I have become very good friends with 2 providers over the past 10 years. In both cases, we just "hit it off". It started out with me paying for the service just like any other. Over the course of a few months, we just started talking, even on days when we had no intentions of a session. The talking/texting increases to a daily thing and the next thing you know we were actually "friends". Telling each other about our days, funny things that happened, things that aggravated us. In both cases, it was just a really good friendship. The first lady and I unfortunately do not talk anymore. While it started out great it ended much differently. She had a terrible time managing money and ultimately wanted me to help her pay bills every week. While I am the type to help anybody when they are down, she managed to be "down" every week. I also noticed that her personal phone was constantly blowing up when we were together so she was playing others with the personal friends thing. That just did not work out for me.
I still to this day talk/text with the other one even though she has moved away. When she comes into town, she will work during the day and then purposely block out the nights so we can spend the nights with each other. I do not "pay" her anymore but we ALWAYS have a blast going out to dinner, movies, comedy clubs, live bands and sometimes we just sit at my house watching TV and snacking all night on the couch. She says I am her "getaway". And honestly, she is a great getaway for me as well. After a year or so of seeing her on a personal level, I even met her parents and kids (kids are grown). They were traveling through NC going to Myrtle Beach one year. We spent a wonderful evening together and I was introduced as a co-worker from her past job lol. I do try to spoil her when I see her. But she often refuses to let me pay for certain things. It is important to her that I know she is not "using me". We have a true friendship with benefits but it works perfectly because we trust and completely respect each other. We joke that if we are both single when she gives up the profession, that I have to marry her Lol.
Use your best discretion on this. I think it is not only healthy but also a necessity for every man and woman to have someone they can trust and lean on. Someone they can vent to and someone they can spend downtime with, without being judged. The greatest challenge is finding someone that is on your personal level. Someone who wants what you can offer in a personal relationship, no more, no less. Just my .02 cents

and best of luck to you!!