Well, if I decided not to include an important part of my life in my therapy then my therapy wouldn't be honest, at least it would feel that way to me. I don't exclude any topics from therapy discussion and T and I negotiate it all. And my family member is very close to me so not to talk about her would feel weird.

No, I definitely don't pay her but I think when I am falling apart and I tell her things, she responds in a therapeutic way? I don't know -- still trying to sort this. There feels like some kind of conflict but I'm not sure yet on which end it is or if it is. I'm sort of swirling around on this.

You see, I think of the therapeutic relationship as special and somewhat inviolate. In order for therapy to work you have to willingly enter into this relationship and keep the work between the two of you. I think in this case with both my T and my family member being psychoanalysts, it's particularly loaded.

Hmmmmm