I agree with your therapist to some extent. I don't think therapy is possible (at least not fully) without love - but I don't think that has to involve any falling in love. I think that sense of affection and connection is enough. Although falling in love as clients is quite common - not the kind of falling that would lead to a relationship, but rather a sort of really having one's focus on the therapeutic relationship and becoming very attached. Would therapy work without that? I don't know to be honest. But in my experience and what I've seen in others, it does tend to happen.

When I read the first part of your therapist's email though, I thought that was intended to mean love on the part of the therapist for the client. I don't think therapy is possible without some amount of love from a therapist to a client - definitely NOT romantic love, but a kind of feeling connected and caring to help and finding something likeable about the other person, getting a sense of their inner resources even when they can't see it.

I don't think that's paid love. I read this idea somewhere online and my therapist also said it and I feel it too - the payment is for the therapist's time and expertise, for the office space, etc. The love is free. You could pay any amount of money but that won't make anyone love you any more or any less. Or you could stop paying the therapist and, if they feel any love for you, that won't go away - even if they need to stop therapy because of it since they are humans too and this is their job.