My Dominant wants me to call them Daddy but I have a difficult history with my actual father. I don't know if I can separate those two things. Is there a way through this?
Rituals, Protocol & ServiceA difficult relationship with a real parent is one of the most common reasons people hesitate about CG/l titles, and it is a completely valid reason to have a hard limit or to need time. Many people with complicated parental histories do eventually find these titles workable on their own terms; others find they prefer alternative titles that carry none of those associations.
The psychological complexity here is real. For many people, 'Daddy' as a kink title works precisely because it is clearly distinct from their actual family context: it exists in a clearly separate frame. For others, especially those with trauma or significant difficulty in that relationship, the overlap is too close and the discomfort does not dissolve in a kink context.
Both responses are legitimate. Neither makes you broken, over-sensitive, or a bad kink partner.
A useful conversation with your Dominant might start with explaining the specific difficulty and then exploring whether there are alternative titles that carry the same dynamic meaning for them without the same personal associations for you. 'Sir,' 'My Lord,' 'Caretaker,' or a name you create together can carry the authority and care structure of a CG/l dynamic without the specific word.
If you are curious whether the separation is possible for you, some people find it useful to try the title in a very contained and explicitly playful context first, somewhere the scene frame is very clear, to see whether the associations follow or whether the frame is strong enough to hold its own meaning.
You should not be pressured to use a title that causes you genuine distress. A Dominant who understands CG/l dynamics knows that the psychological safety of the little space is the whole point. If your Dominant insists on a specific word when you have explained your history, that is worth treating as information about how they approach your wellbeing overall.