Hi Valis and welcome to the forums!

I too have depression and my family know nothing of it because of their reaction last time. I agree that what family tells us is very important because it can help our own acceptance of our condition. If our diagnosis of depression is met with disbelief and denial amongst family members, it's bound to hamper our own acceptance. To be told that you're over reacting to things, thinking too negatively, etc etc, can just increase self-doubt and self-denial. I go from one day believing that I do have depression and that it is affecting my life, to other days telling myself that I'm just lazy and it's all in my mind and that I'm making it up and that there is nothing wrong with me really. No doubt if I knew my diagnosis would be met with understanding from my family rather than being told to pull myself together, it would be easier for both myself and my family to accept my depression and deal with it. Instead, I hide it and pretend I'm ok.

I'm glad your family is accepting of you looking for therapy. That should help you enormously, and might help them deal with your depression if it is validated by somebody professional. Perhaps you should suggest they too go into therapy ...