A charge you don’t recognize showed up on your credit card. Their phone lit up with a message. Their watch showed an incoming text. An email notification is displayed on their phone. You noticed a distance between you.
Suddenly the person you once felt so sure of has completely disappeared. The person you fell in love with is now a stranger. You don’t recognize them anymore. The betrayal you feel is so deep you don’t recognize yourself. The life you once knew has completely changed forever.
You miss the life you thought was real. The person you would run to for safety is the same person who has caused the pain. You can’t focus at work, and you don’t feel comfortable at home. In the daytime, you can’t concentrate, and at night you can’t sleep. You don’t know what is happening, or what to do. You struggle to make sense of it all.
The feelings of betrayal trauma are horribly painful. Never in a million years would you believe you would be in this space. Thousands of questions flood your mind, what happened, when it started, what was wrong with me, and why wasn’t I good enough? You don’t have to face this pain alone. Help starts here.
The saddest thing about betrayal is that it never comes from your enemies.
-Anonymous
Understanding Betrayal Trauma
Betrayal trauma is the deep emotional pain and distress caused by the result of trust being violated. The betrayal can come from an individual, parents, romantic relationships, friendships, group, institution, organization, supervisors, and leaders of religious groups.
Trauma and betrayal are deeply interconnected. Betrayal causes a unique type of trauma. It shatters trust and leads to intense emotional and mental turmoil. Many people experience a strong sense of lost safety, and challenges in trusting themselves and others.
This experience may also cause you to reevaluate your beliefs and identity. Frequently people become confused and start to have high levels of self-doubt. Physically, trauma can manifest in symptoms like insomnia and fatigue, showing the strong mind-body link in our responses to distressing experiences.
Healing from betrayal experiences is a journey that involves acknowledging and working through complex emotions. Given the complexity of these emotions and experiences, seeking professional counseling is incredibly beneficial.
We provide the necessary guidance, support, and tools you need to navigate the challenging path to healing from trauma caused by betrayal.
Heal from Betrayal with Our Help
Receive support and guidance for one of the most difficult experiences in your life. Heal from the broken trust and heartache. We know how to help you navigate the complicated emotions with tenderness and compassion. Helping you understand your pain. We help you rebuild your trust, and teach you how to set healthy boundaries and how to recover. Learn how to heal from the hurt. Begin to thrive and not just survive. Learn what it takes to overcome one of the darkest times in your life with our support.
Betrayal Trauma Signs and Symptoms
Many signs and symptoms of betrayal trauma are similar to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD.)
- Avoidance behaviors
- Anxiety/Depression
- Decreased confidence and self-esteem
- Difficulties managing emotions
- Emotional numbness
- Fearfulness
- Feelings of shame/guilt
- Hypervigilance
- Irritability or anger outburst
- Intrusive thoughts and images
- Nightmares/flashbacks
- Physical symptoms (racing heart, headaches, upset stomach)
- Sleeping difficulties
- Withdrawing socially.
If You’re Undecided, Read This Before You Go
Pause for a moment. Inhale slowly, exhale deeply. Consider what’s making you hesitant. Is it fear? Is it the unknown? Or perhaps the challenge of facing reality a reality of life not turning out as you hoped? Remind yourself of how important it is for you to heal and get unstuck. Let’s work together.
Speak to a Trauma Specialist Today
Recovery Beyond EMDR
If you’re seeking a comprehensive approach to successfully dealing with trauma, consider talk therapy as a viable alternative to EMDR. Talk therapy offers a different kind of healing environment—one where your voice is central. As trauma-focused counselors, we help you unpack the deeply wounding trauma in a way that is supportive and restoring at your own pace. Through engaging conversations, we will help you explore and process the depths of your trauma in a supportive setting. Together we will help you gently heal. You have experienced more than enough hurt it’s time to be restored.
Betrayal Trauma Caused by a Narcissist
Betrayal trauma is a profound wound. It cuts to the core of your very being, leaving you feeling shattered, disoriented, and utterly alone. Betrayal trauma is the devastating realization, that the person you loved and trusted, the one you thought was on your side was nothing more than a cruel and manipulative monster. This monster who used and abused you for their own selfish gain. The overwhelming sense of confusion, shame, and guilt that comes with realizing the relationship you thought was real was actually a carefully constructed web of lies and deceit.
It was designed to keep you under the narcissist’s control. It’s the struggle to heal from the trauma, to learn to trust again, and to rebuild your shattered sense of self. Betrayal trauma is a scar that will leave a mark but does not have to ruin your life forever. It will always be a part of your story but not the end. The trauma created by being with the narcissist is a reminder of the cruelty and inhumanity does exist in the world. With our support, you will process your emotions and experiences.
Break free from Suffering, Become a Thriver
We help people heal from betrayal trauma. Using a trauma-informed approach to healing we support you. We provide you with practical skills and tools for self-care, boundary setting, increasing self-love/confidence, and emotion regulation tools to help you daily. Together we work towards breaking trauma bonds and processing grief. This is not your fault; you do not deserve what happened to you. We will help you heal from a hurt you never wanted to experience.
Begin Healing Today
Benefits of Working With Us
Choosing to seek professional counseling is a powerful step toward reclaiming your life and well-being. Here’s what you can expect when you work with us:
- Emotional support in a compassionate, non-judgmental space.
- Clarity and understanding of betrayal trauma.
- Rebuilding your self-esteem and confidence.
- Effective coping strategies tailored to your needs.
- Healing from past wounds with professional guidance.
- Personal growth and self-discovery through expert counseling.
- A clear, positive vision for your future with our support.