Therapy has a way of turning up all the things that have hurt you and you didn't know how to deal with. Once you are able to deal with those things and put them behing you, you will be stronger than ever before, but, yes, the process really can hurt sometimes. I'm finding out that I don't have any interpersonal skills, which isn't entirely news to me, but I didn't know I was that bad.

I relate about the parents too. My parents had their ideas about what we could and couldn't do. They said that my sister was the academic one, and I was more talented in music, but then not enough to actually be good at it. My sister had their support and went through medical school and is a psychiatrist. I struggled to get through college with no support, or even much contact with my family, only to give up when I didn't get into graduate school, and not graduate even though I had fulfilled all the requirements. I went back and finished my B.A. last year (after 12 years out of school), but I'm waiting a bit before trying for graduate school again (was rejected again last year - I think my chances are better now, but will be still better after working for a while, and my T thinks I should wait too).

A couple of quotes about parents, and about success:

(this first one is painful for me)
A mother is someone who dreams great dreams for you, yet accepts the dreams you dream for yourself, and always loves you just the way you are.

(and one that's more encouraging)
Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.
-Mark Twain

It would have been nice if all of our parents had been like they should have been, but we can't change the past. All we can do is know what we would like for parents to be like, and try to be that ourselves.