Help Therapy and Repression

[RosebyAnyName]

I'm considering trying therapy again, however I really struggle with being authentic. My experiences with therapy is that I heavily minimize my problems, and then the therapist will tell me that I'm actually doing really well and even that I could be a therapist myself. Obviously that's not true given that I'm posting on this forum, I've just gotten really good at masking my struggles.

And yet, I feel like if I actually expressed myself authentically, I'd just get angry / unstable as everything I've been repressing starts bubbling back up to the surface. Or, the therapist would tell me something I don't want to hear (even if it's true) and I'd shut down.

What's a way to overcome this? Do I just have to build a relationship with the therapist in question to confirm I can "trust" them first? What's the right balance between a therapist that isn't pushing hard enough to lead to progress, and one that's too invasive?

 

[dinosavr]

I'd start with telling your therapist what you said here. They should be able to help you express what you really feel. And it's definitely important that they know you tend to minimize your problems. They obviously cannot read your mind, but still, if you find a good therapist, they will know how to deal with it!

 

[Forever Sleep]

I haven't had much experience with therapy myself but, like dinosavr just said- I would have thought that telling them that part of the problem is how well you tend to mask problems is a good start. That way, they may start to ask better questions to go deeper or, make you feel more comfortable to express what you need to. Good luck. I hope it helps- if you choose to do it.

 

[hurting]

They are actually educated for this reaction from patients. You may have to go through several therapists before you find one that works well with you.