In my opinion, all of our feelings are real and all of our feelings are based on a mixture of our past experiences and here-and-now feelings. (Not just in therapy but all of our feelings towards others).

Sometimes I can tell that an aspect of my feelings is based in my past experiences (for example if I feel something towards my T which is completely incongruent with how I experience him) but most of the time it's impossible to know exactly why we feel the way we feel. I think it's important to just accept them as my feelings.

I am sure that I love him, not only as a parental figure but as the genuine, wise, gentle person I know him to be.