> I don't know if I can deal with getting less than some emotional comfort. I don't know how she could convey it to me.

so it is more about feeling emotionally comforted rather than physically comforted? some therapists are warmer / more forthcoming with comfort than others. mine will kind of lean forward with this concerned look on his face and i can see that he is figuring out what i'm feeling and feeling it along with me. and if it gets too intense then he can help distract me and stuff. i guess that is a kind of emotional holding. a lot of the time... i think that what he says is a whole heap less important than the way he has said it too. he has a gentle voice. i can hear the differnce when he is like 'we are nearly out of time'.

> Its more that I feel like I need more empathy.. more letting me express my pain and more subsequent comfort after i do that.

well that sounds reasonable to me. could you talk to your therapist about that? maybe what you need is a bit more validation and encouragement.