Your life was difficult. Comparing yourself to other people is going to get you more of the same pain. You're invalidating what you experienced.

That is why I have a hard time with gratitude. People sometimes use gratitude to invalidate my pain--see, you should be grateful you don't have what John/Jane Doe has, or deals with. Does it help? Of course not.

If your T is saying that you're denying wanting to feel safe with him or get attention from him--it's not his place to say that. He should be supporting you no matter what you're feeling. It almost sounds like he WANTS you to give him that.