Are you and your partner asking "Can my relationship survive an affair?" It may be a difficult question that only you and your partner can answer. But it is possible for any relationship to survive an affair if the couple is dedicated to work through the affair.

Couples that work through the affair tend to live happier marriages because of the new skills that they learn to develop during the process of working through this difficult time. They learn to communicate better, and appreciate each other more for sticking with the relationship and quitting on each other.

Here are some basic do and don'ts you should use when trying to heal your relationship after an affair.

• Do communicate with each other. Talking about the affair will help to get everything out on the table. Potential problems can remain if anything goes unsaid and is not addressed.
• Do be an active listener. Listening to your partner is just as important to talking to them. Remember that a relationship is a two way street and you need to be a good listener as much as you are a good talker.
• Do continue to date. Going out with each other is important to try to reignite that spark that you once had for each other. Going out and having fun together will bring back the old memories of the good time.
• Do not communicate by yelling and screaming. This will not help your situation and will only help to escalate the situation to the level of disaster.
• Do not hold anything against your partner. Sure they made a mistake, but forgiving them will help you move on and start the rebuilding process. I am not saying that you have to trust your partner right away. That is something that they will need to earn back over time.