My counselor is a male and I am a female, and we do our counseling over the phone.
Once, the counselor asked me to do an imagery exercise, and the image of a snake popped into my head. Since I remembered that snakes often represent representational aspects in weekly dream interpretations, I felt a bit embarrassed all of a sudden.
I can't help but think of snakes again in this consultation, and I'm still a little uncomfortable.
It's a good thing the counselor didn't seem particularly concerned about this detail.
I'm not quite sure what snakes usually symbolize in counseling, so it's a bit scary and awkward...and as a result, I've been purposely avoiding talking to my counselor about anything sexually related and trying to stay as far away as possible from that kind of content.
Hello dear! Thank you so much for your willingness to share your distress and for coming to ask for help.
In counseling, if you deliberately avoid sex-related topics, it often means that a trusting relationship between you and your counselor has not yet been fully established, and that you are not yet completely comfortable opening yourself up.
When we develop deep trust in a person, we will naturally feel safe in their presence. Especially in counseling situations, once you have established a solid, trusting relationship with your counselor, it is much easier to open up because you feel fully accepted and understood, and this sense of safety allows you to dare to face any topic.
The fact that you can now realize that you are avoiding it is an improvement in itself. You should know that this avoidance is actually a manifestation of psychological defense, a very common self-protection mechanism. When the counseling relationship is safe enough, you will naturally let down your guard and stop avoiding those sensitive topics. Only when you open your heart completely can you truly reach your subconscious and realize your inner growth, which is the key to the effectiveness of counseling.
So don't rush and don't beat yourself up or feel guilty about your avoidant behavior right now. This is a normal stage in the counseling process, and you'll get more comfortable as the relationship deepens.
I'm Lilly the Little Earther from the Answer House, and the world and I love you.
