Most of the people I work with already know how to hold it together in public. They’ve sat through the meetings, answered the questions the right way, and kept the family or the job or the kid’s school from falling apart. Then they get home and the story in their head is still loud. If that sounds familiar, you’re in the right place.

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Before I trained as a therapist I spent years as a private investigator and paralegal in family law and criminal defense. A lot of that work was with people dealing with parental alienation, custody fights, and the kinds of family situations that don’t make for polite conversation. I learned how to listen without flinching and how to keep track of what actually happened when everyone else was rewriting the story.

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Friends describe me as the type-B big sister who doesn’t flinch. I love music and art, and that tends to show up in sessions too. You don’t have to start with the heavy stuff. You’re in the driver’s seat. We can talk about music, pets, travel, movies or literally color together if that’s what you need to do first. There’s nothing weird about getting to know someone before you tell them everything.