Fault Lines

When the ground gives way, you don't have to find your footing alone.

Two trauma-informed workbooks for couples after infidelity—one for the partner who was betrayed, one for the partner who caused the harm.

Find Your Book Faith Version

Also available in a Faith Version with Scripture and prayer.

Betrayal breaks more than trust.

It breaks your sense of what was real. One of you is reeling from discovery. The other is drowning in shame or rushing to fix it. And well-meaning advice often pushes you toward forgiveness or reconciliation before the truth is even on the table.

You shouldn't have to navigate this without a path. With Fault Lines, you won't.

Two books. Two doors.

Each partner works in their own book, because each of you is carrying something different.

For the partner who was betrayed

When the Ground Gave Way

Name the wound, steady your body, grieve what was lost, set boundaries, and decide what comes next—on your own timeline.

For the partner who caused the harm

When You Were the Earthquake

Face what you did, prepare for honest disclosure, separate guilt from shame, and rebuild trust through changed behavior.

The Workbooks

Choose your book

Each partner works in their own book, with trauma-informed teaching, guided exercises, and "Looking Within" reflections.

For the betrayed partner

When the Ground Gave Way

Available Oct 15

For the partner who caused harm

When You Were the Earthquake

Buy on Amazon

Prefer a version grounded in Scripture? See the Faith Version

Faith Version

Grounded in Scripture and prayer

The same chapters and exercises, with Scripture in every chapter, "Before God" prayers, and Faith Pauses for reflection.

For the betrayed partner

When the Ground Gave Way

Buy on Amazon

For the partner who caused harm

When You Were the Earthquake

Buy on Amazon

Learn more about the Faith Version

Look Inside

See what the work feels like

Every chapter moves through clear teaching, reflection, and guided exercises. Open a book to see sample pages and the full chapter list.

For the partner who was betrayed
Look inside When the Ground Gave Way →

Tap any page to see it larger.

Fault Lines

Reflection boxes and chapter art

Fault Lines

Chapter 19: Boundaries

Faith Version

Chapter 1 opens with Scripture

Faith Version

Chapter art and teaching

All 29 chapters

Fault Lines and the Faith Version share the same chapters. The book opens with the Safety Gate and closes with a personal Maintenance Plan.

Part One—The Ground Beneath You

Chapter 1: What Betrayal Actually Is
Chapter 2: The Day Everything Changed
Chapter 3: What You Brought With You
Chapter 4: Before Healing Can Begin
Chapter 5: Your Nervous System Is Not Broken
Chapter 6: The People Who Are Watching
Chapter 7: Support, Privacy, and Isolation

Part Two—Your Specific Wound

Chapter 8: When It Happened Once
Chapter 9: When It Happened More Than Once
Chapter 10: When It Was Emotional, Not Physical
Chapter 11: When Pornography Is Part of the Story

Part Three—The Interior Work

Chapter 12: Truth, Disclosure, and Reality Repair
Chapter 13: What Your Body Has Been Holding
Chapter 14: The Shame Beneath the Story
Chapter 15: Mourning What Was Lost
Chapter 16: Anger
Chapter 17: The Honest Inventory
Chapter 18: What You Brought—Revisited
Chapter 19: Boundaries Are Not Punishment
Chapter 20: Forgiveness Is Not What You Think
Chapter 21: Trust Is Not a Feeling
Chapter 22: Who Are You, Apart From This?
Chapter 23: Your Wise Self

Part Four—What Comes Next

Chapter 24: Making the Decision From Your Whole Self
Chapter 25: If You Are Rebuilding
Chapter 26: Reclaiming Physical Intimacy
Chapter 27: When the Pain Comes Back
Chapter 28: If You Are Separating
Chapter 29: The Generations After You

For the partner who caused the harm
Look inside When You Were the Earthquake →

Tap any page to see it larger.

Fault Lines

Chapter 12: Guilt and Shame

Fault Lines

Chapter 20: Rebuilding Trust

Faith Version

Chapter 1 opens with Scripture

Faith Version

A Faith Pause on confession

All 28 chapters

Fault Lines and the Faith Version share the same chapters. The book opens with the Safety Gate and closes with a personal Maintenance Plan. The Faith Version adds four Faith Pauses: Examination, Confession, Repentance, and Ongoing Formation.

Part One—What You Did and What It Did

Chapter 1: This Has a Name
Chapter 2: The Before
Chapter 3: What You Brought With You
Chapter 4: The Anatomy of a Deception
Chapter 5: Your Nervous System and What You Did With It
Chapter 6: The People Who Are Watching

Part Two—The Specific Harm

Chapter 7: Support, Privacy, and Isolation
Chapter 8: When It Happened Once
Chapter 9: When It Was a Pattern
Chapter 10: When It Was Emotional
Chapter 11: When Pornography Is Part of the Story

Part Three—The Interior Work

Chapter 12: Guilt and Shame
Chapter 13: Full Disclosure
Chapter 14: The Accountability Letter
Chapter 15: The Honest Inventory
Chapter 16: Sitting With the Impact
Chapter 17: Anger
Chapter 18: Who Are You, Beyond What You Did?
Chapter 19: Preventing Recurrence
Chapter 20: Rebuilding Trust
Chapter 21: Forgiveness—Theirs and Yours
Chapter 22: Your Wise Self

Part Four—What Comes Next

Chapter 23: What Your Children Need From You Now
Chapter 24: If You Are Rebuilding
Chapter 25: Physical Intimacy in Recovery
Chapter 26: When the Pain Keeps Coming Back
Chapter 27: If You Are Separating
Chapter 28: The Generations After You

Agenna Mathley, Trauma-Informed Life and Mindset Coach

Why I wrote Fault Lines

I'm Agenna Mathley, a Trauma-Informed Life and Mindset Coach. I wrote Fault Lines for the couples I meet in the hardest season of their marriage: honest about the wound, clear about what each person is responsible for, and steady enough to help you decide what comes next.

How to begin

Choose your book

Each partner works in their own book.

Start with the Safety Gate

Get safe and supported before the deeper work.

One chapter at a time

Teaching and exercises move you from shock to clarity.

Without a path, couples stall in confusion, repeat partial confessions, or rush a reconciliation that doesn't hold. With one, you can find solid ground to decide what comes next—whether the marriage continues or ends.

Find Your Book Faith Version

Frequently asked questions

Is there a workbook for couples after infidelity?

Yes. Fault Lines is a set of two trauma-informed workbooks for couples after infidelity. When the Ground Gave Way is for the partner who was betrayed, and When You Were the Earthquake is for the partner who caused the harm. Both are by Agenna Mathley, a Trauma-Informed Life and Mindset Coach.

Why are there two separate books?

After an affair, each partner is carrying something different. The betrayed partner needs space to name the wound, grieve, and set boundaries. The partner who caused the harm needs to face what they did, prepare for honest disclosure, and rebuild trust through changed behavior. Each partner works in their own book.

Is there a non-religious affair recovery workbook?

Yes. The Fault Lines workbooks use trauma-informed teaching and "Looking Within" reflections, with no Scripture or prayer. A separate Faith Version is available for readers who want a Christian approach.

Is there a Christian workbook for healing after an affair?

Yes. Fault Lines Faith Version pairs trauma-informed teaching with Scripture in every chapter. When the Ground Gave Way includes "Before God" prayers, and When You Were the Earthquake includes Faith Pauses focused on repentance that shows up in changed behavior.

What if my partner isn't ready to do the work?

Because each partner works in their own book, you can begin your part now. Your healing doesn't have to wait on someone else's readiness.

Do we have to decide whether to stay together first?

No. Fault Lines doesn't push you toward reconciliation or divorce. It helps you get to the truth and find solid ground so you can decide what comes next—whether the marriage continues or ends.

Can I use these workbooks without a therapist?

Yes, though they also work well alongside counseling. Each book begins with a Safety Gate to help you get safe and supported before the deeper work. The workbooks are educational and are not a substitute for therapy or professional care.

Can pastors and counselors order copies?

Yes. Agenna offers a free 30-minute planning call for pastors, therapists, and counselors, including guidance on giving each partner the right book and bulk-order details.

For pastors, therapists, and counselors

Need copies for your office or ministry? I'll walk you through how to hand each partner the right book, with a free 30-minute planning call and bulk-order details.

Book a Planning Call

These workbooks are educational and are not a substitute for therapy or professional care. If you are in danger, call 911. For the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, call or text 988.