I don't think that being in long term therapy is the same thing as being dependent on a therapist. In my experience in this 9th year of my second round of long term therapy (the last was 5 years and 15 years earlier), there are benefits that I never thought would show up and to a large extent, changes that weren't specifically on my radar much less my goals for therapy. Therapy goals don't define progress and therapy can be preventive as well as part of ongoing self care. My work is stressful and vicarious trauma is a real thing. Insurance companies like mine allow an unlimited number of sessions because they realize that therapy can reduce other medical costs and prevent physical problems. I'm not a great fan of HMO's and more broadly the U.S. Health care system, but like many other messed up institutions, sometimes they work right for some circumstances and for some people.