Linda J. MacDonald Blog
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I am Linda J. MacDonald and my goal is to help you find peace in the midst of chaos, meaning from pain, and wholeness out of brokenness. My therapy style has been dynamic yet respectful and empathetic yet challenging. I used an active, coaching style of therapy while offering compassionate support.
Linda J. MacDonald Blog
8M ago
Anne and Brian Bercht head up Beyond Affairs Network and often use Linda’s book in their seminars. Anne invited Linda to share her advice for unfaithful spouses who want to save their marriages. Just click on the link title below to listen:
HOW TO HELP YOUR SPOUSE HEAL ..read more
Linda J. MacDonald Blog
1y ago
Linda is interviewed by Mike Hennessy about her book and her work helping couples recover from infidelity. Podcast is in two, one hour segments ..read more
Linda J. MacDonald Blog
1y ago
THE WOLF AND THE SHEPHERD
by Linda J. MacDonald
Betrayal has savaged your once happy family,
Who lived on the hillside of love all aglow.
The wolf of unfaithfulness smashed through your fences,
And drooled rabid poison on all that you know.
Gone are the dreams of a safe bed to lie on,
Innocence lost in the dark of the night.
Trembling in pain, with no shoulder to cry on,
Wishing for death before morning’s light.
You search through the woods for a cloak you can try on,
To hide from the shame of your terrible plight.
Finding no cover or folks to rely on,
You sink in de ..read more
Linda J. MacDonald Blog
1y ago
PTSD is not only experienced by veterans of wars, but a number of other experiences can trigger PTSD symptom. In this workshop Linda explains how the shock of intimate betrayal can cause PTSD symptoms in betrayed spouses, which often goes undiagnosed ..read more
Linda J. MacDonald Blog
1y ago
Roane Hunter interviewed Linda on his podcast, Sex, God and Chaos. In it she explains the fog of an affair and other relevant topics. First-hand experience with betrayal trauma is Linda MacDonald's superpower. An Infidelity Expert, Linda has dedicated her life to helping others through the post-affair fog. WIth a strong grip on her faith and clarity around who she is, Linda's ability help couples reconcile or dissolve well is a true gift. In this episode, she talks in detail about the subtle differences between acting out sexually and acting out an affair. Click HERE to listen ..read more
Linda J. MacDonald Blog
1y ago
[NOTE: I wrote this several years ago. I am doing much better now,
but further healing has taken a long time…]
THE PHANTOM LEG
By Linda MacDonald
He told our mutual friend that I didn’t need protection. He said, “She’ll be OK.” OK? Easy for him to say. That all depends upon a person’s definition of “OK”.
You see, when I said, “I do,” my right leg became tied to a trusted, beloved partner to run a three-legged race going forward. We planned to be joined at the hip for the rest of our lives, learning the skills of operating as a team over whatever rugged terrain life brough ..read more
Linda J. MacDonald Blog
1y ago
A Presentation I gave for Pierce County Counselors Association. While geared for professionals, general audiences may appreciate as well.
Outline for Presentation on HOW TO HELP COUPLES RECOVER FROM INFIDELITY
Introduction: Affairs: Symptom Model or Addiction Model?
My GOALS for this seminar:
--Grasp the idea that No One “Deserves” an Affair
--Gain new insights so you won’t be “fooled” by an unfaithful partner
--Increased ability to understand and normalize the intensely hurtful, traumatizing, dehumanizing experience of the betrayed spouse.
--Ways to instill hope in couples looking for repair ..read more
Linda J. MacDonald Blog
1y ago
Jonathan Dougherty of Be Broken ministries interviews Linda about her book. She shares a few new stories to illustrate how a former betrayer can repair the marriage and rebuild trust ..read more
Linda J. MacDonald Blog
1y ago
Ever wondered how a decent, loving human being can turn into the kind of person who would coldly harm his/her spouse, upend their children’s lives, and turn away from God? A number of formerly unfaithful spouses have validated the following progression from faithful to unfaithful and rejecting:
THE EVOLUTION:
You fell in love, got married and over time the illusions of endless evenings of fascinating, intimate conversations over candlelight dinners topped off with hours of steamy sex with your spouse are gone. Your dreams have been replaced with the tough realities of real life, relati ..read more
Linda J. MacDonald Blog
1y ago
The Dawn of the Clueless Alien
When Your Real Spouse Disappears…
THE DAWN OF THE CLUELSS ALIEN By Linda J. MacDonald
[While both men and women may betray their spouses, I more often used the “he” pronoun to simplify my writing. Also, I wrote this mostly for the benefit of those who see such an attitude change in their spouses, when reconciliation is unrealistic. That does not mean I don’t think people can change. But for those who don’t, the betrayed partner can find the sudden turn-about in a formerly faithful spouse heart-wrenching ..read more