Is your T "real" with you?

Sorry - since I thought I was being misinterpreted and that it looked as if I meant that Ts are deliverately dishonest, which is the opposite of what I mean, I deleted my post. I'm glad you understood what I meant, Jane

I didn't read it that way Mastodon, I think you are right that Ts give us a version of themselves, and that does not make them untruthful. Just professional....and safe maybe?

For me a feeling of safety is important, maybe this is why I freaked a little when I thought maybe T was bringing too much of himself in by being 'real' and not maintaining a healthy distance. This is a useful way to process....maybe not for others reading, sorry!

Since I find that my job, teaching, has a similar dynamic to therapy. The student/teacher relationship is similar to the therapist/client relationship.

As a teacher, what my students see is ME. Nothing they see about me is fake. It's my genuine personality and they get to learn my likes/dislikes about a lot of things.

But, there are things about me that I do not share with them as it is not appropriate. A lot of it is due to age, but not all of it. So there's a lot they don't know and will never know, but what they do see is real.

I think a lot of friendships go like this too - you can be friends with someone and yet have different bits of yourself that they never really see. It doesn't mean we're not being real with them.

Sorry about that. I have my own issues, which are on the boil at the moment.