I'm really not sure why the stereotype persists that addressing childhood history in therapy means ignoring the present, or that addressing difficult situations means ignoring strengths. I know some therapists make those mistakes, but it's not inevitable.

My experience of discussing my childhood in psychoanalytic therapy has been that it's largely about making flexible connections between then and now, no tunnel vision on the past. Open exploration, not blame--I've always been encouraged to remember and discuss joys and triumphs as much as sorrows and traumas, though of course often those aren't straightforward categories. And getting a realistic picture of one's triumphs means having a realistic assessment of what you went through to get where you are.