I don't know, I get this sense therapy has a "hold on a minute" attitude and keeps me stuck, god dam**t
It is kind of invalidating. For example, I say person 1 is [insert negative-considered bad abusive trait here], and then the session ends up with "That person may not be that bad", or "That person may have some good sides to them"
While this gives an eased feeling particularly from stress, it completely and utterly invalidates my experiences!
It's kind of to say "Surely they weren't that bad". It's still a process, but I already talked about it with the therapist (about the whole invalidation process). I always feel drained, this is the third time. While I can feel better, it's nothing but a comforting feeling, and not some embracing of the core truth and toughening up. Manning up, so to speak, to see the world for what it is and grow from it. To be invalidated despite direct talks about it - while comforting I have to say it's absolutely disgusting

I want to particularly hear from men about this. No problem with women, but particularly men

[CantExplain]

It does sound invalidating. And it also sounds like your T is having trouble seeing your point of view.

If your T reflexly opposes everything you say, it's not going to work.

But I'm really serious, I'm wondering if therapy is always like this.
They can sometimes agree, validate and understand your situations, but there are just those moments when they ask you "Maybe they meant X", or "Maybe they X", or whatever.
I want a therapist to fully trust me. For example, if I say I don't like being called "cute" by my mother, I don't want to hear a "Maybe that's her way of expressing love". I want to hear that meaningful "Yes, you are right because you do not like it, hence I will give you the tools to deal with it"

[Middlemarcher]

You may find a T who will make you feel more validated. But I doubt you will find a T who always agrees with you and never challenges your perceptions. If that is what you want, you might be best off saying so, and asking the T if that is something they feel they can do. Then you will know up-front.

[Middlemarcher]

I was also thinking that the therapist’s theoretical orientation and training would probably make a big difference here. Cognitive behavioral therapy, for example, is very big on challenging one’s perceptions, so that would be a problem. Psychodynamic therapists as a whole are probably better at making a client feel validated. I suspect that therapists with specific interest and training in trauma are some of the best in this area.

I still don't understand why a therapist has to reflexively oppose the client
I will further say the therapist was rather very manipulative, turning me into the "bad guy", and the others into the "good guys".
Therapists are full of s*** at times, and I'm just through with it. I've accepted sarcastic nods of empathy and it was my fault. That was the start of the slippery slope. I was just so desperate, and with that too trusting