When Emma Stevens learned her new next-door neighbor was a psychologist, she innocently asked about how to find a therapist for her own issues. Dr. Carol Brenner decided to accept her as a patient. Against a backdrop of the Laguna Beach fire, the insidious drama unfolds as Emma finds herself enmeshed in an unhealthy dependency on her therapist, who not only fostered this dependence but also used it to dominate and control her.

How could this happen? Emma explores how having been relinquished at birth, put up for adoption, and raised by parents who did not treat her well may have created the fertile ground for an experienced predator-super-therapist to exploit and indoctrinate her.

A Fire Is Coming is a thrilling psychological nightmare, as Emma tries to escape the predators and narcissists in her life—who have their own egoic plan. Not only does Emma escape, she takes a hard look back at how and why it happened. Emma’s unflinching narrative serves as a cautionary tale to anyone who might find themselves a potential victim of an exploitative therapist or vindication for anyone who has had an adverse experience with an unethical professional.

After escaping such a bewildering experience, Emma dives into the field of psychology, learning about adverse personalities and the power of a cultic relationship. Emma may have started her journey as a passive victim, but as she begins to integrate her experience, she becomes a brave witness and advocate for others who may find themselves on a similar path.®