Most people would agree that honesty and trust are key factors in a healthy relationship. Yet, many people find ways to justify keeping a few secrets from their partner.

When conducting research for my book, 13 Things Mentally Strong Couples Don’t Do, I surveyed 1,000 married individuals and discovered that 40 percent of people believe their partner is keeping at least one secret from them.

While some secrets may seem harmless on the surface (like how much you really spent on that watch), dishonesty erodes trust. If your partner can’t trust that you’ll be honest about the small things, how do they know you aren’t hiding much bigger, more destructive secrets?

As a therapist, I’ve seen firsthand the relationship destruction caused by secrets. Here are three reasons that people justify keeping secrets in their........

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