My experience was similar to CM's (though paternal rather than maternal). And I also was resistant to the experience. It wasn't articulated in the beginning, but at moments that could strengthen or weaken the placement of those needs in him, my T would encourage me to give them over.

I wasn't looking for a parent because to me parents were dangerous. It was my T who saw that I needed to repair my experience through re-parenting.

It also makes me wonder if this doesn't go back to the needs/wants issue. That needs must be provided for therapeutically, but wants are viewed as distortions and so resisted?

This makes me wonder if there isn't something in the dynamic that encourages Ts to reach out to those of us who retreat from our needs, and to retreat from and institute tougher boundaries for those of us who actively seek to satisfy our wants for Ts in parental roles.