The Therapist Who Couldn't Fix This: Tourette's, Caregiving, and Loss

Most of us have known someone who struggled with anxiety, trauma, or a neurological condition. Far fewer of us have lived with all of it under one roof. My guest today is Jen Knudsen, a trauma therapist whose personal life has given her a front-row seat to many of the challenges she now helps others navigate. We talk about her childhood, her path into counseling, raising a son with severe Tourette syndrome, and the realities of building a family when life doesn't always cooperate with the plan. But this conversation goes somewhere neither of us expected. As Jen shares the story of her father's battle with Parkinson's disease and Lewy body dementia, we find ourselves talking about caregiving, grief, guilt, and the impossible choices families sometimes face when suffering becomes too much to bear. This is an honest conversation about love, resilience, and what it means to keep showing up for the people we care about when there are no easy answers. I think you'll be glad you met her.