I think that a T rejecting and abandoning her patient is not what I am talking about. A rejecting and abandoning T is a completely another story. I can only speak of my own experience because this is something I have first hand access to but my T has never rejected or abandoned me even if sometimes it has felt to me like that.

I firmly believe it is the T's responsibility to make sure that the patient is not sinking. I have had this discussion using the same metaphor with my T because for a long time I thought that he should help me to keep myself above the water while it felt to me that he let me sink. He told me that he can't make me swim magically but he will make sure that I won't sink, which may mean that I might be just slightly above the water, sometimes struggling to breath, for short periods perhaps not being able to breath, but still floating and not sinking. He said that he does not do more (hold me confidently above the water) for several reasons: 1) he just couldn't do it and 2) even if he could, it wouldn't help me. And because he is dedicated to my healing and my getting better and not necessarily feeling good in the moment then he will do those things that help me get better in the long run, even if they feel very bad in the moment.

I don't have much faith into warnings though because to my mind it essentially doesn't change anything. I don't think anyone can really prepare themselves for what is coming anyway and because what happens is a process that unfolds and not something that T consciously and technically fabricates then the T can't possibly know what warnings would be appropriate for which person because the T can't know in advance which process unfolds, when and how.

I'm not trying to impose my views as objective truth. This is my experience and my truth. As a consequence of that, I have been able to gain immensely from therapy. Other people can have other experiences and other views. If therapy is not beneficial for them, that's ok too.