Relationship is such a core part of therapy. My clients have usually had relationships tarnished in a multitude of ways. One of them being that they have not been validated in their experiences. Those close to them have diminished, not believed, excused, or ignored their experience. Sharing difficult feelings or experiences is hard as is, to then not be validated or believed makes that process so discouraging. It often leads to feelings of wanting to shut down and not trust or be vulnerable again.