Date
12-4-2025
Department
School of Behavioral Sciences
Degree
Doctor of Education in Community Care and Counseling (EdD)
Chair
Michael Howard
Keywords
attachment, betrayal, health-compromising, infidelity, trauma, women
Disciplines
Counseling | Social and Behavioral Sciences
Recommended Citation
Pittman, Anita M., "The Shared Experiences of Betrayed Women in North Carolina Dealing with Long-Term Issues from Trauma Associated with Marital Infidelity: A Phenomenological Study" (2025). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 7753.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/7753
Abstract
The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to describe the shared lived experiences of women affected by marital infidelity in North Carolina. Physical, emotional, and spiritual issues arise due to betrayal and brokenness of secure attachments. Findings from this study revealed that some shared emotional issues women faced following infidelity included depression, guilt, self-blame, and low self-esteem. Some issues took longer to recover from than others, such as loss of trust, low self-esteem, and varying physical health-related issues. The guiding theories for this study were Bowlby and Ainsworth’s Attachment Theory, Emotion-Focused Therapy developed by Greenberg and Johnson, and Vygotsky’s Social Constructivism Theory. Findings showed a correlation between issues that betrayed women experienced following marital infidelity and associated mental, emotional, and health-related illnesses or disorders resulting from the trauma.
