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As most good things do, our story begins in a bar. 

Jen and I (Tony) met when we were both living in Chicago, IL. Jen was bartending at the best bar in Wicker Park, Gracie O'Malley's, which also happened to be my dive of choice. 

I'll spare you the details, but one thing led to another, and we found ourselves dating, eventually living together, packing up and moving down to beautiful Wilmington, NC, getting engaged (woo woo!) and now starting this podcast. 

With Jens background in counseling psychology and mine in the interview/interrogation training/investigations space, we realized that while our jobs are very different, they share one very specific thing in common, working with people. If you're new to the whole "being a person" thing, people are...fascinating (and wildly entertaining).

We decided to start TUMAT so we could take our curiosity for better understanding human behavior, and hopefully inspire others to learn more about themselves and the people around them. We realize that so many topics within psychology can seem intimidating, complicated and “over-academic”. TUMAT is our outlet where we will have practical conversations, with personal perspectives, to help connect the dots to our everyday experiences. 

Hi! I'm Tony and I am so excited to be a part of this podcast! A little bit about me:

I have worked in the investigations space since I graduated from undergrad (JMU!) back in 2009. I worked as a police officer, a special agent with NCIS, and in the corporate investigations field for a number of years. Most recently, I spent the last five years working in the interview/interrogation training and consulting space, and now work for an investigations software company where I help to inform the research that feeds into their technology.  

I’ve always been curious about people. Why we behave the way we do and how the smallest difference in our experiences can have the most significant impact on how we manage our lives. I’ve found the best way to understand people is to let them tell their story. Jen and I both have knack in creating space for people to talk about themselves. People LOVE to talk about themselves—the good, bad, and ugly. The more we listen, the more we learn, the better we communicate.

Things you will learn about me: I love my cat, Charlie, I’m a fan of the NY Giants and NY Mets, I love the beach, I’m from the mountains and I enjoy a good dive bar. 

Education:

• BS in Justice Studies from James Madison University
• MS in Forensic Psychology from Arizona State
• Currently pursuing my doctorate in Clinical Psychology!
• Middle child

Hi there! My name is Jen- born and raised in Chicago, IL, did a little stint in Pickering, Ontario in the 90s, just pulled up the roots and moved to Wilmington, NC with this guy << and our cat, Charlie.

I have been professionally invested in the mental health field for the last 7 years, working with people from all ages, identities, and walks of life. Some many hours of my life have been dedicated to sitting alongside others in their darkest, scariest moments, while other many hours of my life have been spent listening, learning, and 100% being petty about the silly, sometimes embarrassing, quintessential human moments that we all experience. 

Tony is convinced that I got into the mental health field because I thrive on gossip and I have yet to prove to him, or myself, that that is not true. I’ve also spent 15 years working in the bar and restaurant service industry. You can use your own judgment to decide where my professional credibility in human behavior and psychology actually stems from.

Although sometimes against my will, I find that I learn something new about myself and other people every single day. If we were to get to the brass tax of it, I just like to listen to people talk about themselves- the best and the worst moments of their lives and every silly, dramatic, exciting, and boring moment in between. Unless I’m on an airplane or I’m sitting alone at a bar – in those scenarios, I “work in HR” and I’m (probably, maybe) not interested in digging into your generational traumas.

Things I will undoubtedly bring up: your pet, my pet, dozens of educational books that I’ve never opened or will never finish, the fact that you can’t self-care your way out of broken systems.

Education/Experience:

• Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from North Central College 
• Master of Education in Counseling from DePaul University 
• Licensed Professional Counselor in Illinois
• School Counselor in Illinois and North Carolina
• Bartender/Server
• Eldest daughter