The Bird Theory
The Bird Theory and The Bird Test online are based on the discoveries of John Gottman. In this video, Dr. Gottman explains precisely what the bird theory is.
What If They Do It Again?
Rising Phoenix considers the fear of giving someone another chance after betrayal, how forgiveness doesn’t erase distrust, and how transparency alone can’t rebuild safety. Real healing begins when the focus shifts from monitoring them to reclaiming yourself.
Do Bored Wives Cheat?
Looking at the stories of four women who cheated to better understand their experience.
VIDEO: Why Venting Anger Doesn’t Help
Does venting actually help you cool off, or does it just add fuel to the fire? Social psychologist Jennifer Parlamis busts common myths about anger.
The “Why” Was Never About Her
Rising Phoenix sees the affair as a symptom of deeper, unaddressed pain and emotional avoidance rather than a relationship with another person. The true shift comes when she stops comparing, faces the truth, and begins rebuilding from the inside out.
Finding Thanksgiving in the Struggle
Is there room for gratitude in the middle of suffering?
The Smell of Safety: Small Triggers Matter
A betrayed husband’s admission that his wife’s perfume triggers him leads to a quiet shift between them.
Choosing Myself
The story of a year after infidelity, moving from total emotional collapse to slow, self-directed healing. As Rising Phoenix’s husband begins his own work and gains diagnoses, she discovers the real breakthrough is forgiving herself, not just him.
Punishing Yourself
A powerful message that argues for forgiveness and growth over failure and shame.
VIDEO: The Science of Lasting Love
Relationship advice from 50+ years of marriage and decades of research by the Gottmans.
The Quietest Part of the Storm
How infidelity shattered Rising Phoenix’s sense of self, plunging her into fog, panic, and eventually a diagnosis of complex PTSD. She describes the painful tension of staying, breaking, and slowly beginning to heal while still unsure of what remains.
Forgiveness in Aisle Seven
A chance encounter in the frozen food aisle brings two separated spouses together for the first time since betrayal. Their awkward exchange demonstrates how forgiveness often begins in small, ordinary moments.