Hi, Sugahorse! I seem to think that somewhere in our message to newbies, we tell them that they aren't to take the advice given here as necessarily totally accurate (or words to that effect.) After all, we do have our biases. I do agree with the other folks that T's are definitely trained to try to understand our ailments. I know they have to work in a mental-health setting for their training, for example. My current T has even worked in a mental hospital.

I think "sympathy" means "feeling sorry for someone" and "empathy" means trying to sort of put yourselves in the person's shoes, to appreciate their feelings. That might be oversimplified, but, anyway, something like that.

I can't say that I want someone to feel sorry for me, but it is nice to have people who have "been there and done that." I prefer seeing women for gynecology and as obstetricians, for example. At least they know what it's like to be a woman! Even I prefer women as regular doctors....My p-doc is a woman. I think I've heard that about half of them in the field now are.

My T thinks it's okay that I'm on PC. She's just concerned that it doesn't envelop my whole life....