From Deputy Sheriff to Therapist: Why I Left Law Enforcement to Help You Heal
- Joy Arnold-Bradshaw
- Jun 3
- 3 min read
I always wanted to be a superhero. Before I became a therapist, I spent 20 years working as a deputy sheriff. Day after day, I was called into people’s darkest moments—domestic disputes, mental health crises, trauma, and tragedy. Most people assume law enforcement is about control, but the truth is: it taught me empathy, listening, and emotional resilience. It taught me to sit with pain and not flinch.
Today, as a trauma-informed therapist, I specialize in depression, generational trauma, family therapy, anger, and behavioral issues. But what sets me apart isn’t just my clinical training—it’s that I’ve already walked alongside people in the middle of the storm. I don’t shy away from tough conversations, because I’ve had them. I don't judge, because I’ve seen what judgment costs.
Let me tell you a story that changed the course of my life.
The Moment That Shifted Everything
I once had a call involving an 18-year-old young woman arrested for prostitution. While in custody, she attempted to hang herself. I was the first one to reach her. After I untied her, she refused to go to the hospital. She looked at me and said, “I just want to talk.”
At that time, there was no therapist on staff. I was instructed to sit with her—to keep her talking. What unfolded over the next hour has never left me.
She told me she’d been sold by her father since she could remember. He would videotape the abuse and sell the footage. She was beaten daily and left alone with him constantly. At 14, she ran away and became homeless. That’s when she met her pimp - someone known on the streets as dangerous. She didn’t even realize what she’d been recruited into until she was already in too deep.
She told me that girls in the same ring ranged from 10 years old to their 50s. She said being in jail or ending her life were the only times she felt safe. The judge dismissed her case with a casual, “Go get some help.”
She was shaking as I walked her to the door. She whispered, “He’s going to hurt me… I didn’t make any money.” I suggested a shelter. She said, “He’ll find me.” Then she ran outside - to his car - and I watched as he slapped and punched her in broad daylight.
I tried to intervene. I was told, “Go back to your post—or lose your job.”
Years later, she returned to the station to find me. She said, “Thank you for listening.” She had gotten her GED. She was enrolled in college. She told me no one had ever just listened. That day, I knew I couldn’t stay in law enforcement forever. I needed to do more than contain people’s pain - I needed to help them heal it.
Why I Left to Help You Heal
That moment was the catalyst. I realized how many people walk around with untreated trauma—feeling invisible, dismissed, and stuck in cycles they didn’t create. I also realized that many people don’t need to be “fixed”—they need to be heard, held, and helped with compassion.
Now, in my therapy practice, I create that space for people every single day.
If you’re battling depression or anxiety, I’ll help you feel like yourself again.
If you’ve been carrying generational pain, I’ll help you break the cycle.
If your family is in chaos, I’ll help you reconnect, communicate, and heal.
If anger or outbursts are disrupting your life, I’ll teach you how to regulate and express without losing control.
I see you—and I don’t just mean that figuratively. I’ve seen people like you for two decades, and I’m still here, ready to listen.
What Makes My Therapy Style Different
Lived Experience – I’ve worked in real crisis, not just clinical labs.
No Judgment – You can show up as you are. Nothing shocks me.
Real Tools – I give you more than talk. I give you skills.
Trauma-Informed, Client-Centered – You set the pace. I guide with care.
Who I Work With
🧠 Adults experiencing trauma, depression, or unresolved childhood wounds
💔 Families navigating behavioral issues, conflict, or emotional disconnection
🔥 Individuals dealing with anger, impulsivity, or explosive reactions
🧬 People ready to break generational cycles of abuse, shame, or silence
👮🏽♂️ First responders, justice-involved individuals, or survivors of the system
Ready to Be Heard?
Whether you’ve experienced trauma, emotional neglect, or just feel overwhelmed by life—you don’t have to carry it alone.
Book a free consultation
📍 Virtual therapy available in 10 states and more coming soon!
💬 Insurance and sliding scale options available
You deserve more than survival. You deserve to heal. And I’m here when you’re ready.
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