I notice that there is a difference between exploring bratty behaviours and becoming totally identified with them. I had a friend, a wonderful very good friend, who every time that her therapist didn't respond perfectly to fit her mood went into full toddler freak-out mode. She went into that to the extent that nothing else seemed real, and her emotional world spiralled accordingly. Friends had to bail her out of that for a full 3 years before she stepped back one day and said, "I do that a lot don't I?!"

We need friends to call us on ways that we perpetuate our emotional suffering, but they can do that gently and with appreciation? My dear courageous friend deserved every ounce of my gentleness and humanity, and accepted my occasional reminders to step back from her emotions. She pulled herself through deeper hells that I can imagine.

I'm not expert on therapists - to my mind therapists adopt belief systems like any other humans, and hence they may be limited and limiting. I remind myself that there are zillions of different belief systems, as many as there are human beings. It's all on a continuum but our minds like to think that our individual belief systems are universal.

In fifty years time, current therapeutic practice will seem like science before Einstein - giggle. It has changed considerably over the last century.

I agree strongly with what people have written above about therapists having different abilities and limitations. I would prefer to work with someone who can be honest about that, and occasionally human enough to admit that I have hurt their feelings.