Jeff Murrah, LPC, LCDC, CMNCS

Jeff Murrah, LPC, LCDC, CMNCS

Jeff Murrah is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor (LCDC) with over 45 years of experience. After experiencing the devastation of infidelity firsthand, he dedicated his career to helping families overcome similar challenges.

A pioneer in online counseling since 1999, Jeff's work has been featured on Wall Street Journal Radio and the Larry Elder Show. In 2010, he was selected for inclusion in the "Counseling Courier's Marriage Counselor Hall of Fame" as one of the top 15 marriage and family counselors. Jeff is also a Certified Mental Health & Nutrition Clinical Specialist (CMNCS) and Farm Response Certified.
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​​​​​​​A sixth-generation Texan, Jeff earned his degrees from the University of Houston at Clear Lake. Married since 1985, he and his wife Peggy have three sons and two granddaughters and reside in the Texas Hill Country.

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A person intensely focused on their phone, with a blurred background emphasizing their distraction and emotional involvement. The image symbolizes how emotional affairs can consume one's thoughts and create an obsessive attachment.
Emotional Recovery Understanding Affairs

Can Emotional Affairs Hijack Your Heart and Mind?

Is your emotional affair more than just an affair? Here’s how it can hijack your heart and mind—just like an addiction

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A couple standing together but emotionally distant, with both individuals looking away from each other, symbolizing the strain and disconnect in their relationship.
Affair Recovery Emotional Recovery

When Your Partner Cheats with an Ex: How to Rebuild After Double Betrayal

Finding out your partner cheated is already a punch in the gut—but discovering it was with their ex? That’s a whole new level of betrayal. If you’re wondering how to pick up the pieces and make sense of it all, keep reading.

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A couple stands in the same room, facing away from each other. One person looks somber and upset, while the other is distracted, looking at their phone. The emotional tension and disconnection between them is palpable, symbolizing the strain and distance caused by infidelity in their relationship.
Confronting the Cheater Emotional Recovery

The Myth of 'Togetherness' After Infidelity

The affair shows you one painful truth: You’re not in this together. Here’s how to stop believing the lies and start healing.

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A couple sits back to back on a couch, both looking down at their phones. The image conveys emotional distance and disconnection, with no eye contact or interaction between them. The phones symbolize distractions, like online activities, creating tension in their relationship.
Affair Relapse Emotional Recovery

How to Confront Your Spouse About Online Dating Before It Becomes an Affair

Is your spouse testing relationship limits with online dating profiles? Don’t wait for it to escalate—learn how to address it before things go too far.

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A couple stands in front of a broken mirror, with cracks distorting their reflections. Both appear emotionally distant, looking at their fragmented reflections rather than at each other. The shattered mirror symbolizes the destructive impact of perfectionism on their relationship, distorting reality and creating emotional separation.
Affair Relapse Understanding Affairs

How Perfectionism Fuels Infidelity and Destroys Marriages

Think being perfect will save your marriage? Think again. Here’s why perfectionism might be the very thing that’s destroying it.

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A stylized, futuristic illustration of a woman with bold, angular features, staring forward with a serious expression. Intricate web-like patterns surround her head, symbolizing complex neural connections and the influence of mirror neurons on thoughts and desires.
Affair Relapse Understanding Affairs

How Mirror Neurons Trick You into Affairs

Think your thoughts are your own? Here’s how mirror neurons trick you into infidelity by planting desires in your mind—and how you can fight back.

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A stylized illustration of a man in a suit, gazing upward with a serious, contemplative expression. The bold lines and geometric background evoke a sense of introspection and determination, symbolizing the struggle to reconcile past trauma and body memories while working toward recovery after an affair.
Emotional Recovery Recovery and Self-Care

How Past Trauma Haunts Your Present and Affects Affair Recovery

Think you've moved past the trauma? Your body might not agree. Here’s how body memories from the past can haunt your present and affect your recovery after an affair.

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A stylized, artistic portrait of a woman with a serious expression, wearing a formal white-collared shirt and pearl earrings. The lighting and shadows emphasize her strong, contemplative demeanor, symbolizing resilience and determination, possibly in the context of overcoming challenges like infidelity.
Confronting the Cheater Emotional Recovery

Why a Healthy Dose of Hate is Key to Overcoming Infidelity and Rebuilding Your Marriage

Think hate has no place in your marriage? Think again. Here’s why you need a little hate to overcome infidelity and protect your relationship.

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A vibrant, abstract painting of a couple standing close together, with the man gently holding the woman's hand as he leans in toward her. The woman has a thoughtful expression, while the colorful, bold strokes around them evoke a mix of emotions, symbolizing the complexity of love, loyalty, and tension in relationships after an affair.
Affair Relapse Affairs and Popular Culture

The Unnatural Tensions and Loyalties After an Affair

Affairs create unnatural tensions in blended families—loyalty issues, tough choices, and no-win situations. Here’s how to navigate through the mess and find a path forward.

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A stylized illustration of a woman sitting thoughtfully on a set of steps, wearing a cream-colored dress and heels, with her hands resting on her knees. Her contemplative expression and relaxed posture symbolize the patience and reflection required during the lengthy process of affair recovery.
Affair Recovery Understanding Affairs

The Surprising Truth About Affair Recovery and the Power of Patience

Think affair recovery will be quick? Here’s why it takes longer than you think—and how patience can make all the difference in rebuilding your relationship.

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A stylized illustration of a woman with wavy hair, looking over her shoulder with a serious and introspective expression. The bold colors and shading emphasize her blue eyes and the sense of emotional depth, symbolizing the struggle and reflection involved in recovering from an affair and preventing relapse.
Rebuilding Your Marriage Understanding Affairs

How to Spot Early Warning Signs and Protect Your Relationship From Affair Relapse

"Think your spouse is at risk of cheating again? Don’t wait until it’s too late—learn to spot the early warning signs and take action to protect your relationship now.

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A stylized, grayscale illustration of a woman holding a red heart close to her chest while looking down at it with a solemn expression. The vibrant red heart contrasts with the monochromatic tones, symbolizing emotional pain, healing, or heartbreak.
Depression and Affairs Emotional Recovery

Why Meds Won’t Heal Your Broken Heart After an Affair

Meds can’t heal your broken heart—they can only mask the pain. Here’s why recovery from an affair requires more than just medication, and how to start the process of true healing.

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A cubist-style painting of a couple embracing closely, with both figures appearing to find comfort and solace in each other's arms. The geometric shapes and vibrant colors of the artwork emphasize the emotional depth of their connection, symbolizing healing, forgiveness, and intimacy.
Affairs in the News Understanding Affairs

How Media Normalizes Infidelity and What You Can Do About It

Are you being groomed to cheat? Media constantly normalizes infidelity, and it’s easy to fall into that mindset without even realizing it. Here’s how to recognize the signs and protect your relationship.

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A confident woman walking down a set of stairs, dressed in a professional outfit, wearing sunglasses and a hat. Her stride is purposeful, symbolizing progress and forward movement. The image suggests determination and growth, reflecting the journey of rebuilding trust in a relationship.
Emotional Recovery Rebuilding Your Marriage

How to Rebuild Trust and Strengthen Your Marriage After an Affair

Rebuilding trust isn’t about wishful thinking—it’s about real action. When trust is broken in your marriage, here are the concrete steps you need to take to repair it and build a solid foundation again.

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A pop-art style illustration of a woman with blue hair, looking off into the distance with a neutral, detached expression. The background is orange with dotted patterns and a white speech bubble shape behind her, symbolizing unspoken words or unresolved emotions, reflecting the emotional detachment often experienced in ghosting.
Emotional Recovery Recovery and Self-Care

Why Ghosting Can Be a Blessing in Disguise When Ending an Affair

Ghosting feels cruel, but what if it’s actually the cleanest, kindest way to end an affair? Here’s why ghosting might be a blessing in disguise when you’re ready to break free.

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A split image showing a man on the left side, sitting at one end of a couch, representing emotional distance and conflict during an argument. On the right side, a woman sits calmly, reaching out, symbolizing healing and reconciliation. The split between the two highlights the transition from toxic arguments to healing after an affair.
Rebuilding Your Marriage Recovery and Self-Care

How to Avoid Toxic Arguments and Heal Your Relationship After an Affair

Ever find yourself stuck in a never-ending argument with your spouse? It might be time to stop pushing and start healing. Here’s how to recognize when a conversation turns toxic—and what you can do to break the cycle.

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an angry man holding on to anger and bad habits from his partner's affair
Affair Recovery Affair Relapse

How to Stop Anger and Bad Habits From Ruining Your Life After an Affair

Are you replaying the hurt from the affair over and over in your mind? It might feel comforting in the moment, but it’s only fueling your anger and keeping you stuck. Here’s how to break free from those destructive habits and finally heal.

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Confronting the Cheater Understanding Affairs

The Problem of Mom Shaming and Its Place in Today’s Culture

In today’s culture, the boundaries around marriage seem blurrier than ever, especially when single parents use child-friendly environments as opportunities to poach spouses. But does that make mom shaming justified? Here’s the hard truth—and what you can do to protect your marriage.

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