Yes, one can have an emotionally intimate relationship with a therapist, and yes, it can help one have more intimate relationships in "real life." Not all Ts aim for deep relationships with their clients--it depends on their theoretical orientation. Yalom comes from the existential/humanist tradition, and my T is influenced strongly by this tradition also. We do have an emotionally intimate relationship and my T definitely "shows me the way by personal modeling." I think if you are looking for this in a therapy relationship, you have to be sure to choose a T who knows how to do it, or whose training and theoretical approach supports it. What kind of T do you have and do you think that kind of relationship is something he/she can provide?