of the truth. But after an affair, there is an important difference between explaining

Understanding the Search for Information, Reassurance and Safety After Betrayal “Why did you do it?” “When did it start?” “Where were you?” “Who knew?” “Was it really over?” “Are you telling me everything?” “Did you love them?” “Do you still think about them?” “Why didn’t I know?” And sometimes the same question comes back again. You may know you've already asked it. Your partner may have already answered it. Yet something inside you still needs to ask. You may even wonder: W

What Rebuilding Can Look Like After Trust Has Been Broken—and Why Healing Doesn't Mean Simply Going Back to the Way Things Were Can a marriage survive an affair? If you are asking this question, you may be standing in the middle of a future you never expected. Maybe you discovered the affair yesterday. Maybe it happened months ago, but you still don't know what to do with what happened. Maybe you both want to stay together, but you have no idea how a marriage could possibly f