My girlfriend and I broke up a few weeks ago because I found out that she had been going on dates with another guy. She told me that it wasn’t serious, but I couldn’t accept her explanation. When we broke up, she also told me that she hadn’t felt heard or seen in our relationship and felt that I was emotionally unavailable which is why she was meeting this other guy. Nothing happened between them. Now, when I think about what she said, I feel as if I was too hasty. Should I give this relationship another chance and ask her to consider taking me back? Is this change of heart real or am I just missing her and hoping for something that doesn’t exist anymore?
You can always suggest giving this another chance, but she doesn’t have to reciprocate given that she has explained why it didn’t work the first time. If you are both serious about trying again, it should be with the acknowledgement that there are problems which haven’t been addressed. What you both did was wrong for your relationship, and you will have to start from a place of honesty and take it one step at a time if this has any hope of being fixed. Having said that, it’s also possible that she may no longer consider the possibility of a second chance so you should be prepared for that happening too.

How do I know if taking a break from my relationship is the right thing to do if we are to come back stronger? Is a break ever a good idea?
Time apart can be good or bad depending upon why it’s being considered and what you both hope to accomplish by staying away from each other. A trial separation is supposed to resolve something, so there should be clarity about that first. It doesn’t magically resolve issues, so talk about why you want to do it and what you hope will happen if you both agree to try this out.