I would agree with you that you have reason to be concerned.Therapeutic boundaries are essential to therapy, as in without them the engagement with the therapist not only does not accomplish the healing you come to attain, you are actually harmed instead.

My T wants me to bring childhood pictures into session. He seems to find it very important, I'm feeling really reluctant and uncomfortable with it and am leaning towards 'no'. Have you ever refused homework/a direct request beneficial for your therapy? If so, what was it and how did it go?

I think a more productive conversation to have with your therapist than vetting his particular politics would be to explore with him this idea that a certain viewpoint or set of opinions about anything would constitute the unforgiveable sin over which you would terminate, despite everything else you two have experienced together.

Do you feel expendable in therapy? Is this feeling relevant, in terms of past relationships, in your life? What are some ways, addressing this, in therapy? Labeling the feelings, going back, in time… how do the oldest feelings resolve? Is it a matter of degree, in terms of our level of dismay and/or disarray?

I actually did this. I came across a post on Quora that was about some aspect of how therapy clients with borderline personality disorder often behave. The comment thread highlighted where the controversy was, and the comments on one side of it were not kind. And I was riveted… because I so identified with what the kinder comments on the other side were saying and the experience of being judged harshly that the less kind side was so thoroughly articulating. I read a bunch more stuff about BPD and decided that’s what I had.. and a few sessions later told this to my therapist.

Some confusing terminology.. in what ways is long term psychodynamic therapy different from a relational type of therapy? Maybe, in certain important aspects, they are one in the same? Possibly, certain therapists, unable to meet all of our relational needs, though should they?