Dr. Teresa Ethridge, a native Louisianian, was born on January 6, 1962. I arrived in the state of California in 1963, unfortunately, transitioning from a small town to the metropolis of Los Angeles came with many pitfalls. By the age of 16, I had been exposed to the perils of city life and observed decadence that no child should have been exposed to. Victimized by incest, physical abuse, and rape I experienced painful traumatic experiences that took me on an inevitable journey of dysfunctional behavior.