At some point you have to decide to put yourself into someone else's hands, as far as therapy is concerned. At least, this is how it is working for me and my t. Its like a magic trick - if you can see how it works, then you are not amazed, right? For me, if i can "see" his technique, it wont "take".

My t got a dual bachelors degree in psychology and philosophy, so he is no slouch intellectually. That is important to me. But after my family always constantly telling me how dumb i am, i need him to tell me i am smart. So these are big steps - to trust yourself first, then to find a t you can trust.