Structured couples coaching using the ERCEM model — creating the safety she needs to stay, and building the empathy he needs to deserve it.
Most couples facing betrayal are still together — still in the same house, still married, still trying to figure out whether staying is even possible. They haven't separated. They're just shattered. And most of them want to get to healing as fast as they can.
The ERCEM model asks them to slow down first — not to delay hope, but to build it on something real. The Early Recovery Couples Empathy Model, developed by Carol Juergensen Sheets, provides a structured, trauma-informed path through the earliest and most fragile stage of recovery. It prioritizes nervous system safety for the betrayed partner above all else — recognizing that genuine connection cannot be rebuilt in a body that is still bracing for impact.
For the betrayer, this work builds something most men in recovery haven't developed: the capacity to stay present with their partner's pain without collapsing into shame, pivoting to self-defense, or reaching for reassurance. That capacity — built deliberately, over time — is what eventually makes safety possible.
Steven is personally trained and currently under direct supervision by Carol Juergensen Sheets as part of his ongoing ERCEM certification. This isn't a program he learned from a book — it's one he works in, week by week, with real couples.
Where appropriate, guided Full Disclosure is available as part of this work — using the Kintsugi Restoring Truth model developed by Janice Caudill and Dan Drake. Many couples find a well-prepared disclosure to be one of the most important steps in genuine healing. You don't need to arrive knowing whether you need this — we figure that out together.
Sessions are private, conducted online, and paced according to where each couple is in their process. There is no fixed timeline — length of engagement depends on progress, not a predetermined schedule.
The work moves through nervous system stabilization, empathy skill-building using the AVR framework (Acknowledge, Validate, Reassure), structured communication, and where appropriate, preparation for and facilitation of Full Disclosure.
Female clients are supported within the couples context. Steven does not offer individual one-on-one coaching for women outside of couples work.
Sessions are 50 minutes — the standard for couples coaching work. Couples sessions are emotionally dense, and 50 minutes is often more than sufficient. It also ensures both partners have time to decompress and return to a regulated state before continuing with their day.
Book a free 30-minute consultation. No pressure — just a conversation about where you are and whether this framework is a fit.
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