Just because someone receives pay doesn't mean the relationship is suddenly fake. I don't believe that about my Ts, and I don't believe that about the kids I mentor. I work with at-risk kids- yes, for (a little bit) of money, but that's not why I do it. My job is very similar to providing play and talk therapy, but major issues are deferred to my social worker supervisor. I have a caseload of teens and preteens who I meet with an hour a week, help run five groups, and am there as a consistent, stable adult in their lives. Just because I get paid doesn't change the fact that I care about these kids very much and want the best for them. There is zero contact outside of the school site I work at, it's very much one-sided (I'm there for them, not the other way around), and it's incredibly real.