This thread scared the bejesus out of me at first, but I started reading it and kind of think it's lovely now.

I've never said the words in therapy and I never will, but I think I loved my previous therapist. She was trustworthy and reliable in a way that no one had ever been for me before, so of course I felt that way. It's tricky though, because I know I was always getting the best of her...she can't be that way in real life, in her own relationships. I know she cared about me, but I think love is too strong a word.

That said, I'm a social worker (not a therapist) and I definitely feel love for many of my clients. I would never tell them, because it's a professional relationship, but I think they can see that I care.