This is a really tough question! But it's a great question!

I read on a blog once that "Trust is an action based on love."

That's really stuck with me as a good way to view trust. (By love, I believe the blog's author meant a respectful "do no harm to a fellow human being" type love.)

I guess in terms of t, I trust that she "loves" me in the sense that she has my best interests at heart and she demonstrates that through the actions in our sessions. Sometimes that "love" means pushing hard or being brutally honest because that is what is in my best interest at the time. Sometimes it means providing the soft landing when I am emotionally crashing. In return, I demonstrate "love" (trust) of t by being honest, working towards opening up, and by respecting the boundaries of the therapy relationship.

I am starting to find the same is true in other relationships also. When I am having a hard time trusting someone it is because either my or their actions were not based on love (or in some cases I mistakenly perceive their actions weren't based on love). I suppose the same also applies when I am having a difficult time trusting myself. That is when my actions toward myself aren't based on love of myself.