Private Counseling Practice Monique Thompson LPC

08/08/2025

TIP on Rebuilding Trust in a Relationship

Hold eye contact for 8–10 seconds.
No words, just presence. Think peaceful thoughts.

Why? Because your brain reads safety through the eyes 👀

When you pause, stay still, and think peaceful thoughts, you're sending a neurobiological signal that says:
“You’re safe with me.”

This tiny moment can rebuild trust faster than any apology.
Try it. Breathe. Connect.

I’m Dr. Monique Thompson, EMDR-Trained Therapist + Trauma-Informed Life Coach, with 24 years in private counseling practice.
Author of the best-selling Infidelity Recovery Workbook for Couples 💛

Follow for more science-backed tips on healing, connection, and emotionally intelligent relationships.
DrMonique McDaniel Thompson
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doctormoniquethompson.com

08/01/2025

Accepting new clients.

Same/Next Day Appointments

Adult Survivors of S*xual Trauma
Couples Recovery from Affairs
Depression, Bipolar Disorder, PTSD , Anxiety and Work Stress

Hi, I'm Dr. Monique Thompson, Best-Selling Author of the Infidelity Workbook for Couples.

I am an EMDR-Trained Therapist and Trauma-Informed Life Coach.
I guest on national podcasts and am a guest mental health contributor on K104 DeDe In The Morning.

I offer one on one life coaching and therapy.

Instagram
doctormoniquethompson.com

08/01/2025

They Have One Thing in Common: You.

In every affair, there are two people on the outside...
But only one common denominator inside the triangle: the person who cheated.

Before you blame your partner.
Before you fantasize the affair partner was “your soulmate.”
You must take an internal look at your own lifelong relational patterns.
Not to punish yourself—
But to protect yourself from repeating it.

Attachment patterns from childhood often repeat in adult romantic relationships—especially under stress (Fraley & Shaver, 2000).

The default mode network in the brain is wired to recycle familiar emotional scripts, even if they’re dysfunctional.

Dopamine and novelty-seeking behaviors can mask deeper issues like emotional avoidance, unresolved trauma, or low distress tolerance.

Unexamined shame can show up as impulsivity or secrecy, not necessarily narcissism—but still harmful.

Without insight, your brain will choose relief over repair. That’s neurobiology—not just bad behavior.

07/27/2025

We haven’t slept together… so is it still cheating?
If you’re spending more time with someone at work than with your partner…
You’ve crossed an emotional line.
And now you're asking yourself: Does this count as cheating?

I answer that question fully in my newest article.
But here’s the truth up front: Yes, it counts.

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/we-havent-slept-together-so-still-cheating-thompson-dha-lpc-lpc-s-daxwc

07/22/2025

You Are Invited:
Therapeutic Book Discussion, September 13th, 9am CST

Do you love to read?

Reading books is such a joy. Reading the titles selected for this summer can help improve emotional coping and mental health overall. Join me for a therapeutic book discussion on September 13th, 9am CST and learn how to apply the content from our summer book selections to every day life.

Also find out what the authors MISSED.

Dr. Thompson, Therapist + Life Coach

This summer, we’re reading:
Let Them by Mel Robbins
The One Thing by Gary Keller
The Body Keeps The Score by Bessel van der Kolk, M.D.
Loving What Is (Revised Edition) by Byron Katie

https://mailchi.mp/e399240ab96e/you-are-invited-summer-book-circle

07/22/2025

“How People Justify Cheating by Blaming Their Partner”

“They never listen.”
“We’ve grown apart.”
“I deserve to feel alive again.”
"S*x is NOT good."
"We're not even having s*x."

These are cognitive distortions—mental shortcuts people use to excuse betrayal and avoid accountability.

When emotional distance builds, the brain often rushes to rewrite the story to protect the ego. But what if the real growth happens when we stop blaming and start telling the truth?

In my latest article, I break down the psychology of cheating, why affairs don’t start with s*x, and how couples actually recover.

You’ll also find a free chart download that explains:

The most common justifications for infidelity

The lies people believe

The science behind those distortions

And how to move toward honesty, integrity, and healing

Read it here:
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/stop-making-your-partner-villain-cognitive-when-cheat-dr-monique-783dc

07/17/2025

Turns out - some trauma lives in your DNA.

Genes like NR3C1 and FKBP5 can carry stress responses passed down from generations before you—even if you’ve “done the work.”

Follow me to learn how your body, brain, and boundaries can finally get back on your side.

doctormoniquethompson.com

07/14/2025

“If I have low self-esteem, can I really get over my partner cheating on me?”

That’s a question I hear all the time—and the truth is more complex than most people realize.

If your self-esteem was already low when the betrayal happened, it can feel like proof that you weren’t enough.

But that’s not the truth. That’s trauma talking.

Self-esteem is not fixed. It’s fluid. And just like it can dip in hard seasons, it can rise again—with healing, support, and clarity.

Before you make any big decisions like:

Should I forgive?

If I forgive, should I stay?

If I stay, am I betraying myself?

You have to prioritize YOU—your rest, your body, your mind, your nervous system.

I'm Dr. Thompson, an EMDR Trained, Trauma Informed Therapist and Life Coach. I've helped hundreds - in fact I've completed over 37,000 hours of therapy in my 24 year career.

doctormoniquethompson.com

06/29/2025

Divorce Insight: Be friendly without being friends — especially after infidelity

Infidelity doesn’t just break trust — it hijacks the brain.

The betrayed partner often experiences emotional flooding, where the amygdala (the brain’s threat center) stays activated for months. The unfaithful partner may wrestle with guilt, defensiveness, or denial — and both can get stuck in cycles of blame or false closeness.

Trying to “stay friends” too soon after betrayal confuses the brain and delays healing.
Why? Because post-infidelity dynamics often mimic addiction and withdrawal. Studies using brain scans (Fisher, 2010) show that rejection and betrayal light up the same brain pathways as physical pain and co***ne cravings.

Here’s what being “too close too soon” can trigger:
Rumination and emotional reactivity
Mixed messages that stall boundaries
Re-traumatization and delayed recovery

You can be respectful without being relational.
You can coparent without reattaching.
You can honor the past — without inviting it into your future.

Infidelity may have ended the relationship. But it doesn’t have to ruin the next chapter.

Follow for trauma-informed, science-backed insights.

Share with someone who’s trying to break free from betrayal — not just survive it.

06/27/2025

Walk and Talk - https://mailchi.mp/2e3987c55f2b/walk-and-talk-saturday-june-28th-630am-cst-one-mile-walk

Join me tomorrow morning at 6:30 AM for a peaceful one-mile Walk & Talk starting at the McCord Park Splash Pad. Let’s start the day with movement, meaningful conversation, and a little fresh air before the world fully wakes up. Whether you’re processing something, seeking clarity, or just need a moment for yourself—you’re invited. No pressure, no pace goals—just presence.

Join me tomorrow morning at 6:30 AM for a peaceful one-mile Walk & Talk starting at the McCord Park Splash Pad. Let’s start the day with movement, meaningful conversation, and a little fresh air before the world fully wakes up. Whether you’re processing something, seeking clarity, or just need a...

06/25/2025

Your Patterns of Heartbreak Might Be in Your Bloodline
—Your power is in your own self-awareness.
“Why does this keep happening to me?”
That question…
Man. It aches every time I hear it.
It carries shame, confusion, and often the quiet belief that maybe you're just "broken."
But what if nothing is wrong with you?
What if the hardest things you’re battling didn’t start with you at all?
Enter: Epigenetics
A powerful field of science—epigenetics—offers new answers to old pain.
Turns out, the way we respond to love, conflict, fear, or abandonment…
Some of those patterns were shaped before we ever took our first breath.
Epigenetics shows that emotional and environmental stress doesn’t just impact the person experiencing it—it can literally mark their genes, and those changes can be passed down.
These inherited “survival instructions” can show up as:
Sabotaging intimacy
Fearing abandonment
Shutting down during conflict
Or chasing love that never stays
You're not just reliving your own story.
You might be replaying your family’s unresolved one.
Pro Tip:
Google these two things:
“Epigenetics” + “Holocaust”
“Epigenetics” + “rats”
Then take a breath.
Look at your family tree, not just your relationship history.
Insight isn’t weakness. It’s power. Self-awareness is where generational healing begins.

doctormoniquethompson.com

06/24/2025

I don't like my job. I don't like my spouse. I'm just numb. -

Emotional numbness—more accurately referred to as alexithymia—is a condition where we struggle with emotional self-awareness to such a serious degree that it becomes detrimental.