I'm getting a strong countertransference vibe here. That he wants to protect/save you and is losing some objectivity because of it. And, like Susannah mentioned, if he's not that experienced in dealing with DV, he might not realize that his current approach isn't helpful.


And I agree that you need to work on the underlying issues first. If he gets hung up on your leaving the situation and pushes that above all else...then how will that help you? It would be different if you came into session and said, "OK, I need to leave, help me do that." But it seems he's dictating what you should do. When you might not be at that place yet (and maybe you'll never be there).