Hi Joanna — I’m so sorry you’ve had a negative experience in therapy. I wish I could say it is an unusual experience but it is not. Therapy is also a relationship and sometimes it takes a few tries to find a trauma informed therapist who is more nurturing. I, however, do believe that these situations happen after being in difficult and often traumatic situations to give us the opportunity to stand up for ourselves. “No,” is a complete sentence and does end up a part of the healing journey down the road. Our perceptions will be clouded for a long time until real healing work is done and sometimes that work happens outside a traditional therapist’s office. Only you know what is right for you and you should feel free to walk away from a therapist who is not a good fit. Only a high level, trauma informed therapist will have the tools to navigate such a complicated relationship history and you should trust what it is you need.