ABSTRACT

Healing from trauma begins with building safe reliable relationships. This chapter focuses on rebuilding current relationships and finding new healing connections. It also explores developing healthy boundaries and avoiding or leaving unsafe relationships. Suspicion of others who may seem unsafe because of past trauma and fears related to relationships that include fear of hurting others, abandonment, attack, rejection or vulnerability and loss of control abound as survivors open up to others. Potentially safe relationships can come in many forms, with the most important ingredients being connection; and support for survivors and their recovery. Safe relationships vary and can come through family, pets, spiritual entities and others, as is discussed in the chapter. In intimate partner relationships, safety and support for recovery from trauma become most crucial. Relationships with family and friends have a healing influence on recovery. Survivors can have difficulty and even re-enact trauma with social services professionals as well as with bosses, doctors, priests and other authorities.