first name. Never thought about anything else. I think at first we used first and last names when leaving phone messages for each other, but now we don't even do that. If I call her and she answers, I know she knows it's me, so I just say hi. Same thing when she calls me. I do identify myself by my first name when I leave her a message, because I envision her listening to a string of voicemails from clients in various stages of distress and I imagine a lot of us sound alike when we are upset.

About the name thing though...this intrigues me, because I do NOT like hearing my name, at all. Just in life, I mean, not only in therapy. I also tend to not like to call people by their names, or anything. I will just talk to them. For example, in 20 years of marriage I may have referred to my ex MIL as "June" twice. Never as mom. Usually as nothing at all.

I just really wonder, what is it about names that makes me so uncomfortable? It is very, very strange, and I have always thought it was just me. I'm glad to know I'm not alone, although I have no idea what it is rooted in.