5 Books On Trust Every Couple Needs To Read In 2023

These five books on trust will help you understand the essence of trust and create a solid foundation for it in your marriage.

Trust is the foundation for every good relationship. This goes double for marriage.

Without trust, relationships will not thrive. In fact, they eventually die.

Because of this, understanding and building trust in your marriage is essential. Crucial. Vital.

I can’t stress it enough.

5 Books To Help You Create A Foundation Of Trust

These five (5) books are recommended reading to help you create a trust foundation in your relaitonship – I really want to say ‘required’ but I know I don’t have the authority to force you :).

So, here’s our top 5 recommended books on understanding, building, and fostering a strong foundation of trust in your marriage.

What Makes Love Last?

Nan Silver and John Gottman

What Makes Love Last?: How to Build Trust and Avoid Betrayal

In this insightful book, celebrated research psychologist and couples counselor John Gottman plumbs the mysteries of love and shares the results of his famous “Love Lab”: Where does love come from? Why does some love last, and why does some fade? And how can we keep it alive? Based on laboratory findings, this book shows readers how to identify signs, behaviors, and attitudes that indicate a fraying relationship and provides strategies for repairing what may seem lost or broken.

Check Price Now Price incl. tax, excl. shipping

This book is our #1 recommendation for couples wanting (and needing) to build trust.

‘What Makes Love Last’ gives us valuable advice on how to have a long-lasting and loving partnership. It tells us that love can bring us many wonderful things like a sense of purpose, good health, and wealth.

The authorsare very knowledgeable about relationships and share their expertise in this book. Gottman is known for his research and data-based assessments of relationships. He uses scientific studies to back up his conclusions and recommendations.

They also provides useful assessment metrics and tests to help us understand our relationship better. The book strikes a good balance between scientific information and easy-to-understand writing.

Here are some important things you’ll find in the book:

• Unresolved issues can affect our memory. We remember things that are unfinished or interrupted better than things that are completed.
• Comparing our partner to others in a negative way can lead to betrayal.
• Deception and a yearning for emotional connection can harm our relationship. It’s important to be honest about our needs and communicate with our partner.
• Attunement is the ability to understand and express our deep knowledge of each other. It helps us connect on a deeper level.
• Sometimes, just listening to our partner without giving advice can make a big difference.
• When we are upset, our negative emotions can affect our partner. It’s important to ask them if there is more they want to say and listen to them.
• Trust is important in a relationship. Taking risks and trusting each other can bring great benefits.
• Enduring love comes when we accept and love our partner for who they are, faults and all.

This book is filled with valuable advice and insights. It’s a great read for anyone who wants to have a lasting and fulfilling relationship.

The Science Of Trust

John Gottman

The Science of Trust: Emotional Attunement for Couples

Gottman encourages couples to cultivate attunement through awareness, tolerance, understanding, non-defensive listening, and empathy. These qualities, he argues, inspire confidence in couples, and the sense that despite the inevitable struggles, the relationship is enduring and resilient.

Check Price Now Price incl. tax, excl. shipping

John Gottman is a famous researcher who has spent many years studying how couples interact with each other. He has found a way to measure how well couples are able to handle their emotions and predict if their relationship will last a long time or not. In his new book, he talks about a special skill called “emotional attunement” that couples can learn to have a stronger relationship.

Emotional attunement means that couples can understand and move past negative emotions together. It helps them focus on positive things and memories, and it can even prevent violence in relationships. Gottman has come up with a plan to help couples develop this skill. It involves things like connecting with each other, respecting each other, and showing love.

Gottman also talks about how to handle different problems that can come up in relationships. He explains how to deal with arguments, how to understand each other’s personalities, and how to adapt to changes in the relationship. He even talks about how men and women can be different in relationships.

Gottman believes that by being aware, understanding, and listening to each other without getting defensive, couples can build a strong and lasting relationship. He wants couples to feel confident that they can get through tough times together.

I Love You But I Don’t Trust You

Mira Kirshenbaum

Sale

I Love You But I Don’t Trust You: The Complete Guide to Restoring Trust in Your Relationship

In this complete guide, couples therapist Mira Kirshenbaum will also help you understand the stages by which trust strengthens when the rebuilding process is allowed to take place. And you will learn how the two of you can avoid the mistakes that prevent healing and discover how to feel secure with each other again.

Check Price Now Price incl. tax, excl. shipping

Are you wondering if your relationship is worth saving? Or if trust can ever come back? Do you want to know how to make things good between you and your partner again? If so, this guide is for you.

Sometimes, trust in a relationship can be broken. It might happen because of small lies that happen often, a big betrayal, or even past hurts that still linger. When trust is broken, it can put your relationship in danger.

But don’t worry, this book will show you exactly what you can do to restore trust in your relationship, no matter how it was damaged. The author, Mira Kirshenbaum, is a well-known couples therapist who has helped many people in similar situations.

In this guide, you will also learn about the stages of trust rebuilding. Just like a broken bone heals over time, trust can also become stronger if you give it a chance. You and your partner will discover how to avoid making mistakes that can prevent healing and how to feel secure with each other once again.

So, if you’re ready to work on restoring trust in your relationship, this book is here to help. It’s written in a way that an 8th grader can understand, so it’s easy to follow along. Don’t give up on your relationship just yet – with the right guidance, you can rebuild trust and make things good again.

The Trust Factor

Tony and Alisa DiLroenzo

The Trust Factor: How To Rebuild Trust In Your Marriage

After reading The Trust Factor, you’ll be armed with the knowledge you and your spouse need to rebuild the trust that either of you or both of you have broken. At the end of each chapter there are practical exercises to rebuilding the trust with your spouse.

Check Price Now Price incl. tax, excl. shipping

This book was made for couples who have gone through the tough experience of losing trust in their relationship. It’s meant for people like us, who have felt the pain of broken trust many times but still want to have an amazing and strong marriage.

In this book, we will share our own stories of how trust was broken and rebuilt during our 25 years of marriage. We will also include stories from other couples who have worked with us to rebuild trust in their own marriages.

The main idea of this book is that by taking action, you can not only change your situation but also how you feel. We believe that if you want to feel better, you need to start doing things differently.

So, who is this book for? It’s for couples who are dealing with unresolved pain, couples who feel disconnected emotionally and sexually, couples who need guidance on rebuilding trust, and couples who need clear boundaries in their marriage.

After reading The Trust Factor, you will have the knowledge and tools you need to rebuild the trust that has been broken in your relationship. Each chapter also includes practical exercises for you and your spouse to work on together.

Overall, this book is here to help you rebuild trust and create a stronger, happier marriage.

Rebuilding Trust

Morgan Johnson

Sale

Rebuilding Trust: Guided Therapy Techniques and Activities to Restore Love, Trust, and Intimacy in Your Relationship

Repair, heal, and restore your relationship with evidence-based therapy skills, techniques, and activities from a respected trust-recovery specialist.

Check Price Now Price incl. tax, excl. shipping

Betrayal can really hurt and damage relationships. But if both partners are willing to put in the effort, it is possible to heal and make the relationship even stronger. We can take apart the old parts of the relationship that aren’t working anymore and put them back together in a way that is deeper and more satisfying than we ever thought possible.

This book, called “Rebuilding Trust,” is a guide to help couples heal after betrayal. The betrayal could be from cheating, lying, or even hiding addictions. The book offers step-by-step exercises and activities to help partners work together and rebuild trust in themselves and each other. It also includes strategies and techniques from different types of therapy that have been proven to work.

The book provides prompts for journaling, conversation starters, and sample scripts to help partners process their emotions and heal their relationship. It is written in a way that is nonjudgmental and inclusive, so it can be helpful for all types of relationships.

In summary, this book is a helpful guide for couples who have experienced betrayal and want to work on healing their relationship. It offers practical exercises, techniques, and support to rebuild trust and create a stronger bond.

Why Trust Matters In Marriage

Trust is the foundation of any successful marriage. Here are five reasons why trust is crucial in maintaining a healthy and strong marital relationship:

1. Emotional Intimacy

Emotional intimacy is the ability to truly connect with your partner on a deep, emotional level. Emotional intimacy allows couples to be vulnerable and open with one another, creating a safe space for sharing their innermost thoughts, fears, and desires. When there is trust between partners, they feel secure in expressing themselves without the fear of judgment or betrayal.

When partners feel emotionally connected, they develop a deep understanding of one another’s needs and desires. This understanding strengthens the bond between them and fosters a sense of safety and security.

Emotional intimacy is not something that happens overnight. It requires time, effort, and a willingness to be vulnerable. But the rewards are immeasurable.

Couples who have cultivated emotional intimacy experience a greater sense of closeness and fulfillment in their relationship. They have a solid foundation of trust and understanding that allows them to navigate the ups and downs of life together.

Trust is essential in building this type of intimacy, as it allows couples to be vulnerable and open with one another.

By fostering emotional intimacy, couples strengthen their bond and create a safe space for sharing their deepest emotions, fears, and desires.

2. Communication

When couples trust each other, they create a safe environment where they can openly and honestly express themselves. This trust allows them to voice their thoughts, needs, and concerns with confidence, knowing that their partner will respond in a supportive and understanding way.

In a trusting relationship, couples feel secure in each other’s reactions. This security enables them to address conflicts constructively, without fear of judgment or negative consequences.

By openly communicating their perspectives and feelings, they can better understand each other’s point of view and find common ground.

Deep trust enhances empathy within the relationship. When partners trust each other, they are more likely to listen and validate each other’s emotions and experiences. This empathy fosters a deep connection and strengthens their bond.

Effective communication also involves problem-solving skills. Trust allows couples to collaborate and find solutions together. They can brainstorm ideas, discuss possible outcomes, and work as a team to resolve conflicts.

Trust enables couples to have difficult conversations and make compromises, leading to a healthier and happier relationship.

Trust creates a safe space where partners can express themselves freely and address conflicts constructively.

It fosters understanding, empathy, and problem-solving skills, ultimately strengthening the bond between partners.

3. Reliability and Support

When trust exists, spouses know they can count on one another to be there in times of need. This support can come in various forms – emotional, practical, or financial – and it provides a sense of security and stability within the marriage.

Reliability is a key aspect of trust. It means being consistent and dependable, fulfilling promises and commitments.

When couples can rely on each other, they feel safe and reassured in the knowledge that their partner will always be there for them, no matter what. This reliability forms the backbone of their support system.

Support goes hand in hand with reliability. It means being there for each other through thick and thin, offering a helping hand or a listening ear when needed.

Couples who trust each other know that they can lean on one another for emotional comfort, practical assistance, or even financial support if necessary. 

A strong reliability and support system fosters a sense of security and stability within the marriage, allowing spouses to navigate both challenging times and everyday situations with confidence and peace of mind.

4. Mutual Respect

In a trusting relationship, partners value and respect each other’s autonomy. They recognize and honor their spouse’s decisions, allowing them the freedom to make choices without fear of judgment or control.

This level of respect fosters an environment where both partners feel safe and secure, enabling them to grow and thrive together.

Trust also enables couples to respect each other’s personal space. They understand the importance of privacy and give each other the freedom to have time and space for themselves without intrusion.

This respect for personal boundaries reinforces the notion that both partners are equally important and deserve to have their needs met.

Mutual trust and respect create an atmosphere of appreciation and understanding, where each partner feels valued and acknowledged. With trust and respect as the cornerstones, couples can navigate challenges and conflicts with greater ease, knowing that they have a solid and secure foundation to rely on.

Trust and respect go hand in hand in a marriage. When couples trust each other, they demonstrate respect for boundaries, commitments, and individuality. It allows spouses to acknowledge and respect each other’s autonomy, decisions, and personal space.

5. Faith in the Future

Trust allows couples to make plans, set goals, and work towards them with confidence. It fosters belief in each other’s abilities, dreams, and commitment to the relationship. This belief in a shared future strengthens the bond between spouses and nurtures a feeling of security and hope.

Trust ultimately creates faith in the future by giving couples the confidence to plan and work towards their goals together. It builds a solid and secure partnership, fostering optimism and a sense of safety.

With trust, couples can face any obstacles that come their way and create a future filled with love, happiness, and shared achievements.

What’s Next?

Trust is a cornerstone of any healthy marriage and should be continually nurtured and cultivated. It enables couples to develop a strong and secure relationship, providing emotional comfort, practical support, respect for boundaries, and faith in the future.

The bottom line is trust ensures your partner has your back. When you trust your spouse, you know they will always act in a way consisent with love. They will always put your needs before their own.

Because that is the nature of love. See 1 Corinthians 13

By fostering an atmosphere of trust and respect within the marriage, couples can create a safe haven that allows them to thrive both as individuals and as a team.

Where To Find Help