Couples Therapy, Infidelity, and Commitment: Tough Topics Laid Bare
Esther Perel, author of Mating in Captivity and, more recently, The State of Affairs: Rethinking Infidelity (two books I highly recommend), was recently featured in The New Yorker.
In this interview from Alexandra Schwartz conducted at the New Yorker Festival, Perel discusses couples therapy, romance, marriage, and infidelity – all topics she speaks on as an expert with over thirty years’ experience. Perel’s often-provocative approach to relationships can inspire new thinking about how we look at partnership and how we face the challenges that come up in long-term commitments.
Also enlightening is her podcast, Where Should We Begin, in which six couples enter into couples therapy with Perel. These recorded sessions are eye-opening, raw and intimate and go deep into the heart of what commitment really means.
As an action verb, to commit requires dedicated effort and, as Esther Perel says, isn’t “a constant state of enthusiasm” – it requires diligent practice to allow space for personal growth as well as healthy intimacy. Couples therapy and sex coaching can be incredible tools for this work, helping people develop communication and listening skills and learn to ask for what they want and need. Learning how to give and receive pleasure is such a big part of it! As we begin this new year, let me help you strengthen and enhance the love, passion and communication in your relationship.