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

by Morgan Johnson MA, LPC, Gina Senarighi PhD, CPC (Foreword by)

Overview

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

Of all the ways relationships fall apart, betrayal can rock us to the core. And yet, for couples or partners who want to stay together and do the work, healing is possible. The old relationships that no longer serve us can be dismantled and reassembled into deeper, stronger, more satisfying bonds than we ever imagined.

Rebuilding Trust features:

• A guided approach to healing after betrayal whether from sexual infidelity and emotional affairs or hidden addictions and patterns of disrespect
• Step-by-step exercises and skill-building activities to help partners work together as they restore trust in themselves and each other
• Trusted therapy-based strategies and techniques from Gottman Method Couples Therapy, Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy (EFT), Imago Relationship Therapy, and other evidence-based approaches
• Journaling prompts, conversation starters, and sample scripts to facilitate emotional processing and relational healing
• An inclusive, nonjudgmental view of relationship dynamics, making this book appropriate for couples and relationships of all types

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780593435595
Publisher:	Zeitgeist
Publication date:	10/11/2022
Pages:	208
Sales rank:	175,958
Product dimensions:	6.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Morgan Johnson, MA, is a licensed professional counselor (LPC), trust-recovery specialist, speaker, and author living in Austin, Texas. She received a BA in psychology from Wake Forest University and completed her MA in counseling at St. Edward’s University. She experiences a sense of purpose through helping people connect with themselves and others in her practice as well as through her writing. When she isn’t working, Morgan can be found outside enjoying the Texas sunshine with Leo the dog or tucked away with a book and Bruce the cat. You can connect with Morgan on social media @ConnectWithMorganJohnson.

Table of Contents

Foreword 8

Acknowledgments 11

Introduction 13

Part I Stabilize and Repair 32

Chapter 1 Reestablish Safety 36

Building a Safe Relationship Space 38

Seven Ways to Complete the Stress-Response Cycle 41

Process or Pause? 43

Taking Breaks and Time-Outs 48

Negative to Neutral, Neutral to Positive 48

Creating Safe Spaces with Active Listening 51

Embodying Trustworthiness 55

Reassurance Recipes 59

Chapter 2 Cultivate Self-Awareness 62

Our Enduring Vulnerabilities 64

Climbing the Polyvagal Ladder 68

The Betrayal Cascade 71

Parts Mapping 101 75

Understanding Attachment Moves 79

Transforming Defensiveness 82

Chapter 3 Communicate to Connect 86

Mindful Relating Menu 86

The Gift of "Of Course" 90

Listening to Compromise 92

The Three-Step Apology 96

Emergency Signals, Code Words, and Emojis 99

The Six-Step Repair Process 102

The FNFL Rapid Check-In 107

Part II Strengthen and Heal 110

Chapter 4 Break Unhealthy Patterns 112

Recognizing Our Set-Ups 116

Antidotes for Resentment 118

Mapping Our Conflict Cycle 121

Managing Our Cycle 125

Primal Panic Protocol 128

Chapter 5 Restore Care and Connection 132

Check-in Rituals 133

Practicing Gratitude 136

The LALA Ritual 139

Internal Resourcing Together 141

Chapter 6 Deepen Intimacy 144

Love Mapping 101 149

Offs Off, Ons On 153

Self-Com pass ion and Sex 157

Cuddle Puddle 160

Sexual Parts Dialogue 163

Being a Safe Place to Land 166

Chapter 7 Maintain Trust and Safety 170

"How We'll Keep from Going Back" Inventory 172

Reauthoring Our Story of the RNV 176

Relationship Norms and Co-Agreements 177

Balancing Closeness and Autonomy 180

Conclusion 184

References 188

Index 197

About the Author 207

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"I appreciate the clarity, empathy, and creativity in this guide. Morgan Johnson did a fantastic job weaving in the wisdom from long-standing research and her wise and soulful work as a therapist and a person. I would recommend this book to any couple working on building or rebuilding trust." –Liliane Nahas, MEd, LPC, LMFT, psychotherapist

"Morgan Johnson takes readers on a compassionate journey inside the heartbeat of a betrayal in Rebuilding Trust. She offers empowering and practical support that is both honest and deeply hopeful. What a treasure chest of support and guidance for those of us who are aching to repair the hurts in our relationships." –Silvy Khoucasian, relationship coach & writer