Perhaps the OP is better suited for another field. I just don't know what her particular talents/interests are. I just figured that, since she said this was her passion and she is good at the academic side of it, that I would suggest similar careers where she could work with others but without the level of intensity or the risk for doing harm that comes with a 1:1 T/client relationship. As for being a teacher, some do make those strong connections with students and others don't-- I've had many a teacher who is great at teaching the material but does not possess strong social/emotional skills. I suppose if one gets easily flustered, teaching is not for them-- but the ability to connect emotionally to students really is not required as long as they can teach the material effectively. Years ago, I dated a social worker. By all accounts she was great at her job, but she definitely lacked some of the emotional connection stuff. She worked with clients, but the extent of her role was finding them housing, preparing them for job interviews, etc-- it was all logistical, not therapeutic. She had to be good enough with people to make her clients trust her and work with her-- but she was not responsible for their mental well-being. I have no idea what the OP's skills or difficulties are, or whether she would be interested in or suited for any of these jobs. I just threw out a few options that were similar to being a therapist, but required less direct emotional connection.