BETRAYAL TRAUMA

In our work with music industry professionals, we encounter the need to process and heal from personal and professional betrayals that come up in the course of creative endeavors. These can be acute betrayals from dishonesty or more subtle disappointments stemming from the ebb and flow of professional interest and fan support. Other times, misalignment between band members, managers, producers and others involved in professional support can contribute to actual or perceived betrayals. 

In the wake of a betrayal in the industry, artists often feel unsafe and alone in their work. Anger and fear can be turned inward, resulting in hate and shame about the parts of themselves that hold their dream and vision clearly, pushing them forward to take the risks needed to put their art into the world. After these experiences, engaging in creative endeavors can feel masochistic resulting 

• Disillusionment with creative collaborators and others 

• Increased self doubt and mitigated risk taking

• Distrust and instability in current relationships 

• Trouble with follow through and completing tasks; stalling out on creative endeavors 

• Hopelessness

• Isolation

Industry counseling work involves emotional processing of the trauma, exploring its connection to previous betrayals and how it often results in relationship fall outs after collaborations. For example, after a long period of tension in their relationship due to differing time allotments for their movie script and disagreements on key character arcs, David and Alex elected to end their 3 year collaboration as writing partners. Subsequently, David had trouble even opening up the document to look at the script and started avoiding film forums and settings where he would run into other writers they had in common. Ultimately, the project languished because ownership splits were never negotiated. 

It also is pragmatic, focusing on the immediate aftermath and practical tools for moving forward. We help our clients envision and work towards building relationships based on lessons learned – assessing for good fit and values congruence / red flags while setting healthy boundaries and taking responsibility for any part they played in previous relationship breakdowns. The work includes reaffirming a sense of self and artistic vision and reconnecting to the original impulse behind their creative endeavors – often zooming out to look at different phases and chapters in their career, recognizing the positive role each relationship has played in their life and incorporating the good from the experiences. Past experiences interfere with trust in self, others, and faith in life and getting conscious is essential.