I have not reacted the way my T expected me to when talking about certain things. The first time I talked to her about my family's neglect, I had no reaction. She was surprised and confused. But then we started talking about my dad and I started tearing up. She responded by saying "there's the reaction I was looking for" and asked what the difference was...

And laughter is a defense mechanism? Sometimes things are just too much to feel that laughter lightens it up. When my mom got out of surgery, she wasn't doing good. Instead of crying, I was joking are trying to make everyone feel better. It worked...I got everyone to laugh even the woman sharing the room

You can try having your T not look at you. You can ask her to shut off the lights. My T suggested these techniques when I have difficulty talking about something. It really helps. I also don't loom at her. She's always making direct eye contact and I feel even more guilty admitting things to her when she looks at me.