This is probably true. I listened all the time to her issues about her divorce and ex-husband, but she never asked me about myself much. I do feel that I was used, now that I think about it. She did not even spell my name correctly when she texted me, which made me realize she never bothered to even learn the spelling of my name. Even though she told me all kinds of very personal things about herself. Including the fact that her husband had raped her. So yes, I do believe now she was using me as a counselor. Although I was deeply sorry about her problems, I didn't feel I even had the background or training to deal with some of her issues. I think she would have been served better by paying a professional counselor, but she couldn't afford it at the time.

Years ago, I dated a guy who sort of did the same thing. I began to realize we weren't really "dating", I was being a therapist for him and all he did was talk about his abusive childhood, sad teen years and problems in college with social rejection. I would tell him to see a counselor, and he would say "I can't afford it". I didn't realize it at the time, but I WAS his counselor. Then when things changed for him, he moved on and moved away from me.