Problem: Confessional poetry must feel honest and as if something difficult is being revealed. Writing about difficult subjects will move your writing forward exponentially. This is not for the sake of therapy, but for the sake of breaking down barriers in your own mind about writing that often you don't even realize exists.
Modern confessional poetry could be said to teach by example, even if the writer is presenting the worst side of oneself, there is the idea that the truth is instructive. Confessional writers have chosen to look to the materials of their own lives in order to find a coherent framework to construct a personal mythology. A good confessional shapes, selects, and interprets what the poet "confesses". What marks their work is the frankly personal tone of the metaphors used, as well as the images, symbols, events and characters. So-called taboo subjects such as mental illness, alcoholism, abuse, personal problems, sexuality, etc. may be broached.