> How do you cope with the strong feelings of being rejected when you are baring your soul ?

Well... I have two strategies. One of them is to try and talk to him about how I'm feeling. I can't really talk about it in person (too embarrassed / humiliated / ashamed). I typically send him an email and then REFUSE to acknowledge it in person...

Another strategy... Is to take extra special gentle care of myself. Sometimes the feelings of fear are really just so very intense that I feel physically ill. Sometimes that is kind of a signal from my body that I need to be really careful with myself. Maybe... Slow down a little.

One thing that can happen when people start therapy is that they really throw themselves into it a little too quickly too fast. Basically... Trust takes time. It takes time for us to get to have some basic feelings of trust that our therapist will be there. Only time will tell. If we push ourself to trust them before we know that they really will be there over time, sometimes our body can react to that, yeah.

Nothing risked, nothing gained. You really should be commended for taking some risks in telling your therapist stuff that is hard. That IS the way to get better. But that being said, the therapy relationship is ANOTHER way to get better. And the therapy relationship simply does take time. There is no short-cutting that.

Maybe... You could ease off a little? Talk about things that are hard, yeah. But maybe talk about things that are a little bit hard instead of the things that are truly terrifying?

If you talk to your therapist about this then it might be that your therapist can try and help with setting the pace. There is meant to be a 'theraputic window' where therapy is most effective. There need to be risks, yes. But those risks shouldn't be overwhelming.

Some of the things I do to cope:

Self soothing - take extra special gentle care of myself. Give myself inward hugs and kind and soothing words of reassurance. Take a bubblebath. Treat myself to a novel.

Distraction - try and focus my attention on something other than my thoughts / feelings. How birds sound. How running water feels. Go for a run. Watch some TV.

Hang in there.