I felt very ashamed of myself in the immediate aftermath of the crying, because crying is something that is implied to be shameful in my family. But once I was able to come to terms with the fact that I did cry, and that my therapist comforted me instead of making me feel bad about it, I realised just how healing the whole experience had actually been. I cried, and at the time it actually felt safe to do so, even if I was overcome by the usual shame after I had pulled myself together. I needed time to process it, I suppose. I'm so glad it played out the way it did, I really needed that experience. I need to learn that tears are a healthy emotional response, not something that makes me "bad" or "wrong" or similar.