OK, think I just had an "aha!" moment. Being a (good) parent involves being compassionate and caring while also setting boundaries. So MC is still acting in a paternal role to me by setting boundaries. Only this is more what he'd be like as a father in the real world (as shown by his using something with his daughter as an example), rather than my idealized version of a father. So, like I thought he was shifting into therapist mode in being like, "No you can't have exactly what you want." But maybe it's more like, "No, you can't just eat candy for dinner or stay up till 2 am on a school night." As in, he's trying to help/care for me by directing me toward what's best for me in the long run rather than what I want in the moment. (And he's not just being like, "OK, I don't want to deal with all this stuff with you--talk to your T about that instead.")

Hopefully that makes sense outside of my head.