My private therapist will say things like, "That makes me very sad," or, "That's upsetting." I don't mind it, and I think I would dislike talking to someone who seemed totally unaffected by what I was saying. I know I have a tendency to tell her about something sad and then joke about it because I feel uncomfortable. I guess expressing those emotions is her way of validating my experiences.

My university therapist is a bit more vocal about it. She has also said, multiple times, that she is angry on my behalf, and that she wants me to be angry, too. She often tells me what I should be feeling, which I guess I need to hear because I've just shut those feelings off. I blame myself for everything, so I struggle to direct feelings of anger at something outside of myself. Generally, if my uni therapist feels something, she'll say it. It doesn't bother me that she expresses her feelings, but it is often hard for me to stomach all that compassion because I'm not used to it and don't believe I deserve it.