perhaps tell your mom you're going to try therapy, but you'd like to handle it on your own at first. that gets some of the pressure off.

my first session when i talked to my therapist and basically told her how terrified i was to do this and spent most of the rest of the time crying, she suggested the next time we meet, why not meet at a cafe and have coffee together. we did that, and it was such a 'normal' setting it made it incredibly easier to start getting to know her well enough to open up to her.

and another thing that really helped me, she would often tell me some funny thing her kids had done, or what she and her hubby had done on the weekend. it put us into a "friendship" relationship rather than "doctor-patient".

i don't know if it's against the rules, but after years of going to therapists and barely being able to say anything, it just bloomed and took off from there.

but one thing is important, you must find one you "click" with. if you get someone who makes you feel uncomfortable (other than the fact that you're going to the psych) personally, it'll be much harder