Patient: Jane and John (not their real name)
Age: Early 40s and mid 30s
Diagnosis: Violation of trust within the marriage and lack of connection and intimacy.
Custody Case: Jane and John have been married for about 10 years. Jane was involved in an emotional affair and shared nude pictures with someone of the opposite sex. As a result of this betrayal, John is considering divorce, and they sought therapy to process their hurt and identify the root causes of their issues.
Promises Services: Couples were assessed both together and individually to identify challenges related to emotional disconnection, trust violations, and a lack of communication and shared rituals for connection. They expressed confusion and distress about their circumstances and struggled to break free from a cycle of blame. During therapy, they learn to identify their needs and express them more effectively, while also understanding the warning signs of a breakdown in connection, and the triggers for their emotional outbursts
Patient Response: Both partners were able to open up to Winifred, building significant rapport and trust. They gained an understanding of how each had contributed to the breakdown of their marriage, as well as the gaps in their communication, conflict management, and emotional regulation skills. They learned more effective ways of communicating, which allowed them to share their deepest dreams.
Support Extended: Within eight sessions over a period of four months, they shifted their decision from wanting a divorce to investing in their marriage and finding a shared dream of getting a new home. This remarkable progress occurred as both partners sincerely worked to let go of past hurts through the therapeutic process, learning more effective ways to express their feelings and establish boundaries to safeguard their marriage.
