I think when one is going through psychoanalytic psychotherapy (talk therapy), attachment to the T helps the process. I don't look at attachments as good or bad. I saw a commercial on TV a few days ago...can't recall what it was for, but it went like this: (Scene: A beautiful beach with the ocean and blue sky in view) Announcer says, "When we were born, we needed others." (Scene: A busy city street and the face of a lovely young girl of about 15) Announcer says, "Then when we grew up, we were told it was bolder to be alone."

I'm not totally sure that I got everything totally perfect, but it's so close that it made a huge impression on me. We all need others from birth to grave. You are the only one who should decide for you if forming attachments is helpful to you. As ATAT noted, people enter and leave our lives and attachments are formed and sometimes lost. Learning to grieve the losses and celebrate the attachments is just being human. My attachment to my T is sometimes painful (I want all of my T's attention), but the benefit is that I know I can depend on my T to be "there" when I'm hurting or feel alone. (This view is a very big achievement for me...I grew up avoiding relationships - too painful. Believe me, it's better to feel even the pain of loss than feel nothing at all)