ABSTRACT
Trust is a basic tenet of human relationships, and a necessary element of the analytic process. The attitude of trust may be understood as a "belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something". This chapter explores trust and mistrust as it pertains to the analytic relationship, from the perspectives of both patient and analyst. It examines the origins of trust and mistrust, addressing how these polarized attitudes manifest in treatment, primarily in the transference and specifically in the area of conflicts about dependency. The analytic relationship is the stage on which conflicts, wishes, and fears about trust play out via the transference and the ruptures, enactments, and conflicts that take place in the treatment process. In addition to feeling confident in the analyst's capabilities and in the process of analysis, developing trust means learning to believe in one's own lovability and ultimately to trust in the overall goodness of humanity.
