Skyliner,

Certainly past traumas will form an important part of psychoanalysis or psychoanalytic psychotherapy (probably in a similar way as they did in psychodynamic therapy). I do psychoanalytic psychotherapy - a considerable part of the therapy has been about processing all the aspects of my past (the trauma). When I started the therapy I was in crisis - I was in extreme psychic pain (a pain worse than any other type of pain I've ever experienced or could ever imagine experiencing). There was no distance at all between me now and the person I was while experiencing the various trauma's during my childhood. Everything was vividly in front of me and consuming me day and night. Now, not that I will ever forget my past, I can take some distance from all those things and not let them dictate how I feel in the here and now. Ok, I still have my problems but there's definitely a positive shift and a great relief. This has taken a lot of time and work though - and trust in my therapist (I'm still busy with that).

Psychoanalysis tends to be (very) expensive unless you decide to see an analyst in training for a reduced fee (even then, it will be costly to pay for 4 or 5 sessions per week). Some psychoanalytic institutes have special programs where some patients get reduced rates. Where I live (western Europe), there are even some people who receive psychoanalysis for FREE - but this is a very small minority.

My concern: you mention a desire for a nurturing and warm therapist. I can imagine the average psychodynamic therapist might be more open to contact outside of session than an analyst or psychoanalytic psychotherapist. Analysts have a reputation for being 'cold' and 'distant'. If you decide to go through an analytic institute, you should make it clear what you expect and want from the therapist. In my case I see someone who has described himself as a 'true Freudian analyst' (actually I would disagree with him but anyway) - my partner jokes that my therapist isn't 'Mr. Empathy' - that said he replies to e-mails and has said I should call him if I need to. He will never spontaneously call me or e-mail me, never. And apart from a hand shake when I arrive and leave, he would never physically comfort me. Of course, all therapists have their own style but I think the more analytic the orientation of the therapist, the more reserved they are generally with physical warmth and out of session communication. This doesn't mean the relationship isn't intimate and warm. It's just a matter of the context in which warmth and empathy are expressed. For me, this level of 'comforting' bodes well - for some it wouldn't.

Hope this helps.

Onzi