I see this a lot with newer therapists, and it almost always starts from a decent place. They come out of training programs that emphasize being warm, validating, and careful not to retraumatize anyone. The patient walks in describing a long history of being hurt, misunderstood, or let down, and the natural response is to step in as the steady, caring person who finally gets it. That impulse is reinforced in a lot of current training. For instance, they focus on the alliance, help the client feel safe, avoid anything that might feel critical. What doesn’t get enough attention is how quickly that can harden into the exact relational pattern the patient has been living out elsewhere the wounded, aggrieved patient and the idealized rescuer. Good post by Jonathan