I think it's very real-it sort of shows who you are if you were in a room of mirrors that not only reflected back what you looked like, but reflected back all your inner mental content, which allows you to step back, observe and learn about yourself--how you are influenced by others (transference) rather than how you are influenced by your own values, preferences, characteristics, spirit, dreams, fantasizes (true self). It's your real feelings discerned by 1. those ingrained parts of yourself rooted in early relationships (transference) and 2. those feelings that are more about who you are sans relationships (true self). When you can untangle the transference from who you are you get to know yourself better and how you've been influenced by others during development through present. And you uncover a heck of alot that you'd like to change.

That's oversimplifying it, and obviously you are who you are with transference and all, but if you take away others' influences on you, you can become your true self. I think this is where this type of therapy can go wrong-what you learn is that as a child you were hurt, discard, abused, objectified, uncared for, unloved, and how ugly and unworthy you feel about yourself. Now what? Your left with anger about ending up that way because of your parents, self hate because you internalized your parents as that is part of childhood development, and low self worth because of how you were treated--what do you do next? How to move from that place to a healthier sense of self? Or do you get stuck in that place and now have to live with that the rest of your life because now you were stripped down to your core. This refers to severe abuse, neglect, etc, rather than other cases. It's like you have to unlearn it all but how? That is you underneath what was there before you started therapy. How do you build up a new, stronger, more positive self? My T said he doesn't do therapy like that. How would I do it myself?

The kind of therapy you are talking about is psychoanalytic, though there are multiple ways to do that type of therapy. It's an authentic interaction from your side of the room/the couch only. The therapist is being an authentic therapist rather than an authentic person, partner, healer, etc.

The feelings aren't false; merely they are separated, magnified, analyzed, etc.

I accept it as a means to an end, but not within the context you placed it. Other therapies that don't practice blank slate, will be more authentic by your definition. Psychoanalytic therapies don't usually claim to heal and nurture and all of that type of stuff usually discussed here on this forum.