Online and in-person specialist support for partners affected by infidelity, pornography use, or sexual addiction.
When someone you love breaks trust, the impact can feel overwhelming. Many partners describe the experience not simply as heartbreak, but as trauma.
You may be dealing with intrusive thoughts, shock, hypervigilance, anxiety, or a constant sense that your world no longer feels safe. Even everyday reminders can trigger waves of emotion. You might feel confused by the intensity of your reactions, or ashamed that you “can’t just move on”.
Betrayal trauma counselling offers a safe, structured space to help you stabilise, make sense of what has happened, and begin to rebuild your emotional footing.
We offer in-person counselling at our centres in Buckhurst Hill and Henley-on-Thames, and online sessions across the UK.
Betrayal trauma occurs when someone you depend on for emotional safety breaks trust in a significant way. This may involve infidelity, secret pornography use, sexual addiction, or prolonged deception.
The impact can feel similar to post-traumatic stress. Many people experience:
When the person who felt like your safe base becomes the source of threat, the nervous system reacts accordingly.
Many people notice experiences such as:
Betrayal trauma counselling begins with stabilisation. Before exploring the deeper impact of what has happened, we focus on helping your nervous system settle. This may include developing ways to manage intrusive thoughts, reduce hypervigilance, and improve sleep.
Over time, therapy can help you understand your trauma responses, clarify boundaries, and think more clearly about your relationship and future decisions. When appropriate, deeper trauma processing can take place, always at a pace that feels safe.
Some people benefit from individual counselling. Others find additional support in our therapist-led Partners Support Group. The group offers shared understanding and reduces isolation, while individual therapy provides tailored, one-to-one work.
You can choose one or combine both.
Betrayal trauma can present with symptoms similar to post-traumatic stress, including intrusive thoughts, hyperarousal, and avoidance. Not everyone will meet the criteria for PTSD, but the nervous system impact can feel very similar.
After relational betrayal, the brain searches for safety and certainty. Replaying events, checking behaviours, or intrusive imagery are common trauma responses, not signs of weakness.
There is no fixed timeline. Recovery depends on many factors, including the level of deception, ongoing transparency, and the support you receive. With appropriate counselling, symptoms can reduce significantly.
Therapy does not tell you what decision to make. Instead, it supports you to regain clarity, stabilise emotionally, and make decisions from a grounded place rather than from shock or fear.
Yes. We work with clients both in person and online across the UK.
Sessions with a betrayal trauma counsellor start at £70 per session. If affordability is an issue for you, we also offer general low-cost counselling support.
If you would like to speak to someone about betrayal trauma counselling, complete the form below, and we will match you with a therapist experienced in this area.
If you would prefer to talk things through first, you can book a call with our team.
You do not have to navigate this alone.