Protestants rebelled against automatic confession. Even today, Pope John Paul II has publicly stated that people cannot obtain forgiveness directly from God. The route to God must be through a priest. Bible never says confession must be to a priest. But it does tell us to confess to one another.
Confession is hard, but makes our repentance real.
A caring atmosphere is necessary. True inventory and confession must be followed by actions. Some pour out heart for attention. Handshake is not enough. B. Applied honesty.