After Betrayal: How Santa Monica Couples Therapy Helps Rebuild Trust
- kalie03
- Aug 1
- 2 min read
Updated: Oct 30
When trust is broken, it can feel like the ground has disappeared beneath you. Whether the betrayal was emotional or physical, both partners are often left holding pain, confusion, and fear. Santa Monica couples therapy offers a structured, compassionate space to process what happened and begin the work of repair.
Rebuilding trust isn’t about forgetting. It’s about understanding. In therapy, we look at the layers beneath the betrayal: the disconnection that came before, the emotions driving the choices made, and the impact those choices had. Both partners get space to speak honestly and be heard without judgment.
I use an emotionally focused and trauma-informed approach, integrating EMDR when trauma responses (like intrusive memories or hypervigilance) make healing difficult. EMDR can help reduce the emotional charge of painful memories, allowing both partners to move forward without being pulled back into the moment of hurt.
Together, we also work on re-establishing transparency, setting boundaries, and rebuilding small moments of safety. Over time, these moments become the scaffolding for new trust.
If you’re in the aftermath of betrayal, know that healing is possible. Santa Monica couples therapy doesn’t rush forgiveness or push you to “move on.” It helps you understand, grieve, and rebuild in a way that feels authentic for both of you.
You can learn to reach for each other again—steadily, honestly, and with care.
Kalie Pham, LMFT (#156007), is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and the founder of Inner Compass Therapy in Santa Monica, California. She specializes in couples therapy, EMDR, and identity-focused individual work. Kalie blends attachment-based, narrative, and somatic approaches to help clients understand themselves, heal relationship patterns, and move toward more grounded connection.
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