This is true, my therapist tells me I'm the one who's making all the progress here not her. They only show you the way, I'm sure you've heard this before "lead a horse to water but can't make it drink" this is true. I think focusing too much on the past doesn't help, during the first month of my therapy that's all we talked about was my traumatic past. Then we started focusing on coping skills, and trying to remember some positive things about my past. Every session I remember something else traumatic that happened in the past that we discuss, also talk about current issues that I'm trying to deal with etc.

I also look forward to going to therapy meetings, and think its better off if you just write down what it is you are brooding over instead of obsessing over it in your brain. Keeping all those thoughts in your mind will only serve to drag you down. Putting them down on paper then getting on with the rest of your life seems to be the better option in my case anyways. I bring a sheet of traumatic events every time I come to therapy and we discuss as many as we can in one session. When the meeting is done I destroy the paper, symbolizing that that part of my past is no longer weighing me down. Talking about the trauma/thinking about the trauma is triggering.