Yes. do believe there are Ts who might not get hooked on this dynamic though - my last T at least did not with the emails. There is also something about the specific interpersonal combo IMO - I very much know what kinds of people are most likely to get at least somewhat blinded by the interactions with me if they are not keenly aware of this possibility and tendency, if they had not experienced it before etc. So I now would very consciously avoid that combo. For example, I am female and this most often happens with men or LBGTQ women that are older than me, curious and free spirited, at least somewhat introverted, high achievers with high standards, somewhat eccentric... Now I would rather choose a straight woman, not one that is very different from me in her thinking style and preferences but who would more likely not get distracted by the implicit, subtle sexual tension that is often present in my relationships as an unspoken undercurrent and that I tend to enjoy very much. Of course that will always involve a tendency of wanting to derive pleasure and please/impress the other person on both ends, especially if the involved parties are not aware of it (but even with awareness). I like these also because they can make some of the best work collaborations, mentor-mentee pairing, friendships, romantic relationships. But not so much when I want someone to see through me and challenge me constructively, not as competition or as a reaction fueled by insecurity either but with true confidence. I usually find that when a relationship is completely free of that dynamic, then the "calling me out on my BS" thing works much better. Of course, people who primarily want to impress and get their own pleasure out of it will be less inclined to risk conflict even if they have clear and accurate perceptions about what is going on. It is very tempting to just go with the flow and enjoy. My first T was actually better at the end in that sense because it turned out we had very little in common... but that became the other extreme, so little in common that we constantly misunderstood each-other and had very different, pretty incompatible values. So somewhere in between would be more ideal. You said that your T is asking you lots of questions - I would think that is a good approach even if she gets into uncomfortable zones with it? I liked when mine asked questions very much, they just never did enough.