While infidelity in pop culture always spells the end of the marriage, Jane Brody explains that cheating can, paradoxically, be the trigger that sets a couple on a course of exploration, communication and ultimately healing. The end product often is a renewed strong commitment to the marriage made consciously. In mediation, infidelity comes in many forms: financial betrayal, professional demands that detract from home responsibilities including how parties raise their children, and of course, sexual straying. Parties may commit between them, and/or with the help of a couple’s therapist, to work together to understand one another, each one’s role in the state of their marriage and to examine whether they wish to move forward together to heal and reshape their lives. In marital mediation, couples can set specific boundaries and goals based upon their shared values and recognition of the other.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/22/well/marriage-cheating-infidelity.html
Famed couple’s therapist Esther Perel has a terrific podcast on the subject: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/where-should-we-begin-with-esther-perel/id1237931798?mt=2 and book: https://www.amazon.com/State-Affairs-Rethinking-Infidelity/dp/0062322583/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1516831781&sr=8-1&keywords=the+state+of+affairs+rethinking+infidelity