oh wow, hmmm. thinking about both Ts, I wonder what the difference would be, if there had been/could be a role reversal. funny thing is, when I was on the phone with T2 the other day, I sort of teased her about that (and the good ol' power differential thing) saying, it might be fun to have the power over you! that made her laugh, thinking what something like that might look like. hmmmmm I'm thinking I wouldn't be a whole lot different with her than she was with me.......the directness with humor mixed in.....
for me this question has many sides too......what would I be like as a T in general; what would I be like as T with a client like me; what would I be like as T if the Ts I had were my clients as I knew them?
for all the fussing I have done about wishing T1 would have kept hugging me, I am not so sure I would be a hugging T. but I don't think I would be a non-physical contact ever T either. I have pretty good, firm physical boundaries.....I'm not a touchy-feely person in general, but there are times with a friend or someone in emotional need that I have felt moved to offer a gentle touch, because sometimes there aren't words that can say as much as a touch. I think I would probably have pretty firm boundaries around touch as a T but also be willing to be flexible if a genuine need was there.....
And what would I do with a client like me, with such attachment issues and huge needs/desires around touch/affection/comfort.......oh me oh my, I think I would be VERY careful........to not get way too emotionally drawn into trying to fill the need but yet find loving ways to show nurturing and establish/maintain a healthy, secure, healing attachment. Consistent, definite boundaries with no abrupt changes and LOTS of openness and transparency.......