“Betrayal is loss. It is a whole list of losses.”

Betrayal by someone we trusted and loved is a shocking experience. We experience a death on a number of levels.

Recognizing all the losses that this grief has caused, and then letting ourselves grieve them as fully as we can, is essential for our recovery.

Some of these losses include the following:

– Loss of the person you thought you were married to

– Loss of the picture you had of your marriage

– Loss of your past, and what you believed your relationship had been like, and what you believed you had meant to your spouse

– Loss of precious memories (including around key events, such as the birth of your child)

– Loss of your hopes and plans for the future

– Loss of trust – in your spouse, in yourself, in other people, and the world in…