My first T and I have remained friends now for almost 30 years (God, I'm getting old). We don't live near each other so our contact is a few emails and perhaps a phone call a few times a year. It is NOT a therapist-client relationship anymore in any way and hasn't been since I left college. But we have a genuine affection and respect for each other just as people that caused us to have the desire to remain in touch.

I think it is VERY important that the relationship is no longer and never will be ever again a therapy relationship in these cases. I never had any illusions that it would be and didn't really have any transference issues to deal with, so it worked for us. In a way, I think it worked BECAUSE it wasn't something I longed for or dreamed about or had some deep desire for; it was just the natural evolution of our relationship as our roles changed over time.