I agree with this. I think student/ teacher and therapist/ client relationships are very similar. They really do care and it's not fake, but it's not the same as a personal relationship.

One way I know my T cares is she offered to not "supervise" me (she can't) when I finish graduate school, but to provide ongoing therapy/ mentoring/ guidance as I get more into my career. She'll still get paid but its also a way to keep the relationship going since my need for therapy is becoming less and less. She's always booked months in advance, so she can always find another client.

My pdoc shows he cares by accommodating my need for a same day appointment and at other times squeezing me in when I'm so late that I missed our appointment. He has also seen me after hours. All that says they care in my eyes. It helps that I rarely ask for or expect these things, so it's a give and take. I don't have conversations about how much they like me, but that's just not my style. I would feel awkward since from my perspective it's not that kind of relationship. Even with friends I'm not overly demonstrative so I'm not always telling them how I feel about them, they know because I make an effort and so do they for me. People will go the extra mile when they care about others, whether they're family, friends, co workers, clients, etc.