Systemic Affair Recovery Therapy

The Beauty in Broken Places

Infidelity can leave a relationship feeling shattered—its foundation cracked, its integrity shaken, and its future uncertain. In those painful moments, it’s easy to believe that what’s been broken can never be whole again.

But healing doesn’t mean hiding the cracks—it means honoring them.

In Systemic Affair Recovery Therapy (SART), we embrace a perspective inspired by Kintsugi—the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with gold. Rather than disguising the damage, gold is used to bind the broken pieces, creating something even more beautiful than before. The breaks remain visible, but they are transformed into lines of strength, purpose, and grace.

SART, developed by Talal H. Alsaleem, LMFT, offers a similar path forward in the aftermath of infidelity. Together, we work through seven intentional milestones, gently examining the pieces of what was, so we can rebuild something new—with clarity, commitment, and deeper understanding.

This process helps couples:

• Create a supportive, emotionally safe environment for healing

• Acknowledge how the betrayal has altered the relationship’s foundation

• Explore the reasons behind the infidelity without blame or avoidance

• Identify what’s needed to rebuild trust and intimacy

• Develop a sustainable, forward-focused action plan

Based on Alsaleem’s best-selling book in.fi.del.i.ty, SART doesn’t promise quick fixes—it offers a path of intention, insight, and transformation. For many couples, this work becomes a turning point—where something painful becomes something profound.

Sometimes, infidelity becomes the “best worst thing” that ever happened to a relationship—not because it happened, but because of what you choose to build from it.