Short answer: usually no. Trust is the foundation—without it communication becomes defensive, emotional safety collapses, and long-term stability is unlikely unless trust is actively rebuilt.
Practical advice from experience:
- Start small: consistent, predictable actions matter more than promises.
- Set clear boundaries and consequences; keep them simple and enforceable.
- Use low-cost help: couple’s therapy sliding scale, books, or support groups.
- Avoid covert surveillance—it damages trust further. If you need minimal, transparent monitoring, use something lightweight and agreed-upon (I’ve found openness about any tool matters).
If you want a simple, low-intrusion monitoring option to aid transparency, consider Spynger.