With each of my therapists past and present having strong perspectives and opinions, I find it necessary to view their advice through the prism of those perspectives in order to make any of it useful, which doesn't really allow me to blithely receive anything they tell me as instruction. None has been as well-versed or as objective as I would have hoped about the complications of what comprises my mental health profile either; unfortunately this just seems to be a reality of how therapy works for me that I've had to accept, and perhaps for them it alters their approach towards me, because I don't think they've been afraid or hesitant to instruct me. My relationships with them just naturally evolve as more consultive than instructive, more collaborative and co-driven than a classical teacher and student relationship might be. I suppose I look at them more as consiglieres of sorts; they share their observations and assessments, and I take them into consideration -- viewing them, as I said, through the prism of their perspectives, biases, etc. That's the best I'm personally able to get out of it.

If they've instructed me then I've also instructed them, because the information sharing is two-way .. but I really don't see it as more than sharing and collaboration.