When addiction damages trust, rebuilding it takes more than an apology. It takes time, consistency, honesty, and actions that family members can begin to rely on again.

Katie and I originally recorded this conversation a year ago, but the message feels just as important today. We’ve condensed it into this 25-minute episode focused on what it really takes to rebuild trust after addiction. We share both sides of rebuilding trust after addiction. Janice brings her perspective as a social worker, author, and mother in long-term recovery, while Katie shares what rebuilding trust looked and felt like from an adult child's perspective.

Together, they talk about what trust really means, why forgiveness and trust aren't the same, and how small, consistent actions can gradually rebuild a sense of safety in relationships.

You’ll hear practical strategies for rebuilding trust, including setting reasonable expectations, communicating more clearly, making meaningful apologies, respecting another person’s feelings and boundaries, and making regular deposits into what Janice calls the “trust bank.”

Most importantly, this conversation reminds us that trust isn’t rebuilt through promises about what we’re going to do. It’s rebuilt by what we consistently do over time.

CHAPTERS

00:00 – Introduction
02:45 – The Importance of Rebuilding Trust
06:09 – Defining Trust in Relationships
10:47 – Steps to Rebuild Trust
13:56 – Tips for Making an Apology
17:17 – Building Trust: Practical Examples
23:51 – Call to Action

Janice Johnson Dowd, LMSW, is the author of Rebuilding Relationships in Recovery and brings both professional and personal experience to conversations about addiction, recovery, and family healing. Katie Dowd Walker brings the perspective of an adult child affected by addiction and shares candidly about what helped their relationship heal.

Please like and subscribe, and check out my website for more resources, a blog, and links to free downloads at https://www.janicejohnsondowd.com/

If you are interested in learning more about or purchasing the book, Rebuilding Relationships in Recovery: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D11SD3PJ?lv=shuf&channelId=500&plpRedirect=mhFallback

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