I viewed the therapists according to a social role that they functioned in, as I saw it. And that role had authority. They were being paid for a professional service, even if I didn't always know what that was (and felt that I didn't have to, as well as couldn't since I didn't have the education and training, even though I did do some of my own research, trying to learn something to help myself), and were licensed by the state, a social authority.