1. Off and on, mostly on, for 14 years.

2. Originally for depression and for help with an unruly child who was also in therapy and who wound up in drug rehab at 16. Later for continued depression. Most recently for anxiety/depression/obsession that has T and I feel is Borderline PD.

3. Mostly nurture, some nature. T thinks I had an anxious attachment to my mother and there was neglect and abuse and general family dysfunction in my life. By nature, I feel that my temperment and my hearing disorder contributed as well.

4. My most recent therapy (I have seen this T for a little over a year) has been very relieving. I finally really feel that someone is there.. for me.. like I have always wanted. I researched types of therapies and decided what I wanted to experience; then I found my T by calling a psychoanalytic institute in the closest large city and asking if they had a candidate (student who is very highly qualified and already a practicing T--she's been a T for 20 years) to refer me to. I was very very very lucky--they had just one female T to suggest and I wanted a female T, she is a psychodynamic psychotherapist and that's what I want, and we both felt it was a good match by the second meeting. It isn't always wonderful of course, sometimes we connect and sometimes we are miles apart and sometimes therapy is just kind of 'blah'. Mostly it's good and I'm commited to sticking with it (this time). I can't imagine not having therapy in my life and T said she is committed to working with me for as long as it takes and that sounds so good to me.