The Challenging Paradox of Trust in Relationships |
Why Relationships Matter
Take our Can You Spot Red Flags In A Relationship?
Find a therapist to strengthen relationships
Trust is one of the most important ingredients in a healthy relationship.
Clinicians who try to help a couple rebuild trust may be in for a surprising challenge.
Trust issues can be caused by an internalized conflict about wanting vs. rejecting trust.
Often, a conflict around trust must be exposed and accepted by a couple before trust issues can be resolved.
Couples therapists have long contended that the path to building trust in a relationship is through the vulnerability of each partner. That is, partners must courageously and consistently share their hearts and minds without fear of being perceived as irreparably flawed and worthy of discarding.
The literature has long supported the notion that men tend to have an especially tough time when viewed as weak and in turn, are more likely to suffer in silence. They may also suffer the complaints of partners that crave more intimate communication.
There is no doubt that exposing oneself is a challenging task, regardless of gender. But I have found that the concept of........