GAMFT 2026 Annual Conference
Join GAMFT in person for our 2026 Annual Conference. Look forward to robust continuing education, pre- and post-conference workshops, networking, self-care breaks, and fun social event opportunities.
Love, Lies, and Large Language Models: Infidelity recovery in the era of AI
This keynote explores the systemic and relational dimensions of healing from infidelity in a world mediated by technology and artificial intelligence. Through a combination of case illustrations, theory integration, and reflective exercises, participants will learn to view infidelity not solely as an individual moral failure, but as a relational symptom embedded within broader cultural, technological, and attachment systems.
Therapists will gain tools to help couples move from blame and fragmentation toward co-created accountability and growth. By exploring both the harm and potential of modern technology, this presentation invites MFTs to consider how AI and digital tools can become instruments of transparency, regulation, and even healing — when guided by systemic insight and ethical care.
Infidelity has long represented one of the deepest ruptures a couple can experience — shattering trust, destabilizing identity, and reconfiguring the emotional balance of the relationship system.
For Marriage and Family Therapists, it is not only a clinical crisis but also a profound relational opportunity: an inflection point that reveals patterns of disconnection, unmet needs, and attachment injuries woven through the couple and their wider systems.
In the digital age, however, the landscape of infidelity and repair has evolved in unprecedented ways. Partners are now contending with betrayals that occur through text messages, encrypted chats, virtual relationships, and even AI-generated intimacy. The line between secrecy and privacy, or connection and compulsion, is increasingly blurred. Technology has introduced new forms of closeness, temptation, and surveillance — all of which shape the cycle of betrayal, discovery, and recovery in the therapy room.
We'll cover the most important topics for students and early-career MFTs.
Differentiate three forms of infidelity (emotional, physical, and digital/AI-assisted) and map how each impacts systemic patterns of communication and attachment.
Identify at least two circular processes (e.g., secrecy–pursuit, avoidance–control) commonly activated by digital betrayals and formulate systemic interventions to interrupt them.
Apply a relational framework that integrates family systems, attachment, and sex therapy principles to guide couples through the stages of post-infidelity repair.
Demonstrate two strategies for using technology (e.g., transparency tools, shared digital agreements) to support rebuilding trust and relational accountability.
Instructor Bio:
AAMFT Approved Supervisor Candidate