February 25, 2026 "When you blame others, you give up your power to change." —Robert Anthony When Blame Feels Justified In 2018, Starbucks faced a major public backlash after two Black men were arrested while waiting in a Philadelphia store. The arrests were captured on video and went viral. Public anger was justified. There were calls for boycotts. The situation clearly reflected a systemic failure.The CEO at the time, Kevin Johnson, could have blamed the individual employee, the police...
8 days ago • 1 min read
February 18, 2026 Do you have a recommendation, story, or question to submit? I'd love to hear from you! "In my eyes, I’m a winner because I was able to persevere right through." —Chloe Kim, Olympic silver winner When We Miss the Prize I remember, during my sophomore year of college, envisioning my future. I had it all mapped out: the man I would become, the marriage I would build, the kind of father I would be, a meaningful career—a life that felt steady, honorable, and whole. That dream...
15 days ago • 1 min read
February 12, 2026The Affair Recovery Room podcast (audio only) is now avaible to listen to on YouTube, too! "The betrayer doesn't have to have the perfect answer; they have to empathize—they have to say 'I get it...'" —Dr. Deb Miller, podcast interview To Rising Phoenix, and all of you who have shared your story... Last Friday, a woman writing under the name Rising Phoenix shared the final entry in her series recounting her journey as a betrayed wife. It is a real and deeply personal story...
21 days ago • 1 min read
February 4, 2026 "I no longer believe that infidelity is the worse thing that can happen to a marriage." —Nancy Pickard (from this week's podcast episode) Victim Blaming? This comment was posted on Spotify following the release of our most recent episode, Deciding to Stay in Your Marriage: The Involved Partner: “‘how they each contributed’ — bullshit. Victim blaming the betrayed partner. Unsubscribed.” I wish I could talk with this person directly. Critics rarely reach out personally, and...
29 days ago • 1 min read
January 28, 2026 "There’s something really hard in knowing that your planned future… isn’t going to be what you thought. But there’s also something really empowering in—What can I be?" —"Elisa" in my interview with her yesterday, looking back six years ago when her husband left her for someone else. For over two decades, I’ve helped individuals and couples recover from infidelity. I’ve seen the wreckage it leaves behind—confusion, grief, anger, disbelief. And I’ve also seen what can emerge...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
January 21, 2026 New Online Group: Recovery Room Reflections I want to see if there's enough interest in hosting a free online meeting to discuss the topics of recent podcast episodes. I'll schedule our first one during the first week of February if there is enough interest.If you're interested, please complete the following poll to let me know which days/times would work for you: Quick Poll > "Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one's...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
January 14, 2025 Updated: Understanding WHY CourseI've just released the new version of my Understanding WHY course, which includes four full coaching sessions. This resource is for the Involved Partner who needs more clarity about their affair. I'm offering 50% off for the first two people who use this discount code: WHY-50. "I never dreamed I'd go through the experience in my own marriage." —Linda MacDonald Top Takeaways: My Conversation with Linda MacDonald I interviewed Linda MacDonald...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
January 7, 2026 "You can’t reason with someone who’s rewriting reality to quiet their conscience."—Linda MacDonald Up, Down, and Onward The start of a new year has a way of pulling us into reflection as we look back on what’s been and forward toward what might be next. As I’ve been doing that personally, I’ve also been doing it with Affair Healing. What follows is a candid look at the past year: the moments that encouraged me, the ones that disappointed me, and the direction I’m moving as we...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
Dec 31, 2025Next week's newsletter will include new information about what's coming next to Affair Healing and The Affair Recovery Room podcast. See you in the new year! “Last year was a fine teacher, but I’m ready to graduate now.” —unknown Last December 31, our website and podast had been mostly stagnant for five years. That doesn't mean we had stopped working. All three of us—Jenn, Sharon, and I—remained active in our counseling and coaching work, but we weren't releasing fresh...
2 months ago • 2 min read