I know in my heart that they are only friends and that he would never cheat on me, but I just can't seem to accept it. He knows it bothers me, but he still sees them. When I tell him how I feel, it seems as if I don't trust him, but I do. Gayle Peterson Gayle Peterson, MSSW, PhD is a family therapist specializing in prenatal and family development. Healthy marriages include supportive friendships for each spouse with other women and men.
Outside support is necessary, for the marriage to flourish rather than become overloaded or stale.
However these relationships should not feel threatening to either one of you. If these relationships do feel threatening to you, continue to dialogue about it. Explore your fears and fantasies together. And seek to come up with boundaries that you feel include you as a special person in his life, while respecting one another's need for independent relationships that do not threaten your marriage. Explore also whether you feel left out in any other ways in your marriage.