Up, Down, and Onward
A Look at What We’ve Been Doing
The start of a new year has a way of pulling us into reflection as we look back on what’s been and forward toward what might be next. As I’ve been doing that personally, I’ve also been doing it with Affair Healing. What follows is a candid look at the past year: the moments that encouraged me, the ones that disappointed me, and the direction I’m moving as we head into the months ahead.
For some of you, this kind of behind-the-scenes reflection won’t be especially interesting, and that’s okay. Feel free to skip it. But for those of you who’ve been helped by our resources, who listen to the podcast, read the articles, or quietly support what we do—I wanted to invite you into the story of what’s been happening here.
This past year included a full website redesign and the relaunch of our podcast, The Affair Recovery Room. Any time you make changes like that, there’s hope, anticipation, and more than a little uncertainty. So here’s an honest look at what’s gone well (the Ups), what hasn’t (the Downs), and where I’m headed next (the Onward). I’ll also name one ongoing Need that I keep hoping might eventually be met.
The Ups
Changed Lives & Relationships
If nothing else ever came from our work, knowing that individuals and couples have found healing from the wounds of infidelity would still make it worthwhile. That remains the most meaningful outcome for me, Sharon, and Jennifer. We’re deeply grateful to the clients who’ve trusted us to walk alongside them, especially to those who reach out years later to share how their lives and relationships continue to grow.
New Resources
AffairHealing.com was redesigned and improved this past year, and I genuinely believe it’s better than it’s ever been. The podcast was relaunched with a renewed focus on relevance, creativity, and honest conversation. I feel proud of the 38 episodes we’ve released so far. We’ve also added new courses, with more in development.
A Refined Focus
Last fall, I made a significant shift toward focusing more intentionally on the needs of Involved Partners. I’ve come to believe this is where I can make my strongest contribution to individual and relational healing. The RENOVATE Project now sits at the center of that effort, and I’ll continue building resources to support this work.
The Downs
Flat Numbers
The website redesign last spring came with a steep cost: a significant drop in our Google search rankings. We used to appear on the first page for several key search terms. Now we’re often buried many pages deep. Regaining that ground will take time.
Visitor engagement is slowly increasing, but not at a pace that makes a noticeable difference yet. The podcast audience has grown as well, but more slowly than I’d hoped. The podcast landscape is far more crowded than it was nine years ago when we first launched The Recovery Room, and stepping away for five years didn’t help us. Still, I’m proud of the quality of the content and trust that, over time, it can find its footing again.
Our newsletter list has remained steady at just under 900 subscribers. We regularly gain new readers, but tend to lose about as many as we gain. Some of that is likely due to older subscribers who were carried over from our previous list and no longer want to receive our emails. In the coming month, we’ll be purging inactive subscribers, and I expect that number to drop further.
Of course, when growth stalls, the responsibility comes back to me. If people aren’t engaging, I have to ask whether what I’m offering truly matches what they want or need. That leads directly to the next challenge.
Nominal Engagement
Re-engaging our audience has been surprisingly difficult. People listen to the podcast, read articles, and download resources—but when we invite conversation or feedback, the response is usually minimal.
One example stands out. Some readers expressed interest in a free community space where people could talk openly and share needs. In response, we three coaches (Jennifer, Sharon, and I) hosted two free, open-ended online meetings simply to listen and explore what might be helpful going forward. We promoted them in the newsletter and across the site. No one attended the first meeting. One person attended the second.
I don’t share that to blame our audience. If we were hitting the mark, engagement would likely look different. But I’ll admit it’s left me uncertain about how best to foster connection and participation moving forward.
The Onward
Here are a few things I’m actively working on for the near future:
Podcast Meetups: Starting soon (likely February), I plan to experiment with a free weekly online meetup where listeners can discuss the most recent podcast episode. Occasionally, the guest from that episode may join us as well. If you have thoughts or feedback about this idea, I’d genuinely love to hear from you.
Course Expansions: Integrating more video content and optional coaching elements into our courses, with additional courses made available.
RENOVATE Growth: Continuing to develop the RENOVATE Project into a more comprehensive, multifaceted resource for Involved Partners.
The Need
I’m going to name this plainly, in case it lands in the right place.
Everything you see here—articles, newsletters, podcast episodes, downloads, and resources—is produced by me alone. I love the work, but it’s a lot to carry, and time inevitably limits what I can do.
I would truly welcome help. An ideal volunteer might fit one of these two descriptions:
Option A: A counselor or coach who specializes in affair recovery and would like to contribute to content, support clients, or be part of the Affair Healing team.
Option B: Someone who believes in our vision and could help with social media, podcast guest coordination, or other supportive tasks.
If you’re curious or want to explore this further, please reach out.
Thank you for supporting Affair Healing. And if you’re one of the few who read all the way to the end, know this: your engagement matters more than you probably realize.
Gratefully,
Tim Tedder
