@monsterlovatic

Hi Bri, I am so sorry that you suffer from these flashbacks. It is not easy to go to a therapist and I admire you for this. I do understand how difficult it is to confide in someone you do not know. If you do not trust them yet, I would suggest you tell your therapist that you need some time before opening up, this way you are setting a foundation for a healthy therapeutic relationship. Also, keep in mind that it sometimes happens that you do not match with the therapist.

The reason why your therapist is trying to make you talk in detail about it is because it has been shown in research that when a person experiences trauma, they feel very strong emotions and because it is too difficult to handle it often a person avoids it (thinking about it, talking about it...). However, in the long term, it prolongs the suffering as it prevents our brain to process the whole thing that happened. Therefore, what your therapist is trying to do is allow your brain to fully process it that will make it easier for you to cope with it. If you are interested about getting more information on how this works it is called (emotional) desensitization.

I hope my answer helps.

Take care