I really love the threads on this board! (I'm new here.)

I've had a very similar experience although the therapist didn't actually speak. He was just looking at me very intently and smiling. I definitely felt that feeling of kindness, etc. being poured in my direction. I think I ultimately said something to the effect of "stop looking at me like a bug under a microscope" which of course was not at ALL what he was actually doing. Then he said something like "that was affection and you felt it until you pulled away." Totally true, totally scary.

He's great.

I do sometimes feel like a bug under a microscope. It's not a bad degrading feeling though. I imagine I'm a totally cognizant bug looking right back at the eyeball that's staring in at me. :-)

I love therapy. What an enormous help it has been to me and my abilities to relate and interact better.

Sidony