I’m keeping mine secret from my parents, or mum at least, because when I split with my ex I mentioned wanting to try therapy because I’d felt like something was wrong with me, and she basically shamed me out of going, saying I’d been leading him on, etc, if I felt bad it was my own fault and that I’d hurt him. This coming from someone who took me to see a psychiatrist with no prior discussion when I was a teenager (her cover story was that it was ‘follow up from speech and language therapist’... ok, sounds plausible, but I’d seen that person in middle school at the latest. I was in college by this time. That’s a LONG time to wait before checking up on a client!).

Only the last bit of criticism she threw at me over my break up was true; he was hurt, and I was sorry for that, but she has no real idea how I feel inside romantic relationships. I thought it would be different that time, but no. I was struggling to make things work and just hoping my awful feelings would eventually subside (emotional numbness, panic attacks, gaslighting myself etc) until I just couldn’t do it any more. I never explained it in depth to her because I feared she would try to invalidate what I was saying. I do love her in my own way, but beginning to realise she maybe doesn’t have my back 100%.
My sister in law knows I’m having sessions, though, and she is supportive, which I’m grateful for.
Lastly, I’m starting to wish I had started therapy back then in spite of what mum said. Current T has been great so far, but I regret that it took me this long to try and do anything about my issues.