I was born (1969) and raised in Southern California, Redlands. Graduated from Cal State San Bernardino with a B.S. in Biology in 1993 (pre-med track), however did not follow that line of education. Instead, followed up with a unique A.S. in Exotic Animal Training and Management degree from Moorpark, CA. (I like to think of that as an Animal Psychology line of education, as well as gaining knowledge and experience on how to educate the public about the plight of wild and exotic animals that surround us). How can we co-exist respectfully and safely in this world?

From that point, I’ve worked with animals in various capacities, ultimately transitioning into education, teaching middle school science (and yes, had a rather large enclosure in my classroom, housing a raven named Edgar who was not releasable, but had a good life being an ambassador educating people, and who my students adored).

I moved to Arizona after that, following my heart, and my future husband. There I worked at the Phoenix Zoo as an Office Manager at their Animal Care Center (their on- site Veterinarian Office), managing Zoo Animal Acquisition/Disposition Medical Records, and some of the volunteers in that office.

During that time, I was married and my husband and I started a family. We did not anticipate the difficulties I would have in my pregnancies with both my daughters, and I had to leave my position at the Phoenix Zoo to ensure the healthy and safe development of my children.

We decided to move north, where it was much cooler than Phoenix. We landed in Prescott, AZ with our new baby and toddler. At this time, I remained unemployed to stay with our children during those formative years and be a stay-at-home mom with them.

But problems ensued in our marriage after moving to Prescott. Many problems and red-flags were already present prior to moving to Prescott, however, they became pronounced when we finally landed in Prescott. Our divorce was finalized in February 2009, but the divorce caused an explosion of what I would call gas-lighting behavior aimed at me, and a smear campaign launched against me. It was all very confusing and confounding. I remember being completely baffled, stunned, and confused. Shocked moreso that my very young children who were 3 and 5, were being intentionally involved in our divorce by my ex-husband. He was intentionally involving them in our divorce matters and twisting and distorting truths to my children all the while involving them as youngsters. What young child or toddler would be able to make heads or tails of what they are being told and manipulated to believe by the person they most earnestly love and implicitly trust, a parent? In our divorce class, we were instructed and reminded to not involve the children in our disagreements, however, a pathological parent is unable to follow that boundary for their children’s sake (or their sanity). In the pathological parent’s mind, it’s war, and the children must shore-up the pathological parent’s ego. Children become the pathological parent’s hostages.

I shall write more about this and go into greater detail about the pathological parenting of a Narcissistic Personality Disordered parent (which also applies to a Borderline Personality Disordered parent). Please see my Attachment-Based Parental Alienation section.

Life for me and my children was derailed at this point in time and I began to observe and hear about his active manipulations of my children, from the children themselves. Again, see about these manipulations in my AB-PA section.

At the time, my divorce lawyer announced to me that he was a Narcissist. And she said the family courts are full of them, clogging up space and time, also known as “High Conflict Divorces”. I wound up going back to school, aiming for a Master’s in Counseling Psychology, specifically to understand more about Narcissism and what it was exactly I was dealing with.

I started to see some behavior out of my 5 year old that seriously concerned me. She was “freaking out” about simple things she should not have been. She dropped a glass, knocked it on the floor and it shattered. She immediately started to cry hysterically, and I had to settle her down. This was bewildering to me. My younger daughter said that if that would have happened at dad’s, she would have been in so much trouble. Another time, around the same time, we walked passed a squashed green grape on the floor at Walmart as we were walking toward the bathroom. She began to cry hysterically again, saying that it was a severed toe. No matter what I said, she was certain of it. I had to go show it to her, and prove to her it was a grape and not a severed toe.

For these reasons, I took her to see a counselor. It was escalating, and it was so off the wall from her normal behavior. I digress here, this information belongs in AB-PA section, but I will follow up there.

So in my educational pursuit to obtain a Counseling Psychology M.S. degree, my life was again derailed by my ex-husband. He involved CPS, now known as DCS, in Arizona, accusing me of abusing and neglecting my children. I was halfway through my Master’s and I was forced to put that on hold in order to fight this accusation with DCS. I was also employed by Child and Family Support Services as a Parent-Aide, and I had to put that on hold as well. DCS took my children away from me, and I was now in the fight of my life to prove my innocence of this accusation, and have custody of my children returned to me. It took 1 1/2 years, but it was done.

After 1 1/2 years, I did not resume my education, too much damage done, and recovery was not easy. The 1 1/2 years of active alienation solidified the developmental track of my children in the following years. At this point in time, it was sink or swim, and I was barely able to keep my head above water with my alienated daughters. It was grueling. I did manage to get a job with Good Samaritan, Village Tower as a Service Coordinator, and I was there for 6 years, helping Seniors maintain their Independent Living status for as long as possible, connecting them with services in the community and assisting them when it was time to move into a higher level of care residency.

My mother passed away suddenly and tragically of Covid on 2/2/2022 in California. Circumstances determined that I leave my job at that time and I did not return to Good Samaritan, Village Tower after my family affairs were completed. Instead, I applied for a Client Coordinator position at Prescott Meals on Wheels, which is where I am still employed at this time. I have been with Prescott Meals on Wheels for a year and a half now.