This was so beautiful to read. Thank you for sharing your vulnerabilities. I have always been afraid of therapists, though I knew I needed to deal with my childhood... . Then I met a friend of my girlfriend. That friend is a therapist and she shattered my beliefs about therapists - she has bright orange hair and tattoos. I am still afraid of talking about things...but knowing her showed me that therapists too are humans too, "unique and varied" as you said :).