a common issue I've heard from people who have tried therapy is that the therapist are quite literally being paid to talk to you about your issues and to help you find a solution

Contrary to what I've expected, that was not what I felt when I came in. It felt, instead, as if I hired a professional to deal with the issues I'm having - similar to hiring a plumber to deal with the bathroom issues or a programmer to deal with coding issues. I guess it's no surprise that I didn't feel very open; it was a dissonance between "just help me deal with the problem" and "I gotta tell you things about myself that I don't usually tell to anyone but my friends".

I think that I'd be more open with you than with any given psychologist given our first meeting because you'd be a friend, BSc or no BSc. Having someone emphasized as educated about the human psyche as I am would make me feel more open, whether you actually have this kind of education.

I'll message you at some point. I sometimes leave some messages to later because I don't have the mental capacity to reply at a given point, and it just lazes into passivity with time. It doesn't mean I'm not interested - just that I'm a bit stuck, mentally. I'll be fine, just need some time out.

Just remember, even strangers are proud of you and want you to succeed. You must be an alright guy.

That part is still odd to me: people I don't know feel good about my progress. But... I guess I understand that, given that I do feel that about others as well, and I guess it's alright. I appreciate people taking time to address me with congratulations and support, and I like to do the same to those whom I respect even a little bit. It makes sense internally, so I guess there's no fault at having it being addressed onto me.