The other thing I was going to say is along the lines of what Echos said. I've been told that the 2-year thing is because of the power differential in the relationship and due to its one-sidedness. The T naturally holds more power during the therapy time, because they're being paid, they reveal less about themselves than the client, etc. So it could be difficult to shift into a friendship and have it seem equal, if it happened immediately after therapy ended. But with the waiting period, I think the idea is that, when that amount of time has passed, it wouldn't necessarily feel like the same type of one-sided relationship? I'm doing a poor job of explaining this... (Someone, help!)

I know another reason, that likely wouldn't apply in your case, is if a client wanted to see their T as a therapist again. If they switched to a friendship, then going back to the therapeutic relationship seems like it would be very difficult. But, in your case, since your T is leaving the field, I don't think it would be an issue.

[I know this isn't what you're asking about, but for romantic/sexual stuff, I think the idea of the 2-year rule is so a T won't terminate with a client just so they can immediately get romantically or sexually involved with them. I think the idea of the 2 years there is sort of a cooling-off period. And I think even then the T (for psychologists at least) could need to sort of prove that they didn't think it would be harmful to the client. But anyway...]

So back to the friendship thing, current T has said I don't really know him, that I don't know what he's like outside the therapy room. That me or another client might not *want* to be friends with him. And if they became friends with him and saw him in a different light, it could shift how they felt about the therapy. Which has happened with a few people here on PC (not with my T of course!) I know it's easy to think "But my T is different! They were very real to me in the therapy room." It's still not possible to know until you would get to know them in more of a friendship role, where they're also telling you about their problems, not always acting caring, etc.