The pain of betrayal is unlike any other and can leave us feeling deeply changed. Betrayal trauma occurs when someone you deeply trusted—be it a partner, family member, friend, mentor, or even institution—violates that trust in a profound, destabilizing way. Our Chicago therapy practice offers specialized betrayal trauma treatment to limit the lasting impacts of this relational damage.
BETRAYAL TRAUMA THERAPY IN CHICAGO, ILLINOIS
Understanding Betrayal Trauma
& Wounds of Broken Trust
Betrayal trauma isn’t just what happened to you—it’s also what happened both before & after. These relational ruptures and attachment injuries can lead to PTSD-like symptoms, depression, anxiety, or sometimes a more general sense of destablization. Whether you’ve experienced infidelity, lies by omission, blatant deception, or another earth-shattering betrayal that violated your trust, we are here to help.
The impacts of deep betrayals (and the attachment trauma that they cause) reverberate through your sense of self and nervous system. And, of course, any kind of relational trauma we experience inevitably affects both our perception of past and future relationships (romantic, social, familial, workplace etc.)
Therapy For Betrayal Trauma
SYMPTOMS & TREATMENT FOR BETRAYAL TRAUMA
Betrayal trauma can show up in ways that are hard to name. You might find yourself stuck in thought loops, doubting even the safest people in your life, or feeling numb & disconnected. Many people experience flashbacks or a persistent urge to make sense of what happened by replaying it over & over. It’s not unusual to struggle with decision-making, boundary-setting, & a sense of shame—even when you know logically that the betrayal wasn’t your fault.
That disconnect is a hallmark of betrayal trauma, and it doesn’t mean you’re broken. It means your system is doing its best to survive something that never should have happened. The cognitive dissonance that arises when faced with two conflicting beliefs (“this person said they cared about me AND they have caused me tremendous pain”) is especially painful in that it often leaves clients questioning their own reality.
My approach is trauma-informed, relational, and rooted in research on attachment and relational challenges. Depending on your needs, I will incorporate EMDR, somatic work, parts work (IFS) to help with processing. Healing from betrayal isn’t about rushing to forgive (or forgiveness at all)—it’s about reclaiming your life, practicing self-compassion, and learning how to move forward.
