This is such an interesting thread, I love what I did it my way said. Since starting therapy a few months ago I have been so surprised to receive 'advice' from my T, she has started sentences with 'you should...' I hadn't expected to hear her opinions on how to live my life. I have come to terms with it by reflecting that she is being authentic and genuine, rather than keeping her views to herself, and that if she didn't speak her views they would somehow be present in the room anyway perhaps in questions she asked or things she said. I think that if I was a therapist I would do it completely different to my T, perhaps more like I did it my way describes, I would certainly spend more time exploring the things Clients say to get a better understanding, and less time giving views. I'm not so sure about the distance. I'm unsure whether, if the T is 'close', whether perhaps the therapy is more healing? I don't know how to define close, but I feel my T is close.

Dark sweetie I certainly think you could expect what you ask from a T, I'm not sure I entirely know what you mean by her sharing her emotions - do you mean like if she feels angry? I consider that my T is vulnerable in the room with me and is comfortable being vulnerable.