Are You Getting Too Close? How Online Infidelity Begins

The Social Network Show welcomes Dr. Katherine Hertlein to the November 5, 2014 episode.

Dr. Katherine Hertlein, an Associate Professor in the Marriage and Family Therapy Program and a Marriage and Family therapist talks about the patterns and signs that indicate that there may be trouble ahead in an online relationship. The following are some of the points that are covered in this episode of The Social Network Show:

A false sense of control over what happens in an online relationship Warning signs of danger in the initiation phase and maintenance phase of a relationship Patterns and signs that an online relationship may be problematic Online dating and meeting in person for the first time Question of authenticity in online relationships

Katherine Hertlein is an Associate Professor in the MFT Program at the Unversity of Nevada, Las Vegas. Sje earned a B.A. in Psychology from Truman State University, a M.S. in Marriage and Family Therapy from Purdue University Calumet, and a PhD in Human Development with a specialization in Marriage and Family Therapy from Virginia Tech.

Her research interests include sexuality, technology and couples, and infidelity.  She also conducts research on high-risk sexual behavior and technology and couples. Clinically, she is most interested in working with couples (specifically couples who experience sexual problems) and children.

Dr. Hertlein has published over 40 articles, 5 books, and over 25 book chapters. She has co-edited a book on interventions in couples treatment, interventions for clients with health concerns, and a book on infidelity treatment. Recently, she published Systemic Sex Therapy and A Clinician's Guide to Systemic Sex Therapy, which are used in over 20 couple and family therapy training programs around the U.S. In 2009, Systemic Sex Therapy was nominated for a Professional Health Book Award through the Society for Sex Therapy and Research (SSTAR).

Dr. Hertlein also serves on the editorial boards of several journals, including the Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, the Journal of Couple and Relationship Therapy, and the Journal of Family Psychotherapy. In her work related to couples and technology, she has produced the first multitheoretical model detailing the role of technology in couple and family life (forthcoming). She presents nationally and internationally on sex, technology, and couples. She has won numerous awards for teaching and research and is featured weekly as a guest on "Davenport After Dark", a radio program broadcast out of Dublin, Ireland.