Customer Reviews

The Courage to Trust: A Guide to Building Deep and Lasting Relationships

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I recently had someone come back into my life that I lied to by omission. Our second time around he was having trouble trusting me. I told a white lie and he blew up. I was sitting there scratching my head thinking what's his problem. I decided to order some books about trust to get a handle on my issue with lying. This book has shown me why I choose to not be truthfull all the time. I am trying to protect myself from how I think the person will react by knowing the truth. I'm not trustfull or trustworthy. I this book is really helping me see a better way to be.

The issue of trust -- of others and of myself -- comes up all the time. Whom do I really trust, and how do I build trust with people whom I would like to trust more? How much can I safely let back in people who have betrayed my trust in the past? What moves can I make that will make me more trustworthy? Cynthia Wall's exercises are often helpful in clarifying underlying blocks, allowing me to go much deeper into the real issues.

I am in a process of exploring this issue with my women's group this year; it's a very rich and scary topic. The Courage to Trust is a valuable, compassionate guide for us in this exploration. I think anyone who has ever been betrayed or disappointed by someone will find helpful support in this beautifully and thoughtfully written book.

As a psychotherapist and devoted reader I am always looking for books to recommend that simply, clearly, and effectively communicate how we can live our lives with greater freedom. Cynthia Wall has written an elegant book. Her warm voice guides us throught terrain that we may never have attempted to travel without her wise and kind encouragement. And she leads us in such a way that, amazingly!, it's not all that hard, and (really) not too scary. The exercises are great - small, doable steps. Any book I truly value accompanies me to the beach, the coffee house and (if it's really good and useful) to the bathtub. My copy of this book is water logged; the highest possible praise.

For any of you who have been hurt--by a dysfunctional family situation or an adult betrayal--this book is helping me to connect how the past is inhibiting me from having all life has to offer. After reading the first 20 pages, I had a few tactics and goals to make a difference in my life. It also confirmed for me that self-trust is the basis for the other types. It's well worth the investment in time and money.

This book is a must read for anyone looking to find true intimacy and fulfilling relationships. Cynthia Wall helps us understand that we already have the keys to success when we learn to trust ourselves. Not only is the book elegantly and compassionatly written, we are given grouding and practical exercises to help access and understand our own personal trust patterns. I have shared and given this book to many of the most imporatant people in my life.

Until I read The Courage to Trust, I had no idea that many of my personal and professional struggles centered around the issue of being able to trust myself. Cynthia Wall is a warm and loving guide who makes it safe for the reader to venture into uncharted territory. I found the exercises to be extremely helpful. They allowed me to take a deep, honest look at how I react to particular situations. After reading this book, I feel more confident, and have experienced a great deal of success in both my personal and professional life.

Good at helping to understand why we react in a protective manner when we feel threatened.

I originally bought the book to read about trust after some painful experiences. I found a lot more in it. The author says that there are three distinct parts in each of us, the "Child", the "Protector", and the "Adult". Keeping this in mind i revisited past situations etc. The principle helped me understand A LOT about my own behavior and also the behavior of other people involved. This allowed me to reduce my own guilt for past mistakes and also my anger towards others. Moving forward it has also helped me handle situations better. My expectations are more realistic because I have a better understanding of the limitations of our human nature (in general) and of each specific person (including mine). I can identify if my or the other person's action(s) stem from the Child, the Protector, or the Adult, and respond accordingly. I feel more in-balance as a person and more confident in handling inter-personal situations. All this has helped me open up more, get closer to people, and engage more courageously in relationships with others. Overall a great, eye-opening, and very helpful book that worked for me. I highly recommend it and I hope it works for others too. BTW the book is thin but has LOTS of self-exploring exercises. Unless you have ample time, I would recommend to just read the exercises, then revisit and spend more time on the ones that apply the most.

What a great, well written book! It is easy to read and do the exercises which can only serve to help me/you on our way to intimacy and trust.

A great book to learn about trust. It goes into detail on the hows and whys of trusting, how trust breaks down, and how to build it up again---if it's warranted. Very good.