#Deep link to this FAQ question
The relationship between a service provider and the individual they’re working with is the key factor for engagement and successful outcomes. Trust is an essential element in every relationship, but particularly with those who have experienced sex trafficking. Gaining trust can be complex and hard-earned. This is understandable considering the repetitive experiences of manipulation, lies and broken promises survivors may have experienced at the hands of those they trusted. It's the responsibility of the service provider to earn that trust by establishing transparency, stability and dependability.
Harm reduction is an important piece. This involves ensuring you do no harm. Patience, collaboration, compassion, consistent engagement and non-judgmental support will be necessary to nurture the relationship and help the individual you’re supporting feel safe to work through their past experiences and future goals with you.
Safety plan creation is a critical aspect of harm reduction. Safety plans are developed through ongoing discussions with the survivor. It’s a matter of consistently checking in about what they’re currently experiencing, how they’re feeling about it, offering opportunities to weigh pros and cons, and support change that can lead to positive outcomes for them.
Reflective practice can also be of great value. Guiding survivors to reflect upon their situations, needs and goals is an important exercise to support their journeys.
Reflective practice is also valuable for service providers. By nature of the role of helping someone, a service provider’s relationship with a survivor is inherently an imbalance of power. If left unchecked, what may begin as a well-intentioned desire to help may shift to a desire to “rescue,” which can supersede the needs and goals of the person you are supporting. This harms the individual by silencing their voice and suppressing their agency. It can mirror the aggressor-victim dynamic they had with others in their experiences of trauma.
Supervisors and team members can also play a role in supporting reflective practice by encouraging discussions around the steps taken to support survivors when reviewing cases or during debriefs.
Authentic relationships necessitate respect for autonomy, and while it may be challenging for staff to refrain from intervening, it's at these times that trust and genuineness of the relationship can flourish.