When infidelity occurs in a relationship, the injured partner often wonders if they will ever regain trust. This requires the involved partner to be completely honest moving forward. Lying and withholding information go hand in hand with affairs. Since the injured partner was lied to, they are not supposed to believe the involved partner until it’s clear that the partner is committed to absolute honesty.

The other challenge is whether the injured party can ever trust that the infidelity won’t reoccur. This requires three main components.

First, the involved partner needs to put healthy boundaries around their committed relationship, e.g., no secretive texting, calls, or meetings. 

The second component is the injured party expresses their pain and anguish. When an involved partner is committing infidelity, they are not thinking about their spouse or committed partner. Otherwise, this would be a deterrent. If the involved partner can empathize with the injured partner’s pain, this creates a significant deterrent. 

Thirdly, involved partners don’t consider getting caught until they are discovered. In addition, when a couple decides to stay together, despite the infidelity, the involved partner is aware that they may never get this opportunity again. Hopefully, the involved partner will reassess the risks. 

Therefore, the deterrents that restore trust post-infidelity are honesty, healthy boundaries, empathy, and risk assessment.