So what were the circumstances surrounding the other times you felt a subtle withdrawal? And what about the conversation/discussion where he brings up clients having a natural curiosity about their t's? Seems out of left field to me but it's probably taken out of context. So what were you talking about?

If I remember right, from my experience with my ex-t so long ago, he would become distant - and this is just my perception of it - to motivate me to work harder. If he stayed warm and fuzzy all the time, what would motivate me to change anything? I'd just want to stay in that warm/fuzzy place all day long. So he would say things like - I've taken you as far as a I can, and then he would back off or threaten to pass me off to another t. He could have just been stuck as far as ideas with what to do with me or how to work with me. But really, I think there comes a time - and if you've been with your t for 2 years - that distancing becomes a way to push a client into new territory. Just like we need both rain and sun, we need closeness as well as distance in our work with t's (or all relationships). When you work through this together, you will find new understandings and insights that you didn't know before. Maybe like seeing little flowers blooming after a rainstorm, or a long cold winter. And gosh, for me, I know I hate winter. Winters suck. And distance from a nice person such as your t is perhaps going to feel like a cold winter, but who knows, maybe it won't be a long one. And afterwards, maybe you will find some wonderful new growth like all the new things that grow again in spring.

Something like that... Geez, sorry I'm so rambly! Hope you find something of use in all of that And know that I understand, because I'm going through this also, in a different way, with a different person, and under different circumstances, but it still is hard and feels challenging to say the least. You'll get through it and it will change you. It will be a good thing, you'll see.