When Trauma Keeps a Patient from Trusting Their Practitioner

As practitioners, we know how important it is to build trust with clients.
But when a patient has a trauma history, trust may not come easy - and rightfully so. So, how can we go about building healthy trust in the therapeutic relationship with these clients?
Janina Fisher, PhD, shares how she works with trauma survivors when they tell her that they don’t trust her - and possibly never will.
She’ll get into the specific language she uses that can actually help a patient regain their capacity to trust.
Get the latest strategies on treating trauma in The Advanced Master Program on the Treatment of Trauma: www.nicabm.com...
NICABM - Better Outcomes. More Quickly.

[@elspethfougere9683]

"can we work together? As long as its not an impediment for you, we can work together." such a relief! You don't have to trust anybody!! I LOVE that!! 💖💖💖💖💖💖💖

[@tuxedoneko9837]

What a beautiful, wise soul. Wish you were my therapist. Would have saved me lots of time, money, self-esteem and heartache.

[@ws4612]

"You've earned your right not to trust." Quite! Repeated experiences teaches some of us that is how life has been. I like her saying, "But can we work together?" She's right, too, that over time trust does build. I've struggled to trust yet I know my therapist is trustworthy. It's taken a long, long time and that's nothing the therapist has done or not done; it's down to my previous and ongoing lived experiences outside of the therapy room.

[@Theflowoflove]

Truly one of the very best therapists . Such compassionate presence & warmth.

[@TheDreadfulCurtain]

Wish this lovely woman was my therapist ! So soothing and empathetic and calm.

[@sky.the.infinite]

Truly.

[@unlockyourlife]

Great, so well articulated. A deceptively simple concept. A profound and also highly empathic and attuned answer.

[@Idela905]

So empathic almost divine 🙏🏻

[@albussnape2]

This was awesome for anyone who’s trauma (such as a terrible death of a loved one) was deeply exacerbated by a damaging, betraying therapist. I’ve found almost zero information on this, and am grateful you spoke about it here. You seem very kind and understanding of such experiences. Wish you would speak more about this topic, and include how people so injured can ever connect with a safe therapist. The fear and despair are powerful, and it’s almost like one needs therapy to find a safe therapist.

[@patriciacarla9545]

Wow...thank you for sharing this experiences of mistrust x trust! I am a Brazilian Practitioner and so glad to listen to other Practitioner experience, especially from another country! And to see that we can have similar client responses in different countries that go beyond cultural issues as they are related to humanbeing contractions and expansions. Thank you for that!!!

[@amysinger2201]

You ARE the Trauma Whisperer Dr. Fisher

[@carolmcbrideonline]

So important, thank you Janina. Rarely spoken about in training, and, with most therapists. There is a notion working requires 'trust', in particular with emerging therapists.

[@Raminakai]

Beautiful! That’s honoring of what deep painful experiences people have gone through. Mistrust makes perfect sense. Trust is earned.

[@Benjaminpyatt]

Janina understands and communicates in a beautiful way

[@Ry-iz9bc]

I had a therapist who I was not comfortable with who ripped an emotional wound wide open without warning me about what was going to take place that session. I’ve been trying to fully recover from that session.

[@Dogwithoutaname]

That ^^^ It's so draining and I feel manipulated into sharing things when I'm not ready. So I'm not "wasting time" because I'm afraid they will "fire me" as a client if I don't participate enough.

[@EmilioYepez]

Healthy trust is a great way to frame this concept

[@Echo-o-o]

How wonderful. Thank you. Your clients are lucky to have you.

[@humanemaths]

Beautiful! Lovely earrings by the way.

[@JoyfulWisdom]

Thanks for explaing this, Janine. I always wondered why my therapists did not get me. The failed at seeing or accepting my problems to trust them. And they did not bring up the issue at all.

[@yukio_saito]

04:34 "...give clients lots of room for their mistrust." Bad therapists can't do that. They start controlling clients. I've met such therapists as a client so I terminated the therapy.

[@Stobber1981]

That's why they're doing these videos with good therapists. Both so therapists know how they can improve, and so clients know that good therapy exists.

[@humanemaths]

Same here. She actually judged me!

[@nicabm]

Hi, I recommend that you check out this database through Psychology Today: www.psychologytoday.com/us Through this site, you’re able to search for therapists and support groups based on location, and filter through the results based on a variety of factors - specialties, approaches, and methods. Alternatively, I would also recommend that you review some of our blogs or free materials and reach out to our community. Many times, both practitioners and patients will comment on our materials, which may help you with what you are looking for.

[@rachelsimbhu3965]

Powerful words doc , resonates deeply , thanks for sharing

[@julielabelle2783]

Thank you.

[@johnmoyer99]

I expect clients to mistrust, at first. Trust is built together, over time.

[@carolmcbrideonline]

As do I. It's quite a liberating way to 'begin'.

[@deelot1]

Excellent

[@richardferrara]

Why do I keep seeing this?

[@chayawechter1883]

"You earned your right to not trust people." You bet I have...

[@serge6598]

Chad therapist

[@alexandrugheorghe5610]

This is me.