I'm trying to think of what he actually said. Ah, right: He said how I can be difficult to give feedback to because of how I react. So he feels that at times, he can't really say anything or I'll react poorly. Which of course didn't feel good--it felt like he was being critical of me (which I guess he was!). But then it led to a discussion of how I tend to be that way in my outside life, too. And why--messages from childhood, fear of rejection, anxiety, etc.

It was painful, but ended up being an important discussion. Because I do need to be able to take feedback and criticism at times (whether work-related, from H, etc.). Just shutting down isn't a practical or productive way to handle it. It didn't magically lead to a change, but just identifying and talking about things can help sometimes.

He was also trying to emphasize how I can do something that bothers him, that he can provide feedback but that doesn't mean he's going to abandon me. I forget whether it was that session or another one, but he also said how both his wife and son had already irritated him that day (our session was in the morning), and he imagined he'd probably irritated them even more. But that the relationships are OK.