Creative Tips to Rebuilding Trust in a Relationship

When trust is broken in a relationship it can be difficult to regain. There are ways you can rebuild trust with a partner, friend or loved one over time. It is important to communicate your feelings to one another, be open and honest and firmly commit yourselves to rebuilding the trust. Once you both feel your feelings have been heard and respected, you may well be on your way to having the relationship you longed for together.

Infidelity is one way in which trust is broken. With parents or friends, trust can be broken by behaviors such as lying or stealing. One way in which you can begin to rebuild trust is to recommit to yourselves to the relationship, advises psychologist Bill Cloke in his Care2.com article "Five Ways to Rebuild Trust After It's Broken." A vow renewal ceremony, or a ritual created by a dating couple, can help both partners begin to move past relationship issues. Parents and children can rebuild trust by contracts, with a new commitment to following rules.

One activity that may help rebuild trust is sharing life dreams. When trust is broken, you may feel your dreams or goals are not valued. Write down five to 10 life dreams to share with one another, advises the Cornerstone Counseling Center of Chicago in the publication "Resource List for Couples, Knowing Your Partner." This activity may help couples develop dreams to strive toward together, or help a parent and child see each others' dreams and plans for the future. This exercise may even be used with a friend to reconnect and learn more about one another in an effort to rebuild your bond.

When trust is broken, there may be insecurity between the two people. One way to rebuild trust is to make your life an open book in order to empathize with hurt feelings, advises clinical and health psychologist Melanie Greenberg in her "Psychology Today" article "Four Steps to Relationship Repair With the H-E-A-L Technique." For instance, if you cheated on your partner, you may re-establish some trust by sharing passwords to email, social networking sites and cellular pass codes. If you left the house after curfew, you may keep your door open at all times to show your parents you are there.

Communication may be difficult when problems in a relationship lead to broken trust. To regain trust, talk about the thoughts and feelings between you, says the National Healthy Marriage Resource Center's article "Rebuilding Trust in Your Marriage After an Affair." Perhaps you lied to a friend, or cheated on a boyfriend. It may be beneficial for you both to put your feelings in writing. This helps each person have time to read and process the feelings of the other. You may each take time to communicate your feelings effectively without saying anything harsh that you cannot take back later.