One thing that confuses me when T's talk about mirroring "real" relationships is that they also talk about how the client-therapist relationship is unique.

Another thing is that many T's don't self-disclose much of anything. How is that like a "real" relationship? I can't imagine having a friend that just focuses on me without sharing anything of her life. Or a partner that doesn't share about his.

So, how can we practice the interactions found in those relationships with someone who doesn't act like a friend or a lover would?

It makes my head explode.