Hi GG/ElizaJ, I hear you, and i have also had previous therapists who shared very little personal info. But i also did not connect with them much or at all, and the process mostly left me feeling cold and unaffected. The current T has stirred something in me that had gone to sleep. Would this have happened without some personal sharing? Don't know.

Also, the current T and I had an emotional "moment" where i shed a few tears and then she did. It was very powerful and deepened the bond, and had much greater impact than any sharing of info. But perhaps it became too personal at that point. But perhaps it also created the human connection that leads to healing.

I actually asked her point blank 2 wks ago if she had become too involved. She said maybe. But it was involuntary emotional connection and while one could argue that it crossed a line, it also told me she really cares. This allowed me to expose more than i have with other therapists, who were detached and distant.

So yes i did feel safer with these other therapists, but there was little or no growth. Falling in love/infatuation with the current T has forced me to look at my dysfunctional and unsatisfying relationship with my partner. Has woken me up to what its like to really connect and has shined a light on my deeply troubled relationship with women in general.

Nothing will "happen" with this T, quite sure of that. The downside is the heartbreak and rejection and humiliation I've already suffered. I can use this for growth or let it defeat me. It continues to be a very difficult thing to navigate...