I didn't enter therapy in order to solve any particular issue. I decided to talk to a therapist because I needed support as I was ending a 5 1/2 year domestic partnership and I was unhappy with the PhD program I had just begun. I had moved across the country for my program, and didn't have a support system yet. My T helped me feel supported as I made these big life changes, and I stayed because I found that I really benefitted from the additional support. Therapy morphed from talking about my current life to talking about my childhood. We processed a lot of childhood trauma and I was able to have some corrective experiences with my therapist. The relationship with my T is important to me, but it is not consuming or stressful. It helps me feel supported as I deal with things in my "real life." I imagine that it's similar to what people with moms experience when they need a little bit of a pep talk or an "I'm proud of you" before taking on a big thing at work, having a difficult conversation with a friend, etc. For me, therapy has been worthwhile. In fact, much more so than I anticipated.