Taking your three points, Guilloche, I guess I get 1 and 2. The first one, empathy and understanding, I have been getting consistently since day one. I've been really good at hiding my thoughts and feelings from people around me for 40 years so getting the professional empathy from a trained listener, whom I don't need to be afraid of hurting (because it is a professional relationship - that helps me immensely to know), is in itself healing. The feeling of relief at telling something bad to another person and getting their empathetic reaction is not something I can get from anyone else.

The second point, learning about myself, is much more of a struggle, for reasons I won't go into. But I am getting that, as painful and unpleasant as it often is. My T is not a big talker, he allows me to talk uninterrupted and he is not afraid of long silences... but he also suggests connections and gives me his input on things.