Powered by RedCircle
Can a relationship survive infidelity? Yes, some couples are able to rebuild trust, emotional intimacy, and a satisfying sex life after an affair—but recovery often requires understanding what happened, repairing the betrayal, and creating new patterns of emotional and sexual connection.
In this episode of the Sexology Podcast, Los Angeles clinical psychologist and sex therapist Dr. Nazanin Moali speaks with renowned couples and sex therapist Dr. Laurie Watson about infidelity recovery, rebuilding trust after cheating, attachment wounds, forgiveness, and reconnecting sexually after an affair.
Dr. Watson explains why relationship problems involving sex are rarely only about sex. She explores how emotional and sexual attachment interact and how couples can become trapped in a pursue-withdraw cycle—where one partner feels rejected and reaches for more connection while the other feels pressured, overwhelmed, or increasingly disconnected.
We also explore why people cheat even when they love their partner, how betrayal can affect both emotional and sexual intimacy, and what couples can do when they want to repair their relationship rather than end it.
You’ll hear practical insights on rebuilding trust, understanding attachment patterns, navigating forgiveness, restoring emotional safety, and gradually reconnecting sexually after infidelity.
Whether you’re recovering from an affair, experiencing mismatched sexual desire, living in a sexless relationship, or simply feeling emotionally disconnected from your partner, this conversation offers a compassionate and practical look at what relationship repair can involve.
If you’re searching for sex therapy in Los Angeles or want support with sexual intimacy, desire discrepancies, infidelity, or relationship disconnection, Dr. Nazanin Moali provides sex therapy and couples-focused services through her practice in the South Bay of Los Angeles, with an office in Hermosa Beach, California.
About Dr. Laurie Watson
Dr. Laurie Watson, PhD, LMFT, LCMHC, is a nationally recognized sex therapist, couples therapist, author, and podcaster. She is the co-author of Brave Love; Great Sex: Unlocking the Passion and Connection You Crave with Emotionally Focused Therapy and author of Wanting Sex Again.
Dr. Watson is an AASECT Certified Sex Therapist and Supervisor and an ICEEFT Certified Emotionally Focused Couples Therapist. She co-hosts the Brave Love; Great Sex podcast with George Faller and is the founder and director of Awakenings Center for Couples & Sex Therapy in North Carolina.
In This Episode, You’ll Learn
• Can a relationship survive infidelity?
• How to rebuild trust after cheating or an affair
• Why people cheat even when they still love their partner
• What forgiveness after infidelity actually involves
• How an affair can affect sexual desire and intimacy
• How to reconnect sexually after betrayal
• Why sexual desire changes in long-term relationships
• How the pursue-withdraw cycle affects sex and intimacy
• The connection between emotional attachment and sexual attachment
• How attachment wounds can influence relationship conflict
• How couples can begin restoring emotional and sexual intimacy
• How Dr. Watson’s REV Method helps couples reconnect
Looking for a Sex Therapist in Los Angeles?
If you’re struggling with low sexual desire, a sexless relationship, mismatched libido, sexual disconnection, or intimacy after infidelity, you don’t have to navigate it alone.
Dr. Nazanin Moali is a Los Angeles clinical psychologist and AASECT Certified Sex Therapist who works with individuals and couples on sexual and relationship concerns. Her practice serves clients in Hermosa Beach and the South Bay of Los Angeles, as well as eligible clients through telehealth in California.
Learn more or request an appointment: