What Every Practitioner Needs to Know About Post Betrayal Syndrome®

Life, Health, Business, Leadership and Relationship Coaches:
You’ve seen it in your practice: clients who are intelligent, accomplished, even self-aware—but still stuck in old patterns they can’t seem to break.

They want to trust again… but can’t.
They want to move forward… but something invisible keeps pulling them back.
They say, “This happened years ago, I should be over it by now.”
They want to climb the corporate ladder but can’t seem to get over that block that’s stopping them.
They want to increase their confidence but all of your tried and true strategies aren’t working for them.
They’re managing symptoms that just don’t seem to get better.

It’s likely that here’s why:

They’re likely struggling with Post Betrayal Syndrome® (PBS®)—a specific, identifiable condition with physical, mental, and emotional symptoms that develop in the wake of betrayal.

And unless you’re trained to recognize and work with it, they may never get the transformation they’re searching for.

What Is Betrayal Trauma—and Why It’s Different

Most practitioners are trained to look for trauma from events like abuse, accidents, death, or disaster. But there’s a different kind of trauma that’s often overlooked: betrayal—when someone the client trusted and depended on violates that trust.

This could be:

A partner’s affair
A parent who abandoned them emotionally
A friend who lied
A business partner who crossed a line

It’s not just the action—it’s who did it that causes such deep wounds.

When the people we count on the most are the ones who hurt us, it shatters our worldview, sense of safety, and identity. It’s not “just” emotional pain—it’s a full-body, full-system breakdown.

What Is Post Betrayal Syndrome®?

In my PhD study on how we experience betrayal, I discovered something groundbreaking: that betrayal creates a unique collection of symptoms so common, it deserved its own name.

Post Betrayal Syndrome® (PBS®) refers to the physical, mental, and emotional fallout that results from betrayal. It affects:

The nervous system
Cognitive clarity
Emotional regulation
Relationship capacity
Even the body’s ability to heal

Here are just a few data points from over 100,000 participants who took the Post Betrayal Syndrome® Quiz:

84% have an inability to trust
67% prevent themselves from forming deep relationships
90% want to move forward, but don’t know how
People are still struggling decades later—35, 40 years after the betrayal

What This Means for You as a Practitioner

Here’s the hard truth: most practitioners aren’t trained to spot betrayal trauma. So clients spend years in therapy or coaching, learning to cope—but not heal.

They’re taught to manage symptoms, not address the root. They’re given mindset tools, but not a map out of betrayal’s grip.

If you don’t know how to recognize Post Betrayal Syndrome®, it’s easy to mislabel what you’re seeing as:

Commitment issues
Low self-worth
Relationship anxiety
Depression
“Just stress”

But in reality, many of these clients are stuck in Stage 3 of the 5 Stages from Betrayal to Breakthrough—survival mode. And they’ll stay there unless someone (you) can guide them through the full healing process.

Why This Work Matters

When I experienced betrayal firsthand, I was shocked at how little was available to truly help me heal. That’s what led me to dive into a PhD program where I conducted a study which ultimately created a proven, research-based method for healing betrayal.

Now, the PBT® (Post Betrayal Transformation) Certification Program trains practitioners like you to do what so few can:
Identify, navigate, and help clients heal betrayal trauma at the root.

You’ll learn:

The Five Stages from Betrayal to Breakthrough
How to spot Post Betrayal Syndrome® in your clients
How to guide them through each Stage—physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually
How to build a niche in betrayal recovery that sets you apart professionally

This is more than another modality. It’s a movement—one that’s helping people all over the world finally find the relief and transformation they’ve been seeking.

Your Clients Are Waiting for This

If you’ve ever felt like something was missing in your approach—like you were helping your clients some, but not getting to the real root—this may be the answer.

Join me for an info-packed masterclass on Tuesday, July 15th (recordings available for those registered).

Know it’s right for you?
Become a Certified PBT® Practitioner and lead your clients from heartbreak to healing.
Learn more and get certified here.

Dr. Debi Silber, Founder and CEO of The PBT (Post Betrayal Transformation) Institute and National Forgiveness Day is a WBENC-Certified WBE (Women’s Business Enterprise), an award-winning speaker, bestselling author, holistic psychologist, a health, mindset and personal development expert who helps (along with her incredibly gifted Certified PBT-Post Betrayal Transformation Coaches and Practitioners) a predictable, proven multi-pronged approach to help people heal (physically, mentally and emotionally) from the trauma of shattered trust and betrayal.