I'm not sure where it began. I wanted a hug from her from the start, and was able to talk about that. I also wanted her to sit beside me and was able to say that. I talked about wishing I'd had someone to guide me, comfort me, encourage me, then and now. She encouraged me to talk about anything and everything, including fantasies, and after a while I could do that. I shared childhood fantasies of being adopted by another family, usually a teacher, and how my family probably would miss me but not for long, they'd be okay. I share dreams with her no matter how weird or brief they are, too.

I know intellectually she can't be the perfect mother. But I have argued with her that I don't get past it because it just makes absolute perfect sense to me that it should be healing to receive now what I didn't receive then, and what's made me the way I am now (not totally, but majorly). It makes sense like feeding a hungry person heals the gnawing hunger in her belly.

You could bring it up in general terms by telling your therapist that you talked about it here.

Sometimes I have to begin by saying "I have something to tell you, but I don't know how to begin" and that seems to be the ice-breaker because then I can get to it. And she's prepared too, because.... well, lol, I've just prepared her.