I have been with my therapist for 19 years. It has been a very long difficult journey for me. My therapist has promised not to abandon me and is always encouraging me to be my best. I sometimes feel like I am failing in therapy and disappointing her. She always responds with and asks me "do you think therapy is a test to either pass or fail because it's not?" She also tells me that it is not about disapointing her ever. She has told me countless times that she is NOT my mother and I don't have to worrry about "taking care of her".
That has been a very difficult lesson to learn.