Rebuilding Trust After Conflict: A Therapist’s Guide to Listening, Breathing, and Starting Fresh
Trust: easy to break, tricky to rebuild—kind of like a house of cards on a windy day. But even when things feel shaky, rebuilding is possible. With care, consistency, and maybe a few deep breaths, relationships can grow stronger than before.
Trust isn’t built on grand gestures—it’s in the everyday things:
Showing up when you say you will
Telling the truth (even when it’s awkward)
Listening like you mean it—not while scrolling or mid-show finale
Creating emotional safety so both people feel seen and respected
💬 Cool the Waters with Active Listening
Active listening is one of the most powerful trust-rebuilding tools. That means:
Making eye contact
Staying quiet while the other person speaks
Reflecting back what you heard (“So you felt hurt when…”)
This kind of listening increases emotional safety, reduces defensiveness, and rebuilds connection (Weger et al., 2014).
🌬️ Breathe Together, Tune In Together
Mindfulness and somatic awareness help you respond rather than react. Try:
Taking a few deep breaths together (inhale for 4, exhale for 6)
Asking, “What is my body telling me right now?”
Noticing tension or tightness as early warning signs. Co-regulation through shared breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system and helps calm conflict (Porges, 2011; Farb et al., 2015).
🎨 Express What Words Can’t with Art Therapy
When conversations stall, art therapy opens another door. Through a trained art therapist’s directives, couples often express emotions that words can’t reach. This creative process fosters empathy, understanding, and clarity—building trust without pressure to “say it right” (Hass-Cohen & Carr, 2008). What’s better than being creative together?
No relationship is perfect, but with intention and support, trust can be rebuilt. With the right tools—and maybe a little humor—you can move forward, together.
✨ Ready to reconnect? Let’s rebuild with talk, art, and a few deep breaths. Schedule a consultation today.
📚 References:
Weger, H. et al. (2014). International Journal of Listening, 28(1), 13–31.
Farb, N. A. S. et al. (2015). Frontiers in Psychology, 6, 768.
Porges, S. W. (2011). The Polyvagal Theory. Norton.
Hass-Cohen, N., & Carr, R. (2008). Art Therapy and Clinical Neuroscience. Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
