I think this is why the thing here (at pc) is, if you can't say something supportive, don't say anything at all. And why ts practice unconditional positive regard. I'm not saying comb or don't comb - to me, that's not important. What IS important is showing the client respect and positive regard. Therapy is the place for yucky or otherwise socially unacceptable feelings to be expressed, otherwise I will express them at the wrong time in the wrong company, and end up alone. Waddya know, that's where I am now.

Also, I think this ties in with monalisa's question of how honest or congruent is your t. A t has to be able to keep a question like this open and on the table in order to explore what it means to the client, maybe without giving the client a direct yes or no answer right away. Is that being dishonest, or is that just a t doing their job?

Give a man a fish, and he'll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, blah blah. Tell a man to just accept he can't have any fish? Sounds like trouble!