David Petraeus, Tiger Woods, Arnold Schwarzenegger, John Edwards, and Bill Clinton: these powerful and famous men were caught having affairs and fell from grace. The media reported their fall and the humiliation and outrage of their spouses, and the nation watched the drama with fascination, feeling sympathy for the betrayed. Conspicuously absent from the media attention was the impact of the infidelity and ensuing publicity on the cheating parents' children. Dennis Ortman, Ph.D., gives a voice to these silent sufferers, the children, the walking wounded, who may appear to function normally for years, but often experience dysfunction when they attempt to commit to intimate relationships as adults. Some feel compelled to betray their partners, and others marry someone who cheats on them or remain emotionally disengaged in their relationships. Without knowing it, many repeat the faults of their parents’ marriage, playing out their roles in new tragedies, often exhibiting symptoms similar to post-traumatic stress disorder. Cheating Parents explores the long-term impact of parental infidelity on children's self-esteem and provides pathways toward healing and forgiveness.

Dennis Ortman, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist in private practice in the Detroit Metropolitan area for over twenty years, specializing in treating individuals who suffer the trauma of parental infidelity and resulting emotional problems such as depression and substance abuse. Before becoming a psychologist, he was a Catholic priest for 14 years. He received his doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of Detroit-Mercy and a graduate degree in theology from the Gregorian University in Rome. He's an active member of both the American Psychological Association and the Michigan Psychological Association. He's the author of four books including The Dually Diagnosed, The Dual Diagnosis Recovery Sourcebook: A Physical, Mental and Spiritual Approach to Addiction with an Emotional Disorder, Transcending Post-Infidelity Stress Disorder: The Six Stages of Healing, and Waiting for the Archbishop: Memoirs of a Former Priest in Transition. He lives in Shelby Township, MI.