Sometimes gently does it. Sometimes people have this notion that in order to work at therapy they need to go along with all these problems. Or that in order to work at therapy they need to tell all kinds of stuff. A lot of people have a lot of different preconceptions of what therapy is supposed to be about and what 'working at therapy' consists in.

Sometimes people push themselves a bit much. I know I do sometimes. I know I've pushed myself a bit much when I open up stuff and am really plagued by it through the week. Or if I really really really don't want to go back.

I think therapy can be something of a dance. Sharing something intimate and hard, then backing off a little and sharing a joke and / or a smile. I think it is about the relationship, too, as DePressMe said. The thing to do is to go along and say that you really didn't want to go along. To say that you worried that your therapist wasn't responding well to what you were saying, or that you were scared that they didn't like you or whatever.

Therapy is hard sometimes. Sometimes the most meaningful / theraputic moments come unexpectedly. When we are vulnerable and say that we are ashamed of something and when we receive a kind and empathetic smile. Maybe the thing to do is to slow down. Take some time to build trust and be gentle with yourself.