I have struggled with this and while my T. won't flat out say she cares about me, she has pointed out that I didn't feel this way before the transference and it's probably the transference blocking my ability to feel it. She texted me all through my mom's illness very sweet things but then had to increase her boundaries with the transference. I felt pushed away and told her that. So, at this point she would need to verbally tell me she cares. I sometimes feel like a little kid needing her to tell me things like this as I used to be so independent and non-needy.