I appreciate your concerns, let me address them. We are human beings first, human doings second. Therapy is what he does. He is new to the profession, but I think, like a pilot on one of his first commercial flights, or a lawyer in one of his first courtroom appearences, nervousness is to be expected. Once he or she gets over that initial nervousness, their training and education will kick in. I was just trying to lend a hand to a fellow human being who happens to do therapy.

As for the conversation turning academic, as I said, taking my history took up almost all of the session. I had decided, prior to the meeting, to ask him about his training and experience as had been suggested earlier in this thread but modified my question somewhat when I realized that he did not have a great deal of experience. We were at the end of the session at this time and so, I would think (although I am not completely certain), his obligation to talk about me was over. When he mentioned hypnosis, I shared the content of a paper I had written on the subject many years ago. The paper was never published and the subject therefore, had never become part of the 'hyposis canon' if you will. We were out of time, he found the subject interesting and we explored the ideas together on our own time.

As for avoiding talking about myself, not at all. I am going voluntarily, I have an appointment for next week to continue and have volunteered to share some of my writings with him in an effort to share myself with him, spending a good deal of yesterday compiling what I think might be pertainant materials. Our conversation on hypnosis and academics continued naturally from an ending point. I can see though how it might have appeared that way; I didn't explain it very well.

As for him not being licensed yet, I must admit, I don't know the process. I assume though, that he finishes a prescribed course of study, then must achieve a certain number of hours being supervised by an experienced psychologist. If I am correct, then everyone must go through this process and it is not a reflection on thier understanding or competency. Everyone must start somewhere.

Anyway, I sincerely appreciate your concern for my well being. Now that I have tried to explain the situation more clearly, do your concerns remain? Have they changed to new concerns? I am listening to everything everyone here says and dismissing nothing. As I said, the only reason I asked about him at all was because it was suggested up thread.

Thanks.