Hi, everyone. I've been debating for awhile whether I should go into therapy or not.

The rational side of me says yes, because therapy could help me with my depression, OCD, anxiety/phobia issues, and low self-esteem. Also, I think a good therapist could do some life coaching and help me reach my goals. For those reasons alone, it sounds like a great idea.

However, there are certain issues I just flat-out don't want to discuss with a therapist. I don't want to forgive the people who've betrayed or otherwise hurt me badly in the past (as I suspect a therapist might encourage me to do), and I don't want to stop mourning or crying over a lost loved one (my dog--which, I suspect, would be viewed as abnormal by many people) just because her death was awhile ago.

So, what I'm wondering is, can I go to a therapist for the issues I am willing to confront and deal with, and avoid the other issues? Or will this person insist on trying to dig deeper, whether I want them to or not? I'm reminded of being sent to the school counselor as a little girl--because of separation anxiety--and barely talking to her about anything because I didn't want to be there. I could definitely see myself freezing up or just refusing to talk about those things if I went back into therapy again...It's not like those emotions are completely bottled up inside, but they come out in my lyrics and writing, and I'm in an online grief support group as well. I just don't like talking about them with people in general.