A few that caught my eye...
- He is always attentive, attuned, active, involved and focused in our sessions
- He always validates my experiences and my feelings
- He has reassured me that he wouldn't abandon me as a client
In real life people are not so exquisitely understanding and validating and accepting. Like you say, therapy is a one-way street... but in real life it's two-way. I dont see the point in habituating to such a dynamic. I found this not only false but harmful and disorienting. Also since people tend to consumed by their own needs, if a therapist appears altruistic and selfless it means they are acting and concealing their true self, and that is not a basis for trust in my view (others might have a different view). Seems a significant number of people find the one-way thing to be like a drug, and can't get enough. My problem was that I trusted too much and didn't exercise normal skepticism and critical thinking, partly because of all the cultural and institutional pressure to "do therapy".
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