Interpersonal trauma – trauma the occurs within a personal relationship – is a relational trauma.

Relational Impacts of Trauma we discuss:

Survivors may not have had good role models as children for what constitutes a healthy relationship and/or they may not have received any   instruction about them. To the contrary, they likely learned all about toxic relationships.

• Survivors had their self-worth stripped from them, so they don’t feel they deserve happy relationships. 

• Survivors struggle with establishing trust – with others and with themselves.

• Relational dysfunction and trauma often lead to co-dependence as an adult. 

• Survivors often adopt their afamily’s unhealthy world view, which colors their thoughts and belief about relationships. 

• Black and white thinking limits a survivor’s interpretations of relationships.