Rainbow,
While I am okay with professional and caring in the same sentence, I can find the word professional difficult sometimes. I think "professional" (or titles like Dr.) can carry a lot of weight. I used to get annoyed with an office where all the staff had to refer to him as "Doctor" - never Dr. _____. Only doctor. I wanted to scream "HE HAS A NAME!" While I agree that the titles have been earned through schooling and hard work, it does sometimes feel like it implies this person is worth more than people who do not hold the title. I don't go around asking people to address me by my title at work.

Two sessions ago, my t said "In my professional opinion" during a discussion about meds. It really bothered me because it made me feel like I didn't know anything and that my opinion, while it was being heard, was less valuable than hers. We continued the discussion the next week and it became clear my opinion counted equally. That's how I know my t cares.