I saw two (what I assume were) blank slate therapists. For like two sessions. LOL. Yuck. So boring and impersonal. Not for me.

The therapists I worked with long term (and pdocs now that I think about it) were all very open. They had family pictures in their offices. We chatted about vacation plans if they were on the horizon. I knew their taste in reading and movies. Heck, we swapped recipes. (None of this took much of our session time -- it wasn't like we did this every session and usually it was a quick conversation on the way into session or as I was leaving). But I wasn't particularly fixated on my therapists either. I wasn't dealing with issues of transference. I wasn't worried about them outside of sessions. It was just conversation really.

But the personal dynamic was comfortable and very natural. And it is important to me when I choose providers (not just therapists -- I have this kind of relaxed conversation with pretty much all of my providers).

I do think they may need to be more cautious with clients who have a harder time with the therapist/client relationship and professional boundaries.