The Empty Table: Why Affairs Happen and How We Miss the Real Problem
Infidelity is all about emotional hunger.

Infidelity is all about emotional hunger.

Let me tell you about Maria. Sitting across from me on Zoom she muttered, "Pete, I know I need this, but I can't afford it." Her voice cracked. "We're already spending so much on regular therapy even though I still feel like I'm stuck." That's when I asked her to do something that changed everything: "Maria, let's look at what staying broken is actually costing you."

Imagine you’re on a remote highway in the dead of night. Your fuel gauge is hovering near empty, but you’re convinced you can make it to the next town. You’ve done this before. You know how to stretch a tank of gas, right? Just ease off the accelerator, coast down the hills… But then it happens. The engine sputters.

Sasha sat in her car outside her office, phone trembling in her hand. Six months after discovering her husband’s affair, she’d finally found a program that promised to help her rebuild her shattered self-worth. The testimonials were compelling. The approach made sense. For the first time since D-Day, she felt a spark of hope. “I need to ask David first,” she heard herself saying to me on the other end of the line. The silence that followed was deafening.