Budfox, your take on therapy resonates with me. Interesting to find someone with a similar perspective.

I had a therapist over a span of 19 years. At a point when I was doing really poorly, she invited me in for a "free" appointment. That when she gave me a four point littel speech: 1) "You like to blame people." 2) "Your life's a soap opera." 3) "Don't delude yourself into thinking you've ever really tried to work on your issues." 4) I forget the 4rth point.

Coming out of the encounter, I immediately wrote down what
she said, so I wouldn't forget and confabulate something untrue. I still have the note somewhere. I felt like she had ambushed me. Her not charging was, I think, her being aware that the meeting would be to serve her need, not mine. This was someone I deeply respected. I felt betrayed. I'm glad it happened. I had been naively trusting. I left that appointment less naive.

A pdoc turned on me after 6 years of me seeing him. Again, I was forced to shed some naivete. I had thought that both these individuals had held me in some reasonable degree of positive regard, despite knowing my faults, which I had revealed. Evidently, they had been viewing me with some degree of disdain, if not contempt, that I never suspected. I felt like a fool for having trusted that they had more respect for me. I'm glad of the experiences, painful though they were. I needed to learn how phoney people can be. I had idealized them.

Going to a therapist for a "relationship" is like going to a prostitute for love.