This is an interesting point and reminds me of something I thought about you, LT, many times. How tolerant and accepting you are on this forum. You post a lot about your therapy and in great detail, and people often challenge you and criticize your T in many ways - and you seem to be so unfazed by it, always respond respectfully etc. This is actually one of the features I personally like about you here because it allows for discussing many different perspectives and also for us to communicate quite directly with you. I think usually this kind of open-minded, tolerant attitude is either a sign of suppressing stronger/negative emotional reactions (often for the sake of wanting to fit in and be accepted by others) or a sign of very strong (maybe too strong) rational, cognitive preference in someone (I tend to fall within the latter, for example).

Interestingly, you now have a T who likes to be very direct as well, but with him you definitely have strong emotional reactions to things he says and how it is phrased, and discussing that is a major part of your therapy, including that he is trying to actually guide you to tune down the strong reactions and anxiety! So you definitely don't seem unfazed by stuff but in a social environment like this forum, you seem to self-regulate it very strongly. And here comes why I found feileacan's point about rage interesting - I also wonder if expressing that more freely would be beneficial for you? As you know, I like your T, but he definitely does not seem like a person who would welcome or even allow that without turning it into a more rational discussion. I personally understand how that works because I am the same way - can experience my anger and frustration internally quite intensely and use it constructively as a motivational force, but it is always transformed when it comes out, however strongly. Transformed into a much more rational kind of assertiveness. Not because I care so much about what everyone thinks about me, more because that is just how my mind works naturally, can't even interact easily otherwise. You don't seem that way though, this is why I wonder if perhaps practicing a more emotional kind of assertiveness would be beneficial for you? From what I have seen, people who tend to suppress aggressive impulses for the sake of fitting in and being liked usually have at least a deep-seated, ambivalent desire to find someone who would be able to take the aggression well and not reject them for it. It is not easy to find such a person though, T or anyone. It seems like some people on this forum have found those kinds of Ts and get a lot out of working with them in that way. It definitely takes a T who practices a more psychodynamic type approach I believe and actually have the personality for that type of work.