Tiger Woods appears to be losing the battle to save his marriage, according to recent news reports quoting sources close to the couple. Apparently, the "last straw" for Elin, was when Tiger made that commercial for Nike, playing the voice of his late father asking Tiger if he had "learned anything" This commercial and the timing of it's broadcast - on the eve of the tournament- appear to be more of somewhat clumsy attempt on Tiger's part to repair his public image rather than his marriage. Were it the case that he was genuinely concerned with Elin's feelings he would have been seeking to work things out privately, just between the two of them, away from the public eye. Tiger certainly should have gotten his wife's agreement before he agreed to the broadcast and respected her wishes if she withheld it. Elin's lack of attendance at the event was further evidence that she did not sanction his current behavior. In many ways, she appears beyond anger, into the next stage of indifference. This is a bad sign for the future of any marriage. It often means that all loving feelings have diminished beyond repair; and is therefore much more difficult for a marriage counselor to work with than is shock or anger. As a psychologist who has not treated the couple, it is impossible for me to know the unique factors behind the infidelity and the subsequent attempts to repair the damage. However, as an experienced therapist I can say with a strong degree of assurance, that when a marriage has reached this stage, it is in severe crisis. At this point, if anyone wishes to save the marriage, it MUST be their FIRST PRIORITY. Let Tiger be warned that while it may not be too late for him and Elin, they must both obtain help individually and as a couple. The three most important questions for any couple dealing with infidelity are: Why did it happen? How do we ensure that it doesn't happen again? and What do we do if it happens again? Fortunately Tiger and Elin have many resources available. The deciding factor will probably be, how much do both parties want to save their marriage, and how hard will they work to achieve this goal.
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