Denial

Denial is refusing to accept an obvious part of reality. A person, even with the evidence before them, ignores it to protect themselves from the pain they would feel if they accepted it; they say 'I don't have that problem' or 'you're exaggerating'. Denial lightens the burden of suddenly facing an unbearable truth, but it also makes approaching the problem impossible. A truth that is not seen cannot be worked on. The coach does not try to break this defense; they build a safe space in which the client can approach the truth at their own pace and when they are ready.