My current therapist seems to be into compliments. He's told me numerous times in the last couple of weeks that he's proud of me. It did feel infantalizing, and I told him so a couple of weeks ago, though not in so many words. He asked how I'd prefer him to handle moments like that in the future. I had the sense that he was genuinely proud.

I told him not to do anything differently. Similarly to you, I have a hard time accepting anything complimentary. So while it feels "off," the way I'm approaching my therapy is I want it to be an authentic experience. If T feels the desire to express pride, then so be it. On the other hand, if T is feeling some negative countertransference, I'd want to know that too.

If your T is willing to discuss the relationship, it may be helpful to have this conversation with her.