You Don’t Have to Heal Alone: The Power of Support Groups for Women Recovering from Cheating, Infidelity, and Divorce.
Let me guess. You’ve probably Googled things like “How to recover after infidelity” or “Is it normal to still be this hurt months later?” at least once. Maybe you’ve tried journaling, listened to podcasts, read books, and even forgiven more times than you want to admit. And still… there’s a lump in your throat that won’t go away. There are moments when it hits you out of nowhere, driving, folding laundry, walking past a couple in the grocery store, and you’re back in that place again. The shock. The betrayal. The silence that followed.
If that’s you, you’re not broken. You’re human. And more importantly, you don’t have to heal alone.
As someone who has worked with women navigating the emotional wreckage of cheating, pornography use, sexual addiction, or divorce, I’ve heard the same fears echoed again and again:
“I feel like no one gets it.”
“What if people judge me for staying… or for leaving?”
“I’m scared I’ll fall apart if I say it out loud.”
“I don’t want to be in a group where everyone just bashes men.”
Let’s talk about that last one for a second, because it’s valid, and I want you to know: a support group for betrayed women is not a space for man-bashing. It’s a space for you. For your healing, your processing, your grief. It’s where your story gets to come out of hiding.
Fear: “What if people don’t understand my situation?”
One of the most isolating parts of betrayal trauma is feeling like you’re the only one going through this. Friends might say, “Just leave him,” or “At least it wasn’t physical.” Family may mean well, but they fumble their words. In a group, you meet women who do understand. You’ll hear stories that feel eerily similar to your own. You’ll see women at all stages, some just starting to unravel the betrayal, others finding their footing again. That variety creates perspective. It gives you hope. It shows you that healing is a process, not a destination you missed.
Fear: “I don’t want to bash the person who hurt me.”
Totally fair. Some women stay. Some leave. Some are still deciding. The goal of a support group isn’t to demonize your partner or ex. It’s to validate your experience.
Anger is normal. Rage even. So is sadness, confusion, compassion, and all the contradictory things in between. Group gives you a space to say those things aloud without someone trying to fix it or push an agenda. You’re not there to make decisions for the rest of your life; you’re there to feel what’s real for today.
Support groups rooted in partner-sensitive models, like the ones I lead, respect your autonomy. We don’t slap a label on your relationship. We hold space. That means there is no pressure to disclose details you’re not ready to share, there is no shame if you cried yourself to sleep last night, and there is absolutely no judgment if you still love someone who hurt you.
Fear: “I might fall apart in front of strangers.”
You might. And if you do, no one will think less of you. In fact, someone might say, “Me too,” and something in your chest will unclench.
There’s something incredibly powerful about seeing your pain mirrored in someone else’s eyes. Not out of misery, but out of solidarity. There’s healing in saying it out loud. In being witnessed. In not having to tidy up your feelings or explain why you're not "over it" yet.
In group, falling apart is not a weakness. It’s a release. It’s where the healing starts.
What You’ll Find Instead of Judgment
Here’s what group actually looks like:
Women nodding while you talk because they get it.
Tearful laughs when someone says, “I thought I was the only one who felt crazy.”
Supportive check-ins between meetings because real connection doesn’t end when the Zoom call does.
Gentle, trauma-informed guidance to help you sort through your emotions without being rushed.
There’s no pressure to fix everything. No gold stars for pretending you’re fine. Just space. And support. And slow, sturdy healing.
Why Group Matters
When betrayal hits, your nervous system is on high alert. You might feel disconnected from your body, your faith, your identity. Shame can convince you that you somehow caused this or that you’re not enough. And loneliness—deep, all-consuming loneliness—can make you think you’re the only one.
But you’re not.
In support group, you start to rewire that narrative. You begin to believe that maybe, just maybe, you are not too much. You are not too late. You are not alone.
Over time, women in group begin to reclaim things: their voice, their boundaries, their laughter. They learn to trust their gut again. They practice asking for what they need without apologizing. They stop explaining away their pain and start honoring it.
Healing doesn’t happen in isolation. And no matter how strong you are (or how strong you’ve pretended to be), you deserve care too.
A Gentle Invitation
If you’ve been carrying your pain quietly—hoping it would just pass, or afraid to admit how deep it runs—I want to invite you into something different. Something gentler. Something real.
A support group won’t make the betrayal disappear, but it will remind you that healing is possible, even if your story doesn’t have a neat, tidy ending yet.
You don’t have to go it alone anymore.
Ready to take the next step? Click here to learn more about our Women’s Betrayal Support Group.
We’ll save you a seat.
About the Author
Marsha Galan is a Certified Master Level Coach and APSATS-trained Partner Specialist at Resilient Mind Counseling and Coaching, PLLC. She specializes in coaching women through betrayal trauma, infidelity recovery, and healing after sexual addiction or pornography use has impacted their relationships. With advanced training in partner trauma and a deep understanding of relational pain, Marsha offers individual coaching and leads women’s betrayal support groups that focus on emotional safety, resilience, and rebuilding trust. Her compassionate, trauma-informed approach helps betrayed partners process the devastation of cheating, navigate divorce, and reclaim their sense of identity and worth. Marsha serves clients in Dayton, TX, Mont Belvieu, TX, Baytown, TX, the Greater Houston Area, and online across Texas.