Bianca* sat across from me in therapy, knees drawn in, voice shaky. “I just feel like I’m always bracing for something,” she said, eyes flicking towards her phone. She wasn’t expecting a call, but we both knew who she was referring to: her father.
Growing up, Bianca could never predict what mood he’d be in. Jovial one day, explosive the next. “Sometimes I’d just hear the tone of his voice and my body would start buzzing,” she told me. “Like something bad was about to happen.” Even now, as a 35-year-old woman with a successful career and close friendships, a slew of missed calls from him could unravel her for hours, as his mood escalated.
