In The State of Affairs, psychotherapist and relationship expert Esther Perel explains why people cheat and how infidelity forever changes the connection between partners.

Are affairs always wrong? Should all infidelity end in a breakup or divorce?

Affairs are complicated, just like the people that have them.

Understanding why people look outside the confines of their relationships for sexual, romantic, or emotional fulfillment highlights the paradoxes at the heart of human sexuality.

Esther Perel is a couples psychotherapist and author who specializes in relationships and sexuality.

Perel's first book, Mating in Captivity, explored how domestic life dulls desire in long-term relationships.

Perel is the host of two popular podcasts, Where Should We Begin? and How's Work?

With more than thirty years of experience counseling couples, Perel shares her professional insights on what infidelity means today.

The State of Affairs: Rethinking Infidelity is more than a study of why people cheat; it examines how affairs are turning points for couples and how they can sometimes strengthen relationships.