I was watching The Voice recently and the coaches there were discussing the emotionality produced by the singer, that the experience of a song resonating is not just the notes or the perfection of a voice but the emotional storytelling that the singer produces. Sometimes they give the advice to think about a particular person (unrequited love a common theme) when singing a song that is intended to evoke a particular emotional experience. It reminds me of watching a movie and being engrossed in the story and getting something out of the storytelling, whether it is fiction or a "true story."

In many ways, therapy is about my storytelling, and the way that my T accompanies me as I tell it. Whether it resonates with him or whether he is "faking" resonance in particular ways doesn't matter to me, just like I can feel the emotionality in a song whether the singer has genuine emotion, same with a movie. I still benefit when there is resonance, when it feels to me that I have been understood and accepted, that I don't question whether it is genuine (and that seems like a waste of time in therapy). So what if it's not, my subjective perception is what matters to me.