part i:

i have an excellent therapist, with almost 30 years experience, and i've been working with her for 2+ years now. during that time, she's disclosed only a handful of things about herself - and usually only after i've asked her directly. it's been something as simple as what her favorite color is, to something a little more personal like why she became a therapist. she's very private and it's taken a lot of work on my part to get used to that. i know the point of my (or any) therapy isn't to know all about your therapist, but i'm just providing a little background info.