Therapy for Betrayal Trauma: Finding Solid Ground After Trust Has Been Broken
“Sometimes the deepest wounds aren’t physical—they’re the invisible ones that come when someone you counted on turns away.”
– Unknown
When Betrayal Breaks Your World
You trusted them. Maybe it was your partner, your spiritual leader, your employer, your closest friend—someone who was supposed to protect, support, or love you. Instead, they lied. They cheated. They dismissed your reality. They looked the other way when you needed them most.
Now everything feels upside down. You’re left questioning your memories, your judgment, even your sense of self. You may feel devastated, numb, hypervigilant—or all three at once. This is betrayal trauma, and if you’re here, you might still be trying to make sense of something that should never have happened.
You are not overreacting. Betrayal shakes your nervous system, your worldview, and your ability to feel safe in relationships.
What Is Betrayal Trauma?
Betrayal trauma happens when someone you rely on for safety and support breaks that trust. It might be:
A partner engaging in infidelity, secret-keeping, or manipulation
A caregiver who neglected or harmed you
A workplace or institution that protected an abuser instead of protecting you
A community that silenced your truth when you tried to speak it
What makes betrayal trauma so devastating is not just what happened—but who did it. The people or systems we turn to for care are supposed to be safe. When they’re not, the world becomes unpredictable and unsafe.
