The first "problem":
You may find it a bit difficult to keep her down off counters. WHY? Because height is a very real and very important part of a cat's territory. ESPECIALLY given the fact that she was wild. It is a survival instinct to be able to retreat UP (like onto a counter). I have a cat who's feet rarely ever touch the floor. She walks around on the counters and cabilnets, top of the 'fridge.....etc. It is where she feels safe. So, the bottom line is that I understand the desire to have the cat off the counters, but at least try to understand her point of view. You may be able to see that there are more important things than keeping cats off the counters.

The other "problem":
Yes, all cats are different. I have one (Fern) who took over 6 years to actually being to like to be petted. Now she asks for her pets twice a day. I have 2 others (Calvin and Willow) who cannot be picked up and held. It scares them immensely. And I work with fosters who usually do not come from the best of environments, and they take time and patience to learn what this thing is about being touched by humans. Oh, and yes, feral cats often do not know how to PLAY!. They never saw a toy and do not know what to do with one. My cat Biddy was actually afraid of toys at first. So the best thing for you to do is make petting sessions as pleasant as possible for her. Find the spot on her body that she really seems to love having rubbed. Give her treats when she allows you to pet her. But most importantly, don't frighten her by being too forceful. If she runs away, let her and wait until next time. Consistant gentle touching with slow (unscary) motions will work wonders.