Relationship is important for me in whatever setting I find myself in. In church, family, work . . . With the physicians I choose to work with long-term . . . With my students . . . Anyone I interact with regularly, the relationship, the ability to interact meaningfully according to the purpose of that relationship, is important to me.

I have no problem just dealing with people as a paid service if the encounter is just short-term, but in situations where our interactions are regular, I find the relationship most important.

That does NOT mean I get all buddy buddy with everyone. Relationships vary from purpose to purpose. I think it is important to have the discernment to recognize and respect that all relationships cannot and should not be the same. It would be completely inappropriate to try to have a relationship of friendship with my students, but perfectly appropriate to become close friends with my choir buddies.

In the same way, my relationship with my therapist, while "intimate" in the sense that I share things with him I do not share with others, is still a professional relationship. We get along well and genuinely like and respect each other as individuals, but it is not truly a reciprocal relationship. He will never be, and should never be, my best friend, my parent, my lover.