I try my best. I like talking about my work and I like feedback, so it feels like it's a good idea to interact when I can.
I don't blame you. Both are deliberately difficult. Griselda is supposed to be the best negotiator on the continent, and I wanted to try to give this feeling of barely scraping by when you get to the end of the segment. The mind maze is also supposed to be novel, and built to play you against yourself. Bad news about that is that it's hard to convey those things without making it hard on you as a player. Good news is that nothing else in the game is likely to be that difficult until very near the end.
Though if you're still stuck on the mind maze, the key is that 'choice cancel' mechanic. That won't help you get the trophy, though. The only hint I'll ever give for the trophy is that you need to keep going until you start getting extra dialogue. That'll let you know you're on the right path.
For the hidden shack - sorta but not really. You can't fully complete repairs there until after Lalita's segment, but the thing you need to chop down the trees is the Cumhaill Accord. You should be prompted to do that after you've gotten everything else done (which does require some equipment and Scrap Stone, but that's not for the trees) and the rest will happen automatically.