They don’t fall in love with the therapist, instead they fall in love with a shadow of a person where they fill in the gaps with positive personality features.
The bully victim dynamic
The solution being suggested here is reflective of one of the main parenting problems in current day society. How and when do you let a child suffer on its own?
Intimacy ambivalence
The problem with experiencing emotional intimacy with another is that it also frightens people.
Permutations of marriage as an institution
But it seems we need to have another look at the marriage type relationship as it is not working all that well for most people and we have a significant number of people living in their own domicile as individuals. And non face to face communication is very easy now compared to 50 years ago.
Testing in relationships
The same testing behaviour can happen in the therapeutic relationship. Any client is already in a vulnerable and emotionally open position in therapy. Or at least that is what will have to happen soon for the person to benefit from the therapy, or little will be achieved.