Marilyn Jhung, Infidelity & Betrayal Therapy (Couples Intensives + Structured Plans) MSW, LCSW

When your relationship is in crisis, what helps most is a clear process held by someone who can stay steady under pressure. If you’re dealing with infidelity, betrayal, hidden contact, gaslighting, or a rupture that has destabilized your home and your sense of self, you may be trying to function while your nervous system is on high alert. You don’t need more talking. You need containment, clarity, and next steps. With steady, structured guidance, I help you slow the crisis down, face what’s real, and take the next right step with clarity and integrity. My first priority is stabilization—restoring enough steadiness to think clearly and stop the situation from causing more damage. Early on, that usually means guardrails around communication, transparency, emotional escalation, and decision-making so the week doesn’t become constant re-injury. Once things are steadier, we work at two levels: what happened, and what the rupture is revealing. Relationship pain often exposes unfinished places—old wounds, unmet needs, shame, fear, avoidance, resentment, self-abandonment, and the protective roles people fall into when they don’t feel safe. We do not minimize the injury, and we do not stop at the injury. We name what is true, and we use that truth to guide repair, release, or a values-aligned next step. I integrate parts-based work (learning to recognize and lead the different “sides” of you), attachment-focused work, psychodynamic insight, Transactional Analysis, differentiation, and core values approaches. Sessions are compassionate, active, and direct. I help you identify the painful cycles they fall into—pursuer and withdrawer, critic and shut-down partner, moral authority and shame-collapse partner, over-functioner and avoider—and begin moving toward more emotionally mature, accountable connection. For couples, the work may lead toward rebuilding a more honest and trustworthy relationship—not the old relationship restored, but a more truthful one created. For others, the work brings clarity that separation needs to be faced with integrity, care, and less destruction. For individuals, the work often becomes a path back to self-trust, dignity, boundaries, and choices aligned with who you want to become. This work is best suited for people who are open to clear direction, honest reflection, and practice between sessions—even when it’s uncomfortable. If that fits you, we’ll work quickly and deliberately toward stability, truth, and next steps. The first step is a consultation and strategy session to clarify what’s happening and identify the most responsible next step.

I run a private online practice for individuals and couples navigating high-stakes relationship crises—infidelity or betrayal discovery, hidden contact, emotionally harmful dynamics, painful breakups, and brink-of-divorce decisions. Most clients come to me because the situation feels too destabilizing for slow, open-ended weekly work. My work is structured and goal-driven: we address what’s urgent first, then build a plan that holds up outside the session. *Discovery crisis stabilization (short-term, structured) *Truth restoration (Full Disclosure pathway, when appropriate) *Post-disclosure integration aftercare (for couples still stuck) *Repair leadership (individual work for the partner who broke trust) *Discernment support (repair vs separation clarity) The process begins with a consultation and strategy session to clarify what is happening, what needs attention first, and what type of structure will help most. After your consultation, I will recommend the most appropriate next step so you’re not guessing—focused individual work, joint sessions, extended sessions, or a structured plan with clear goals and expectations. All sessions are online via Zoom. Therapy services are available to clients located in California at the time of service. Coaching may be available nationally or internationally when appropriate; coaching is not psychotherapy, diagnosis, or mental health treatment.