Trust Again

August 31, 2020
Psychologist Silber (The Unshakable Woman) delivers a useful guide for recovering after a betrayal. Silber begins by recounting her own experience with betrayal, notably when she learned her husband had been cheating on her for years. That discovery traumatized Silber, but she found a way to move past the pain—and eventually rebuild her relationship with her spouse. To recover, she embraced the transformative qualities of forgiveness and her nature as an “empath” whose emotions could be taken advantage of, and forged a new core identity. She also makes accessible the tools she describes by presenting the stories of 14 women who survived different varieties of betrayal and recovered their happiness. She identifies five stages of betrayal—the initial shock, breakdown of one’s routine, relying on survival instincts, adjusting to a new normal, and rebirth—and lists self-care strategies (breathing and movement exercises, improving one’s nutrition and sleep habits) and prompts for examining one’s beliefs so as to create a more positive mindset. In the vein of Steven Stosny’s Living and Loving After Betrayal, this insightful work will help readers looking for strategies to rebuild trust.