by: Dr. Dino Zuccarini, C.Psych. & Dr. Lila Hakim, C.Psych.
Our ability to trust another person is core to our being
able to create and sustain close intimate relationships. When we are able to
trust another, we reap the emotional rewards of feeling connected to others.
Trust is an antidote against any sense of isolation and non-belonging as it
allows us to develop relationships in which others can be experienced in a
manner that feels emotionally safe and secure. We initially learn to trust
others in our relationship with our parents, then our peers, and eventually our
relationship partners. Sometimes when we have difficult early relationship
experiences we lose our bearings in terms of whom to trust and how to trust
another person.
Trust can be eroded when we are hurt, frightened, or angered
by the behaviour of those to whom we are most attached. Emotional, sexual, or
physical abuse or neglect in our early years, or past and current relationships
can breakdown our capacity to trust another, particularly when abuse or neglect
occurred by someone who we expected to be a source of safety and security for
us. At other times, betrayals and emotional injuries arising from a perceived
lack of support from our relationship can also alter our sense of the other
person’s reliability, dependability, and trustworthiness. Sexual and emotional
affairs, betrayals, and emotional injuries in close couple relationships also
erode and create serious ruptures to the attachment bond between partners.
These types of emotional injuries in our family of origin and our relationships
with friends and partners can leave emotional residue. These injuries then
become triggers that are activated in our relationships and that block us from
feeling safe and secure with others.
We help you to learn how to trust again in the aftermath of
different types of incidents that have eroded your trust in
relationships.
The Relationship and Sex Therapy Service at CFIR offers
clients comprehensive assessment, psychotherapy, and counselling to address a
wide range of relationship and/or sexual issues for both individuals and
couples. In terms of treatment, we offer individual, couple, and group therapy
to help you to develop stronger relationships, heal relationship injuries,
improve or add new relationship skills (e.g., communication, problem-solving
and negotiation skills), and address sexual issues that interfere with sexual
satisfaction and fulfilment, regardless of sexual orientation.
Read more about our Relationship & Sex Therapy
Treatment Service.
