Psychologists and counsellors aren’t supposed to look like this.

Brian’s thick beard hangs halfway down his chest. He’s jacked too. A heavy set bodyguard turned powerlifter with thighs the size of my waist.

Brian turns to his wife: petite, pretty, with an intense wisdom. Carrie also lifts - it shows - and her tattoos cover the majority of her skin.

Mental health professionals are meant to be plain types who say little. Not … whatever these two were.

“Beliefs,” Brian says. “Beliefs are the reason we have the lives we have. Beliefs are the reason we are the people we are. Beliefs are the reason we’re successful, unsuccessful, happy, sad, conservative, liberal. Beliefs make you, you, Tom.”

Sitting 4000 miles away from the husband and wife power couple, I didn’t even know what question to ask them next.

I stammered.

The software continued recording the podcast.

Little did I know that conversation would be my life’s major inflection point.