Betrayals of Therapist Trust: Lessons from the Field

Abstract

This article explores violations of therapist trust in the practice of psychotherapy and how they can be understood from an experiential personal construct psychology (EPCP) perspective. Case examples are used to highlight the ways in which therapists, sometimes naïvely or unknowingly, place a great deal of trust in clients, and thus are vulnerable to injury. The examples also demonstrate how EPCP can be a powerful perspective from which to anticipate potential injuries, as well as to understand and heal from them. Based on the lessons learned from these examples, suggestions for clinical training are offered.

Acknowledgments

This article is an elaboration of a paper presented at the 14th Biennial Conference of the Constructivist Psychology Network, Niagara Falls, New York, July 2010. All clinical material has been distorted to protect client confidentiality. I would like to thank Larry Leitner for his comments on an earlier version of this article