Intensives
After betrayal, find the safety, guidance, and expert support you need to begin healing—together.
Couple Intensives + Toolkit
A customized intensive including a roadmap for couples healing from infidelity, compulsive sexual behavior or sex addiction. led by Aliki Pishev, LICSW, CSAT, CCPS - a compassionate and experienced licensed social worker, Certified Sex Addiction Therapist, and Clinical Partner Specialist online or in-person in Lexington or Plymouth, Massachusetts.
Couple’s Intensives for Betrayal Trauma
and Sex Addiction Recovery
Couples Intensives offer a focused, supportive, and trauma-informed space for couples navigating the devastating impact of betrayal trauma caused by sex addiction and infidelity. These intensives are designed to help couples slow down the chaos, access truth in a safe environment, and begin the process of emotional repair. With guided structure, proven tools, and compassionate facilitation, partners are supported in sharing their stories, clarifying boundaries, building emotional safety, and exploring whether—and how—the relationship can heal. Whether you’re seeking restoration or clarity, intensives provide a sacred space to move from confusion to courage, from reactivity to responsibility, and from devastation to hope.
Has there been a discovery of betrayal in your relationship?
Whether it is infidelity, pornography or compulsive sexual behavior? The usual pattern in couples is:
The betrayed partner is in shock and is asking hundreds of questions.
The betraying partner denies, deflects or gets defensive.
This is commonly referred to as “The Trauma Dance”. There are ways to stop this painful cycle and begin restoring safety, security and trust.
If you are the Betrayed Partner, you might be feeling like…
Nothing feels safe – you don’t know what’s real or who you can trust. If any of the details of his acting out, were to leak out in the community, your whole family could be destroyed!
You have so many questions, but when you try to understand what happened (and why), your partner just gets defensive, angry, and completely shuts down.
Every conversation turns into an argument, which leaves you feeling even more disconnected and discouraged.
You feel ambivalent. Do I stay? Do I leave? Will others judge me for staying with him?
You wish your life could just return to normal, but you don’t even know where to begin.
If you are the Betraying partner, you might be feeling like….
I must be a monster! I’m so ashamed and embarrassed
Will she ever forgive me? Will she tell the whole world? Will I get fired? Will the kids find out and I’ll lose them?
How did I do these horrible things?
How do we move forward?
I can’t tell her everything. It will destroy her!
Will my life ever be normal again?
Here’s what you need to know:
For the betrayed partner:
It is not your fault.
You didn’t cause this.
You have a right to the full truth.
You are responding normally to an abnormal situation. If you start to question whether you’re losing your mind (you aren’t!), you’re not alone – it’s very common for partners in your position to feel this way.
Your partner was your safe haven, yet he has caused this pain. It’s ok to feel hurt and angry.
You’re going to feel ambivalent and that is ok. You will eventually get clear on which path is right for you.
For the betraying partner:
Compulsive sexual behavior develops from early developmental trauma
It’s considered a “coping disorder,” – it was a way to cope with distress in childhood but now it’s destructive.
You may have tried to stop and you couldn’t.
You keep telling yourself, what she doesn’t know won’t hurt her.
While you probably didn’t set out to cause your family pain, you have and they can heal.
For the couple:
Overcoming a betrayal involving compulsive sexual behavior is not easy, but there is good news: 40-70% of couples who do the hard work are successful.
There is a very specific path forward to healing and recovery, and if you’re committed to walking it together, your relationship can emerge much stronger and deeper.
If that’s the future you want for your relationship, please know that it is possible – especially with the guidance of an expert in the field of sexual addiction and compulsive behavior.
I want to reassure you that there is a way forward. There is hope for healing.
Imagine if your relationship could become better than ever, if you and your partner…
Understood the path forward, complete with step-by-step tasks and Relapse Prevention Plan
Could receive personalized, expert guidance in identifying necessary boundaries (like putting filters on all devices or sharing access to email accounts) so that your relationship can begin the repair process.
Knew that your therapist, a Certified Sex Addiction Therapist, had the training and expertise to really make a difference and to be helpful by guiding you forward.
Were given tools to manage triggers and to improve communication like FANOS which is an easy format to connect with one another.
Learned how to get “unstuck” when you both spiral into unhealthy patterns of behaviors.
Learned skills in healthy conflict resolution such as taking time outs when both are dysregulated.
Felt safer, more secure, and more trusting of your partner so that you could begin to plan future family trips and social events.
Could rebuild your relationship on a new foundation of trust and safety so you can find deep love and happiness again.
Ready to begin the healing process?
Introducing
THE COUPLE’S ROADMAP TO RECOVERY
What does the actual day look like?
While each intensive will be customized for you, here’s an example of how our time together might unfold:
Introductory 90 min. Session (9-10:30am): In a safe, compassionate setting, we will review your family and relationship history; you will share your story of discovery; we will look at where you get stuck, we will evaluate what supports you have and need; we will set goals for the day;
10:30-10:40 break
First Individual sessionl: 10:40-11:30am
Second Individual session with the other person: 11:30-12:15
Working session 90 min. (1:00-2:30pm): where you each will identify your needs for safety and trust-building by creating your own boundaries/requests and then sharing them with each other. You will both come up with agreements that fulfill each of your needs which will stabilize your relationship.
Break 2:30-2:40pm
Communication and Conflict Resolution session 120 min. (2:40-4:40pm): You will learn about the biology of our nervous system when we’re triggered or activated. You will learn about specific communication and conflict resolution strategies to help you both feel more safe and calmer so you can negotiate your needs and find your back to one another.
You will learn how to co-regulate one another so you can both feel safe and secure in your relationship. You will also learn about nonverbal ways to feel emotionally more connected to one another.
Closing session (4:40-5pm): We will review the takeaways from the day and begin to chart a course forward. We will book your follow up session. A follow-up session will be scheduled one-two weeks after the intensive to evaluate how you have integrated the new tools and to assess your needs moving forward.
Here’s everything you will get inside of the Couples Intensive:
A Workbook with practical strategies and exercises.
✅ A step-by-step Couples’ Recovery Roadmap with the exact stages of healing and the specific tasks that will help you to move forward.
✅ A customized Recovery Team Checklist to identify the therapists, coaches, and support systems you need.
✅ A self-stabilization plan so you can handle emotional overwhelm and stop reacting from a place of fear or shame.
✅ A trigger management worksheet with practical tools to help you calm your nervous system in moments of panic.
✅ A structured communication framework that helps you both talk without escalating into fights or shutdowns. A variety of practical tools to help you enjoy a deeper and more authentic connection with your partner.
✅ A conflict resolution script to guide you through difficult conversations so that you can both negotiate your needs.
✅ A trust-building action plan so you can take small, measurable steps toward rebuilding safety, security and trust.
✅ Checklist of “What To Do and What Not To Do” to help you to heal your partner in the most effective ways.
✅ Action Plan for next steps.
✅ Resource Directory of resources: books, videos, podcasts.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many hours or days does the Couples Intensive take? An initial consultation takes place to evaluate your specific needs. Then, we will organize the intensive around your goals. An intensive can be anywhere between 6-8 hours.
Will insurance cover it? You will need to contact your insurance company to find out if such an intensive will be covered. I can provide the necessary documentation that you can submit for reimbursement, if the plan allows.
Where will we meet? An intensive can either be in person or online. I personally prefer in person, especially with couples therapy but I’m willing to accommodate your needs. I have two offices: Lexington and Plymouth.
How do I know if this is right for us? If you’ve recently had a discovery of betrayal due to infidelity or sex addiction, and you want to get a jumpstart on the healing and recovery process.
What will we receive? You will receive education on the repair and recovery process including practical tasks at every stage; You will receive practical tools to cope with triggers and conflict; You will learn effective communication strategies. You will receive a workbook with handouts from the exercises done in the intensive.
The Couples Intensive is perfect for you if…
There’s been a discovery of betrayal, whether it is infidelity or compulsive sexual behavior or sex addiction, you’re in crisis
You are interested in quickly learning ways to cope better
You want to stop fighting over incessant questions
You are both ready to do the hard work it will take to repair your relationship
You are eager to get the truth out so the real healing can begin
Are you ready to begin the healing process and repair your relationship?
You don’t have to remain in this state of hurt, loss, and uncertainty. You deserve to feel safe, secure, and trusting. Not only can you repair your relationship but it will be even stronger than how things were prior to discovery.
I’m happy to meet with you for a 15 minute, free consultation to see if I’m the right person for you.
Couples Intensives for Betrayal Trauma due to infidelity or compulsive sexual behavior:
Couples Intensives offer a focused, supportive, and trauma-informed space for couples navigating the devastating impact of betrayal trauma caused by infidelity, compulsive sexual behavior or sex addiction. These intensives are designed to help couples slow down the chaos, access truth in a safe environment, and begin the process of emotional repair. With guided structure, proven tools, and compassionate facilitation, partners are supported in sharing their stories, clarifying boundaries, building emotional safety, and exploring whether—and how—the relationship can heal. Whether you’re seeking restoration or clarity, these intensives for couples provide a sacred space to move from confusion to courage, from reactivity to responsibility, and from devastation to hope.