In this bonus episode, I respond to a popular influencer whose content focuses on teaching people how to "keep their partner happy." While this message can sound harmless or even helpful, it often carries a deeper and more damaging assumption: that someone must perform, change, or continually improve themselves in order to deserve their partner's faithfulness.

Let's be clear. In a committed relationship, fidelity is not something that must be earned. It is a baseline expectation that comes with commitment.

In this episode, we explore why the idea that a person must stay attractive, fun, agreeable, or emotionally available at all times in order to prevent betrayal places responsibility in the wrong place. We talk about how this kind of messaging fuels anxiety, self-blame, and fear, especially for those healing after infidelity. We also name what actually sustains trust in long-term relationships: integrity, personal accountability, and emotional maturity.

If you have ever wondered whether you did enough, were enough, or need to keep proving your worth in order to feel secure in your relationship, this episode is for you.

You do not earn fidelity. You are not responsible for managing someone else's choices. And you do not have to become a version of yourself that feels inauthentic in order to keep a committed partner faithful.

Work with me: https://monicahumpal.com/appointments/

What happens after you decide to stay — even temporarily — following infidelity?

For many betrayed partners, staying doesn't bring relief. It brings confusion, shame, pressure, and a constant sense of urgency to "figure everything out." In this episode, we slow the moment down.

This is not about deciding whether reconciliation will work. It's about helping you stabilize, ground yourself, and take wise next steps when your world has been turned upside down.

In this episode, we'll talk about:

• Why you don't need to make permanent decisions right now

• The most common mistakes betrayed partners make early on

• How to protect yourself emotionally while things feel chaotic

• Who to tell — and who not to tell — about the affair

• Why compassion toward yourself is not optional in betrayal recovery

You'll also be introduced to the G.R.A.C.E. Reset, a simple framework you can return to when emotions spike and clarity feels out of reach.

If you've stayed after infidelity and are wondering "Now what?" — this episode is your starting point.

Click HERE to access the G.R.A.C.E. Reset

Looking for a coach to walk this journey with you? Schedule a free consultation with Coach Monica.

New Year's resolutions promise fresh starts—but after betrayal, they often leave us feeling behind, ashamed, or broken. In this first episode of Betrayed & Stayed, Monica explores why traditional goal-setting fails those of us healing from infidelity and grief—and what to do instead. This episode offers a gentler, trauma-aware way to enter the new year, one that honors accountability and grace, without rushing your healing or abandoning yourself along the way.

Monica works primarily with betrayed partners who have chosen to stay and rebuild after infidelity. If you're curious about whether coaching support could be helpful for you, you can schedule a free consultation through the link below or explore additional resources on Monica's website.

Key Points:

• Capacity changes throughout healing journey

• Don't need to know entire path or feel hopeful daily

• Uncertainty is life's only guarantee

• Showing up imperfectly still counts

• Currently grieving, healing, and standing = exactly where you should be

• Focus: stay curious, grounded, and true to yourself

Schedule: https://app.delenta.com/ta/@monicahumpal
Website: https://monicahumpal.com/

If you're here, chances are your life didn't turn out the way you thought it would.

You discovered the betrayal.
Your world cracked open.
And then you made a choice that not everyone understands—you stayed.

Or maybe you're still deciding.

Betrayed & Stayed is a podcast for men and women who have experienced infidelity and are choosing the complicated, courageous path of reconciliation. This is a space for honest conversations about grief, anger, forgiveness, boundaries, trust, faith, and the slow work of healing—without judgment and without pretending this is easy.

I'm Rev. Monica Humpal. I'm an ordained pastor, a Master Certified Coach, and a betrayed spouse myself. I know what it's like to have your story rewritten without your consent—and to keep walking anyway.

This podcast isn't about quick fixes or perfect marriages.
It's about telling the truth.
About learning how to stay without losing yourself.
About healing—whether your relationship ultimately survives or not.

If you've felt unseen, misunderstood, or alone in your decision to stay…
you belong here.

Welcome to Betrayed & Stayed.

Monica Humpal is a Master Certified Coach who specializes in walking alongside those healing from infidelity while walking the challenging path of reconciliation. If you are seeking a coach and would like to speak with Monica click [HERE] to sign up for a free consulation to see if coaching is the right fit for you.