How long were you seeing this therapist? This sounds like abandonment issues, also known as inner child work? Or depth work. Also it could make a difference for the kind of therapist you see. A counselor vs a psychotherapist - if you google that, it will explain it. I feel like ive gotten over my abandonment stuff to the point where im not completely miserable all the time, but im still not able to take good care of myself and be as hsppy and productive as id like to be. Its like of , minus, zero, positive - im still hovering around zero. Still being IN your abandonment issues definitely feels like minus, but they are really feelings from the past. I can "hear" my mother saying, "if you let the past bother you now, you really are stupid!" Well, then yes im stupid, so sue me. But it feels like a part of me. And im pretty sure i didnt put it there myself.