When both therapist and patient have shared the experiences of living in contexts of extreme and continuous trauma, the effects of this will be woven into their relationship and their work together both at a conscious and an unconscious level. This paper explores these effects in the sensitive and insightful case studies presented by Castillo and Cordal as they struggle to come to terms with the aftermath on the dictatorship in Chile. Parallels are drawn with work in South Africa both during and after Apartheid.