For me it is so that somehow my T's look does not work on me but his voice does. So, largely for that reason lying on the couch is perfect for me because I don't have to do the distracting looking thing and I can focus on the nuances of his tone of voice.

However, a temporary T whom I saw few years ago totally held me with his gaze. In our last months together I tended to start the sessions by silently looking into his eyes and immersing myself with his look - that was very comforting and holding.

I'm not disappointed that my T's look does not work that way - I'm perfectly fine with his voice. However, if there would be no way I would feel held then I'm not sure I would be able to do the therapy work I'm doing.