NEVER AGAIN BETROTHED: OVERVIEW OF WOMEN UNDERGOING THERAPY USING A SYSTEMIC APPROACH

Abstract

This article surveys the opinions of women undergoing therapy regarding their perceptions after being betrayed. The objective was to analyze these women's perceptions of the effectiveness of the therapy and their feelings regarding marital infidelity. To this end, an exploratory and descriptive field study was conducted with 34 heterosexual women using a semi-structured questionnaire via Google Forms, with quantitative and qualitative data analysis. The study found that all 34 participants, at different stages of therapy, experienced changes in their marital and personal lives. The majority (97.1%) reported feeling unable to cope with the betrayal before treatment, but stated that the intervention was decisive in improving communication, clarity in decision-making, trust, and respect in the relationship, in addition to helping them cope with the memories of the betrayal. All reported positive impacts on their personal lives, such as emotional reorganization, improved self-esteem, and greater awareness of their roles in the relationship, with an emphasis on self-accountability and the establishment of healthy boundaries. The treatment unanimously promoted learning, such as the balance between giving and receiving and the recovery of feminine identity. Most did not experience further infidelity, and all would recommend the therapy to other women, recognizing that the process helped build a more solid and conscious emotional foundation.