Trauma Bonding and Gaslighting – Provider Guidance for Labor Trafficking

This two-page handout provides information to help providers recognize and respond to gaslighting and trauma bonding in labor trafficking contexts. It defines how “love” can be used as a tool for recruitment, control, and coercion, and explains why survivors may feel loyalty or attachment even after harm, and offers trauma-informed practice guidance for providers. The resource emphasizes validating survivors’ realities, avoiding shame or urgency, and anchoring conversations in safety, choice, and healthy love.