My wife Claire fully believed in the power of counseling. “When you can’t do something yourself, you consult a professional, right? If your plumbing is blocked up, you call a plumber. If you need a new transmission, you get a mechanic.” she’d say. “And we’ve been trying to get our marriage straight for the last 2 years. It ain’t working. We need help.”

She said those words so tacitly, not even bothering to make eye contact with me, as she searched through online listings of local marriage counselors. I wanted to protest, but I thought it best not to challenge her on her methods.

Claire chose Dr. Vanessa Scherer because she was relatively young yet very highly recommended. She thought that the doctor’s youth would be an asset for us. Maybe we’d all come out of this experience as friends. Maybe a woman would be more understanding. And maybe she’d have an advantage.

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