PERSONAL LIFE

Linda grew up in an alcoholic home, a "substance" that competed with her father's dedication to his wife and children. The bottle felt like another lover which took him away from the family, emotionally. Her parents stayed together, but her father destroyed his health due to his addiction to alcohol and died at the young age of 54. Knowing her parents loved each other but the intrusion of an outside substance ruined so much of what was good, she believes that is what piqued her interest in helping couples suffering from the impact of infidelity to repair and salvage their marriages.

About half-way through her career as an Infidelity Specialist, when they were busy remodeling their home, her own beloved husband fell in love with a woman at work. She was devastated, never expecting this to occur in her own marriage. After two years of struggle, her husband was unable to regain his feelings for her and chose the path of divorce. She worried that her life was over, her career ruined, and hopeless about her future with a broken family.

The agony, effort, and journey to recover from the trauma and grief had several positive effects.

One was to make her more determined than ever to help couples whose marriages had been crushed by the wrecking ball of an affair, find a way to succeed in saving their marriages. She'd seen too many unfaithful people over the years who suddenly realized they wanted to salvage their marriages, but kept making terrible mistakes that sabbotaged their efforts. This was the impetus in writing her book, How to Help Your Spouse Heal From Your Affair: A Compact Manual for the Unfaithful.

Second, she learned how many therapists (back in 1999) lacked understanding and training in Betrayal Trauma. She became a firm believer in trauma-informed therapies for people suffering the symptoms of relationship-PTSD and obtained further training in treating trauma.

Third, she gained tremendous compassion for the betrayed and abandoned. Now she knew from first hand experience what it is like to lose a spouse due to the alienation and damage of a partner's affair. As she regained her own equilibrium, she read hundreds of books and took even more continuing education classes on infidelty to enhance her skills and better understand of the role of altered brain chemistry involved in a secret, forbidden affair.

Fourth, and most important of all, her desperation more than two decades ago, drew her into a more intimate relationship with God. Her "lifeline" Bible verse became, "‘You are my servant.’ For I have chosen you and will not throw you away" (Isaiah 41:9, TNLT).

Today, while many therapists have improved in their knowledge of sex and porn addiction, Linda continued to focus more closely on couples and individuals impacted by heart-based affairs, and refers sexually compulsive clients to trained sex addiction therapists (CSAT's). 

She retired at age 69 to write another book titled, The Post Affair Divorce: Heal Your Life, Restore Your Faith after Infidelity Breaks Up Your Marriage. This is the book she wished she'd had so many years ago when emerging from her own marital crisis. And, since the spiritual part of her journey and participating in small groups has been so pivotal to her own healing, she is writing an accompanying Workbook as well.

In her spare time when she is not writing, she loves to take long walks with Dan (her husband for the last twenty years), spend time with their eight grandchildren, camping and and hiking on Mt. Rainier, and go to coffee with friends. She enjoys home decorating, reading good books, including books on theology to discuss with her recently retired pastor husband.

If you are interested in keeping up with Linda's podcasts and future publications, be sure to sign up for her occasional newsletters, on the Contact page or in the footer of several of this website's pages.