"[Virtual EMS] was the oasis in the desert that we have been needing. We experienced an impressive structured program that provided knowledge, guidance and a healthy, compassionate approach that has planted the seed for healing our hearts, correcting our behaviors and hope for our future to be better than ever."

"I thought the virtual session would not be as effective. I was completely wrong. The context, discussions, homework has given me hope for a future that is new with my husband."

"Accomplished more than months of regular couples therapy."

"Going into the weekend I was anxious about how it was going to be online. If we were truly going to get what we needed from it. I was extremely pleased and surprised with how it all came together!! I would 100000% recommend this for anyone going through this."

"Wasn't exactly sure what to expect but had an amazing virtual experience – very inspired and hopeful about the future of our marriage and grateful for this organization. Hands down the best customer service all the way around that I have experienced in years."

"I was initially a little resistant to attending. The guidance and compassion I received was invaluable. I was able to trust the process and it served me very well. I am highly optimistic that we will be a success story, thank you so much for this gift."

"It was amazing - during the most difficult time in my life and our marriage. I wasn't expecting the connection that would be created with others experiencing the same trauma. My wife and I both felt God's presence in us, our group and the incredible work that you all do. It is a ministry like no other. We are feeling BETTER THAN EVER about our marriage and the future US. I learned more about who I am and my healing and how to accept the things I can control and give to God the things I cannot. In fact, this preacher's kid learned how for the first time in his life, how to give up control and how to heal."

"Before EMS weekend, I was at the end of a nearly two year wait for my husband to 'get it.' I was exhausted, hopeless and expecting to face the end of our marriage. I can't know what all the coming weeks, months or years will be, but I do know that today, I have hope they will be with the man I've called husband for 35 years. The therapists and everyone involved in EMS are the most insightful, authentic and helpful people I've encountered on this two-year journey. They are professionals, but they are people first – and that made all the difference. I didn't expect to be thinking about a hopeful future for my marriage because of one weekend, but here I am doing just that. I'm so glad we gave it a chance."

"It really was a safe place to express your thoughts and feelings to your hurt spouse. We are looking to a brighter future. Long way to go but this helped jumpstart our healing."

"For the first time, I felt connected to others in what we were going through. It was so nice to open up and have others understanding all of the feelings and struggles. I have never done on-line counseling, and wasn't sure I would like it, however I LOVED it! Exactly what we were looking for."

"I was expecting to find out more about what is behind being an unfaithful spouse and suggestions on how to work recovery. I experienced more than I could have imagined in learning about infidelity and ways that it can be understood. I feel that we have a lot of work but a better direction on how to do that work."

"I enjoyed my group...and feel less alone and isolated in my pain. [Our virtual counselor was] knowledgeable, compassionate, skilled. They established safety, kindness, and supportive environment. No sense of being judged, always respectful."

"I would never wish this experience or event on anyone, but this program has shown me that we can build something new out of the ashes of our lives, and that new thing can be far better and more beautiful than anything we had before."

"Came away feeling a real bond with our fellow group members and and that feeling of not being alone..."

"[Before Virtual EMS], I was a little nervous and apprehensive...I experienced love, compassion, wonderful teachers/counselors, a new perspective on forgiveness and loving others the way the Lord loves them. I am an Unfaithful, and I now realize that even though the world might look at me with disgust, the Lord sees past my faults and sees me as beautiful, precious, and loves me fully...My marriage is going to grow from a new seed to a beautiful flower... I encourage any couple to sign up and complete this program."

"This was a stretching experience for me. A departure from anything I've ever done before. An act of desperation. Without it we likely would have continued on in on our own version of ineffectiveness...EMS helped to validate the reality of Me, You, and Us as three distinct entities, all of whom needed different and unique help...Providing tools and guidance in learning to develop empathy opened up a whole new world...Reaffirming that this is a single step on a long road is empowering. We're ten years from our initial D day."

"I honestly thought this had worked for other people but [I] didn't think anything could change our dysfunctional way of relating after 35 years of marriage. I was wrong. I have real hope going forward for the first time."

"I experienced a gush of helpful information, heart-to-heart conversations and immense support. I came to the weekend hopeless and left feeling encouraged and certain of a better tomorrow."

"I had no idea what to expect with EMS weekend but was desperate for some help. The information provided was phenomenal and it was presented in a classy, informative and educational manner while being sensitive to both [spouses]. I have great hope for our future marriage...."

"I didn't know what to expect but I left the weekend feeling encouraged and optimistic about the future. We also felt empowered as this weekend provided tools and resources to help us through the next couple of weeks. Though we know the road will be long and hard we also know healing and reconciliation are possible."

"When we first enrolled in [Virtual EMS], I was not looking forward to spending my weekend in session after session. However, as our own attempts at recovery were becoming more difficult and emotional outbursts became more frequent, I could not wait for the weekend to start.... Almost immediately, we both began to feel more at ease.... The weekend was structured in a way that helped us process the pain and then focus on the recovery. The small groups were extremely encouraging and while initially I was hesitant to share my experience, it quickly faded as we candidly shared our thoughts, experiences and feelings. After having gone through the [Virtual EMS Weekend], both my wife and I are optimistic about our recovery. Already, we can see a change in each other, which gives us so much hope. Thank you to Rick and the entire staff at AR! You have given us more hope and confidence than you can imagine."

"I was excited for the EMS weekend because my wife and I were at the end of our own strategies. As the weekend progressed I found concrete ideas, tips, and plans on how to improve my marriage. I learned how to effectively and deeply communicate with my wife. I could also see some relief come to my wife which in turn relieved me. At the end of the weekend I was filled with hope. On Sunday night, my wife and I did our Marriage Affirmation and developed a plan on how we were going to implement the other ideas. I was excited about Monday because I had all of these new tools that I wanted to begin using. I am confident that our marriage will be saved and will actually be stronger than before the affair. My wife and I agreed that the cost of the seminar was the best money we have ever spent on our marriage. Thank you to everyone at AR for making me feel comfortable and not judging me in the least. You truly made the weekend a safe place for me to open up."

"I was very nervous going into the weekend. I expected what had been a very painful journey up to this point to get even more painful. There were, in fact, numerous points of pain that rose to the surface....We had a lot of additional discussion that was not easy but was necessary. Overall, the weekend helped us move forward in our recovery. Hearing from Rick's years of wisdom and from our facilitator's keen insight into our particular situation was extremely helpful. Our journey is not over; we have hope for the future, and [Virtual EMS] reinforced this for us."

"Wasn't sure what to expect from this but had fully anticipated it only being another slightly helpful recovery step. I experienced a fully engaged team and a great group of people. It was a life changing experience for both my wife and I..."

"I came in without expectations. I came in fully believing I wasn't completely wrong in my actions. I left the weekend fully understanding my problem and the root of the cause, all while finding empathy for my husband and the distress I caused him. I am feeling so hopeful for the future of my marriage. I finally feel like we are on the same page and can continue to grow, stronger than before."

"I had no idea what to expect with EMS. I was desperate for anything that would help us. EMS was exactly what my husband and I needed to regain the hope for our marriage to actually survive. I loved that the therapists and mentors that we worked with all had walked this exact same scenario in one way or another. The hope and support made me feel safe and so seen unlike ever before. Infidelity is a very isolating experience, and seeing each of the people who had been in our shoes at one time of their life, made me realize that yes—we can absolutely heal from this, and we will."

"After my wife asked if I would be willing to participate, I was very reluctant about the entire weekend. The unknown is always an issue for me. After the first small group session...I was "all in." I was able, not forced, to fully disclose my infidelity to my wife, this was extremely difficult, although it gave both of us a little bit of closure, and put us on the right path to recovery. All of the sessions, both small and large group sessions filled me with the confidence to do what is right, for my wife, myself, and ultimately our marriage. I thank my wife and the [Virtual EMS] crew for changing me forever."

"The AR website has been an incredibly helpful resource right from the moment we found it. We were unsure about doing [Virtual EMS Weekend] as it seemed like it would be difficult to connect virtually. This was not the case. Rick's lectures were great and despite some minor technical issues..it was really easy to follow him.....Rick looked straight into the camera and could see the virtual group....I felt that it was easy to connect in this small group setting... I feel very hopeful about having a great and better marriage with my husband..."

"I was not sure what to expect. We had watched and shared different videos and content prior to the weekend. All of that content was useful. However, we weren't sure how that content all really fit together in a larger progressive scheme toward healing. The weekend put the pieces together in a fashion that filled in those gaps and helped us understand the processes behind what likely happened, and what progress toward healing and progress will really look like and mean. I'm not entirely sure how yet, but the weekend was transformative in that I feel different than I did going into it. Overall, I just feel 'better'. I was able to let some things go entirely, move some other things a bit more forward for myself. I am committed to the process of healing and hopeful about my marriage and my future."

"This has been the only counseling we have done that my partner (wayward) was invested in. I was so hopeful but also very nervous. I really didn't think I'd be able to open up as much as I did with people I had never met before, yet 3 days later we are already keeping in touch because we miss everyone so much. This is proof that God is at work! You gain confidence, peace, clarity, hope, and lifelong friends."

"I was very apprehensive about the [Virtual EMS Weekend] because the discovery was still very new (6 weeks ago). The weekend was extremely hard but also very helpful because we could be open and authentic with those in our group which helped to alleviate loneliness and isolation....Although parts of the weekend are extremely painful, those moments of shared pain brought us closer together because we were both safe to express our feelings in a supportive environment."

"I was not sure what to expect coming into the weekend especially that we were not able to be there physically and had to attend virtually. I was absolutely blown away by the entire weekend. Rick is amazing and has a way of explaining things to really hit home. I hung onto every word. I feel extremely hopeful for our marriage, and I can honestly say a few of the exercises that my husband did as the unfaithful spouse really helped me heal in a way that we were not capable of doing on our own. We connected on another level that I was praying for but I thought he just didn't "get" my pain. Well, he did, he just needed a way to be able to express it to me that I would be able to receive it. I also felt like I could finally let my guard down and stop pretending normal for once. I felt so safe with our group to be able to do so. I now can say my husband is not the only one with hope for our marriage. Thank you so much Rick and the entire Affair Recovery staff for being present, and most importantly, open and honest with us."

"I went into [Virtual EMS] hoping to find a path forward. We've been stuck in my husband's ambivalent state since D-Day 6 months ago. I wanted to know how I can move forward in my own healing...I'm feeling more hopeful moving forward."

"I didn't know what to expect. When my wife told me about [Virtual EMS Weekend] I was unsettled...What I didn't expect was this event did more to pull me out of the pit and give me hope...Besides all that, the connection we made with the other couples was probably the biggest bonus I never expected. Keep in mind I'm that guy that thought he could fix everything himself and without God's help. By the end of day 1 it was very clear I couldn't, and by then our new friends were a Godsend and they gave me support I absolutely needed. Long story a little longer...This was the beginning of the rest of our life."

"I was nervous about how helpful this would be. I was hopeful but cautious....I do appreciate the guidance for the betrayed on how we can become the best version of ourselves through our greatest pain. We do not like the ugly side of us through this and you helped guide us in a gentle and compassionate manner with practical advice. [Virtual EMS Weekend] was life changing…"

"[Virtual EMS Weekend] made me feel so hopeful! Even as the online group, I still felt we were getting all of the same valuable information as if we were attending physically in Texas. I also received a road map for recovery and how to prevent relapse. It was also really nice to feel not alone in this very dark journey....I know it's going to be a lot of work, but I feel like I received the necessary tools for success.