Oh, some of these people did try to play it off as them being victims.
And "thing of value": I don't imagine you'd expect too high a value in exchange for a little niceness.
Or if you mean, piling on more niceness, pretending a real relationship, which is the only thing where you would get a thing of real value in exchange, that's just truly wrong.
If I need to explain how that's wrong, I don't think we have anything to discuss about.
But in short: it's wrong to manipulate people into developing emotional attachment for the relationship just so the manipulator can get enough material value back in exchange.
Therapists and social workers are often incredibly manipulative, lol- it is naive to think otherwise. With this tho it allows them to do their job and give it the air of authority it needs.
No, they are not often "incredibly manipulative" to get "the air of authority". This is not required for them to do the job either. It's not alright in a professional sense and ethically either, at all.
I mean sure maybe some of them are manipulative but this is not to do their job in any professional way. It's wrong. Again.