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This article examines situations in which couples in crisis ask for therapy while one of the two partners is clearly or secretly engaged in an emotional relationship with another person. In our practice, couples therapy is not credible when there is a third party since the definition of couple implies the mutual commitment of both partners. Therefore, these situations are handled in a consultation context. In the case of an obvious betrayal, revealed or discovered, the person involved in another relationship and his partner will be accompanied to find a way out. In the case of a hidden relationship, a technique that allows the therapeutic work to continue is identified. Finally, the article faces the suspicion, that the therapists arouse in the team, that there is a third party that no one reveals. Some emblematic clinical vignettes of cases illustrate this theme and exemplify the clinical choices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infidelity is a challenging topic for both couples involved and clinicians who take care of them. Even though it is a spreading phenomenon, research thereon is still limited. The complexity of the construct makes it difficult to define. This study aims to systematize the researches available in the literature on infidelity definition, consequences, and clinical implications. It was carried out a scientific literature review of articles published from 1987 until April 2021. The analysed studies showed that researchers, clinicians, and laic people conceptualize infidelity in different ways and the consequences of infidelity can be extremely varied and they are distinct for the betrayed partner, the philandering, and the lover. It was demonstrated that couples who remain together after an affair are those who disclose that and engage themselves in therapy. There are no evidence-based interventions specific for infidelity, but it was showed that trust and forgiveness are central elements of psychological interventions. Expanding knowledge and developing specific instruments for clinicians is necessary to help them to navigate this process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we study the case of unexpected homosexual adultery in heterosexuals couples. Infidelity does not necessarily lead to the breakdown of the link, can represent a violation of implicit or explicit agreements that had characterized the relationship but also an evoulition. In the case of homosexual adultery, the partners find themselves not only dealing with the infidelity, but with managing the implications of a homosexual relationship inside the couple with respect to their children, parents, family, and social context. The couple's ideas about homosexuality are an important element in dealing with such kind of infidelity. In this work, we illustrate how the issue of homosexuality has been a complex one for psychoanalytic theory, an observation that allows one to understand the mystification of the heterosexual couple who faces homosexual adultery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]