Therapists are not like real-life relationships, and it's probably something to keep in mind. Therapists, like it or not, are paid to sit and keep us in their undivided focus. Their job is to listen to our problems and perhaps provide feedback and support (depending on what we use them for). They have no real personal stake in our lives. They aren't related to us, so they aren't actually part of our real-life story. They (hopefully) have a skill set that involves active listening, objectivity, and positive regard.

Our families and friends are none of the above. They are part of our history with very clear biases about us and they are going to let us know about them. They are going to be real with us whether we like it or not because those relationships are not paid and not professional; they are personal. The personal boundaries and family dynamics are very different than those with a paid therapist. Our family and friends generally don't want to be our therapist, and quite honestly, I don't want to be theirs either. I'll listen and support family and friends to a point, but there is a point at which some things are just too much. It's important to remember those limitations. It isn't because they don't necessarily care, but often is more about really having their own limitations about how much they can personally ingest of other people's baggage.