Resilience Factors in Couple Healing from Infidelity: A Deductive Qualitative Analysis Study

Abstract Infidelity is one of the most significant relational crises, yet many couples successfully rebuild their relationship. Existing literature has largely emphasized individual resilience, leaving relational processes underexplored. This paper presents findings from a study that utilized deductive qualitative analysis (DQA), a qualitative methodology designed for theory testing and refinement (Author, 2024). Informed by a constructivist epistemology, we utilized DQA procedures to explore the ways in which resilience factors contribute to the healing process for couples who have stayed together following infidelity. In-depth interviews with 31 couples were analyzed, identifying both evidence of established resilience constructs (deductive analysis) and additional resilience themes (identified inductively) central to the process of recovering from infidelity. Study findings indicate six core components of couple resiliency. While affirming some previously identified constructs of resilience (open communication, individual healing, meaning making, and reinvented normalcy), the analysis revealed additional constructs of therapy , relational healing , and the importance of healing as an ongoing process , which provides a refined illustration of how resilience is enacted in the aftermath of infidelity. As clinicians understand and cultivate relational resilience with their clients, they will more effectively help couples navigate the process of healing following infidelity.