Terese D., LMFT-LP
Couples & Individual Therapist
Couples · LGBTQ+ · Non-monogamy · Relational dynamics · Gottman Method
Accepting new clients
Couples & Partners
Infidelity Counseling and Affair Recovery in NYC
After discovery, most couples are trying to do three things at once: survive the day, establish what actually happened, and decide about the marriage. Those are three different tasks and they need to be separated.
Types of betrayal we work with
- A physical affair, short or long, discovered or disclosed
- An emotional affair — sometimes harder to name, and no less painful
- Online infidelity: messaging, apps, sexting, secret accounts
- Financial betrayal: hidden debt, spending or accounts
- Broken agreements in open or non-monogamous relationships
What counts as a betrayal is defined by the agreements you had, spoken or unspoken — not by a checklist. If it broke trust between you, it belongs here.
The three phases
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Stabilize
Stop the bleeding — sleep, work, children, and the interrogation loop that runs at 2am. We set ground rules for how questions get asked and answered so the crisis does not run your whole life.
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Understand
What the affair was, what it met, and what it says about the relationship it happened inside. This is not the same as excusing it, and it is not a search for whose fault the marriage was.
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Decide and rebuild
Trust is rebuilt through repeated, verifiable behavior over months, not through a single conversation. If you decide to part, we help you do that without destroying each other — especially when there are children.
The first sessions after discovery
Most couples come in within days or weeks of finding out. The early sessions are about safety and structure rather than insight: is the affair over, what contact remains, what the betrayed partner needs to know now and what can wait, and how to get through the next week.
Questions are normal and they matter. We help you move from the 2am cross-examination — which tends to produce more pain and less information — to a structured way of asking and answering that gives the betrayed partner what they actually need to know.
For the partner who was betrayed
You are not obliged to be over it on anyone else's schedule, and you are not required to decide quickly. The work protects your right to information and your right to take time. Anger, numbness and swings between the two are expected.
For the partner who had the affair
You will be asked to answer hard questions honestly, to tolerate your partner's pain without defending yourself, and to show change over time rather than promise it. You will also get room to understand what happened in you — not to excuse it, but because without that understanding it is hard for either of you to trust the change.
Can a relationship survive an affair?
Many do, and some end up more honest than before. Others separate, and separating well is also a good outcome. We do not decide for you or steer you either way; we help you make the decision with clear information rather than in the middle of the crisis.
Intensives, sessions and fees
Some couples cannot wait for weekly sessions to gain traction after discovery. An affair recovery intensive — several hours over one or more days — can stabilize things quickly before weekly work continues.
Weekly sessions with Terese D., LMFT-LP, run 60 minutes ($240) or 75 minutes ($300), in person at 352 7th Ave in Midtown or by video anywhere in New York State. We are out-of-network; where your plan accepts out-of-network claims, we file on your behalf, otherwise we issue superbills.
New Jersey couples
Our couples therapist is licensed in New York, with New Jersey licensure in progress, so New Jersey couples meet her at the Midtown office, a short walk from Penn Station and the PATH, or by video while in New York.
Who you would see
Questions
What people ask
How long does affair recovery take?
It varies. The crisis phase often settles within the first couple of months of regular sessions; rebuilding trust usually takes many months beyond that. We review where you are openly as we go.
Will you tell us to stay together?
No. Some couples emerge stronger and some separate well. Both are outcomes we can work toward.
Do you do individual sessions alongside the couples work?
Yes, when it helps — with clear agreements about confidentiality set at the start.
Can we do affair recovery online?
Yes, by secure video anywhere in New York State. Some couples prefer the first sessions after discovery in person if they can manage it.
Does insurance cover infidelity counseling?
We are out-of-network with all plans. If your plan reimburses out-of-network couples or family therapy and you elect it, we file on your behalf; otherwise we provide superbills. Coverage for couples work varies by plan, so it is worth asking your insurer directly.
Start with a consultation
Tell us what is going on. We will tell you honestly whether we are the right practice for it, and match you with the practitioner who fits — or point you to someone better placed.