I had a previous therapist that told me three times on three different occasions that I was "highly intelligent". At first, I wanted to laugh because I thought he was trying to get me to believe in myself. Later, I thought perhaps he was just saying it because he thought he should. And later, he was re-emphasizing it.
I know I am not smart. I am regularly told I have no sense....told I am retarded. And experiences through the years only emphasize that some people are smart, and some are not. It actually made me feel worse to get false praise, than no praise.