When Trust Goes Missing: A Clinical Guide

Trust underpins every decision that we make. Typically, we will trust our partners to be faithful and to tell the truth. We will trust our friends to keep a confidence. We trust pilots and mechanics to keep planes flying, and we trust governments, banks and commercial business to act in our best interests. Meanwhile, in the virtual world, we are increasingly obliged to trust our decisions online… But when trust goes missing, life becomes hard. We suddenly doubt ourselves and those around us. We assume mistrust, and we question everything. We become sceptical and cynical. Without trust, life can be a very lonely, tiring, and negative experience. So how do we manage trust, and how can we make trust work for us?In this book, clinical psychologist Chris Skellett lays out a practical framework for trust, in which all common psychological problems can be seen at least in part as disorders of trust. He describes ‘Three Domains of Trust’ that are necessary for us to live confident and fulfilling lives: •Trust in Oneself (to be confident and effective)•Trust in Others (to be honest and supportive) and•Trust in the World around us (to be predictable and safe) We are shown how to develop a Personal Trust Profile, and we are invited to reflect on whether we trust too much or too little in life. We also learn practical strategies to re-install trust when trust goes missing.Using simple examples from everyday life, this book brings clarity to a complex issue, and provides a clear template to help us all build more resilient lives based on trust.