I have been seeing a new therapist for about three months now. I feel extremely lucky to have found him. He's dependable, kind, and EXTREMELY intelligent. As I've been getting to know him, I have come to realize that he is very established in his field (examples - he's a published author, he is double board certified, he is on the admissions committee of a prestigious medical school, he's on multiple boards for various OCD organizations and foundations, he is affiliated with said medical school and still conducts research and teaches residents, he manages his private practice, the list goes on and on). I am a student who is about two years away from med school myself. I have my sights set on becoming a psychiatrist. I find myself becoming more and more intimidated by my t as I work with him. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing. I look at all that he is accomplished and I feel challenged to do my best to bring my career to that level (over time of course). Motivation/inspiration is good but I'm not sure that is a healthy way to view t. I want to impress him because I'm in such awe of all he has done with his career so far and I want him to see me as a member of the next generation of people (hopefully) like him. Because he is an active faculty member of said medical school, I find it very easy to see him almost like a professor. I'm not sure if that's a form of transference or what...

Anyways, I want to talk about these mixed feelings I have (of seeing him as a therapist vs. seeing him as this almost mentor/role model type figure), but I'm not sure how to even bring it up or phrase it. And also, I'm not even sure if it's a problem in the first place. Can anyone relate to this dynamic between themselves and their t? Any suggestions on how to address this with my t/should I address this with my t?