Establishing Honesty and Safety: A Structured Approach to Early Couples Recovery Work

RJ and Melissa Whaley

Restoration Coaches

Supporting couples in early recovery requires clarity, structure, and thoughtful pacing. This interactive workshop addresses common gaps in practice by offering a practical framework for working with couples in the initial stages of betrayal recovery. Grounded in the foundational principles of honesty and safety, participants will explore assessment considerations, professional collaboration, and experiential demonstrations that model how structured early recovery work reduces harm and creates the conditions for sustainable healing.

Professional Learning Objectives:

Identify key markers of the early recovery phase and assess a couple’s readiness for relational work using honesty and safety as guiding criteria.

Apply structured practices that foster stability, emotional regulation, and a sense of safety for both partners in the initial stages of betrayal recovery.

Demonstrate effective collaboration strategies between individual and couples work to support consistent progress and reduce harm in early recovery.

About: RJ and Melissa Whaley are marriage coaches, speakers, and practitioners with the Raabsmith Team, specializing in betrayal recovery and relational restoration. As a married couple who have personally navigated recovery, they bring a couples-helping-couples perspective grounded in lived experience and professional expertise.

Melissa brings a background in ministry leadership and pastoral care, while RJ holds a master’s degree in education with over 15 years of experience in teaching and mentoring. Together, they are ICF Member Coaches, APSAT CPC-C, Restoration Coaches, and CDGC-Candidates.

RJ and Melissa walk couples through the full restoration process—from discovery and crisis stabilization, through structured disclosure and repair, to reconnection and rebuilding intimacy.

Hours: M-F 8:30 am-5 pm (Central Time)
Telephone: (920) 389-1871
Email: [email protected]

Thanks to QuestionPro for providing us free survey templates for running multiple types of surveys, helping to strengthen our nonprofit family.

Hours: M-F 8:30 am-5 pm (Central Time)
Telephone: (920) 389-1871
Email: [email protected]

Thanks to QuestionPro for providing us free survey templates for running multiple types of surveys, helping to strengthen our nonprofit family.