cmac, I totally identify with what you are saying in your thread. It's like that for me now, with my T, but has never been with any of the other Ts I have seen. My T lets me email her after each session, and emails me back in detail. She lets me hold her hand when I need to. She is letting me have a close relationship with her, which is something I need, but is so scary for me.

I emailed her an article from PC about getting matching teddy bears for client and T, and she wanted to do that. So now we have the bears! Like you said, the relationship is scary but comforting.

Is it scary because you are afraid it will end? I was going to start my own thread about that. It's SO good, this relationhip with my T, that I am afraid it's not going to last. My T tries to reassure me, but I'm still scared. She also says she can see me a long time, and we can still email each other when I'm done with therapy.

I think our Ts know what we need and they don't want to withhold it from us. My former T didn't think it would help to give me what I want and need from her, which is this close relationship, but she was wrong. It's healing for me. We just have to trust our Ts that they don't cross any boundaries when they give us so much.