I can differentiate empathy from sympathy. Sympathy, in general, rather makes me grumpy. It's when the other person feels obliged to respond. and I am obliged to make the other person feel better or respond. Sympathy is the the "there there" response and can feel entirely dismissive and patronizing.

Empathy, on the other hand, is completely different. Most of the time empathy can go completely unspoken.

You do spend a lot of time look at the glass rather than through it. Imagine if you tried to drive while focusing on the windshield rather than the road.

I wonder what would happen if you took that analytical mind and looked objectively at your therapy and your therapist. I wonder what you would really see.