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Reconnecting After an Affair: Relationship Justice, Spirituality, and Infidelity Treatment

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Socially Just Religious and Spiritual Interventions

Part of the book series: AFTA SpringerBriefs in Family Therapy ((BRIEFSFAT))

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Abstract

In this chapter I will present a couples’ treatment model that utilizes a social justice framework and integrates spirituality. Many couples seeking therapy come to treatment for an affair. There is extensive literature available on how to work with affairs, yet the intersectionality between spirituality, infidelity, and couple recovery is less known. The literature has only recently begun to address issues of relational justice as it relates to gender and power in affair recovery. Regarding spirituality in infidelity treatment, some models focus on forgiveness, but specifically how spirituality influences treatment and recovery is unknown. Additionally, how to incorporate spiritual interventions from a social justice lens is virtually nonexistent in the marriage and family therapy literature. I will address these intersections through an extended case example, offering specific suggestions in how to address issues of gender, power, spirituality, and affairs in couples treatment and recovery.

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Correspondence to Kirstee Williams .

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Williams, K. (2018). Reconnecting After an Affair: Relationship Justice, Spirituality, and Infidelity Treatment. In: Esmiol Wilson, E., Nice, L. (eds) Socially Just Religious and Spiritual Interventions. AFTA SpringerBriefs in Family Therapy. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-01986-0_7

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