Orna Guralnik, a couples therapist, examines Matt Hancock's secret relationship after he was forced to quit.In June, the shocking images of Matt Hancock & Gina Coladangelo appeared on newspaper front pages. Hancock's breach of social distancing rules resulted in Hancock being fired as health secretary. While affairs do not only occur to wealthy men, observers will find it difficult to comprehend why people with so much to lose, such as Bill Gates and Boris Johnson, would still choose to live a double existence.Anushka Asthana talks to Dr Orna Gurulnik, a psychoanalyst, clinical psychologist, and star of the US series Couples Therapy. She discusses the need for validation and affirmation that can drive those whose careers are dependent on their reputation for probity, to look beyond the borders of their marriages. Guralnik says that communication alone cannot resolve the infidelity risks that lurk in any settled relationship. Instead, it requires a commitment to find the space to preserve our individual identities as well as those of our partners.Guralnik is a New York University Postdoctoral Fellow for Psychoanalysis and sits on Studies in Gender and Sexuality's editorial board. She has appeared in several episodes of Couples Therapy, which was filmed by Showtime USA. Read more about the series by clicking here.
