Dr. Velma Price

Velma was born into an upper class "old money" family in Aberdeen, Scotland in the early 90s. She had an early interest in medicine, and her family's wealth assured that this was a realistic goal for her to aim for. She has said in interviews that she got into medicine in order to try to find a cure for her father's illness, although there's no record of what that illness was, exactly. At the same time, she confessed she had an early fascination with the occult, and one of her hobbies included checking out the 001 category of books from any library she had access to.   She graduated alumni from St. Margaret's School for Girls in 2008, and came overseas to study medicine at the University of British Columbia when she was 18. She graduated with a Ph.D. in Psychology and Medicine (specializing in Pediatric Surgery) in 2015, and did her internship at the Vancouver General Hospital while still completing her studies. Part of that internship included work on a government-funded program for Canadian veterans that introduced mindfulness and meditation into their PTSD therapy. Data from that study was positive, and led to the incorporation of such methods into regular treatment for Canadian veterans.   Perhaps motivated by this work, Velma's Ph.D. in Medicine focused on the effect of endocrinal response to stress and trauma on the brain, especially when experienced over a long period, such as with C-PTSD. Her Ph.D in Psychology studied the apparent crossover, and co-morbidity, of neurodiversity and stress disorders, based in the different ways in which people with developmental trauma and neurodiversity process stress.   Despite this keen interest in research, Velma maintained an active theraputic practice. This was temporarily interrupted by the collapse of the Canadian government and the British Columbian provincial government in 2020. During the collapse, she continued to run a free medical clinic and theraputic practice for anyone who couldn't afford the private medical clinics that began to spring up in the lull. She was approached by The Company during this time and offered a position with one of their clinics, along with a variety of perks, but she told them to take a hike in the face of their exorbitant fees for services. When they burned down her clinic, she simply moved to Okanagan City and opened another one.   When Literomancy made its dramatic reappearance in the world, she shifted her focus to the neurology and psychology of literomancy, wanting to understand what it was that allowed some people to access magical powers, while others could not. It is this focus, along with the simultaneous maintenance of her theraputic practice, her previous experience and focal points of study, and her proximity that made her an ideal choice for Queen Sable Aradia's therapist. Dr. Price was one of ten names presented to the Queen to choose from, and was quite pleased when Her Royal Majesty reached out for help. The two have proven to be a good fit.   As therapist to the Queen, Dr. Price is privy to a great deal of Confidential information within the Lapin Protectorate and some with higher classifications as well. While she has written numerous books and papers on literomantic psychology, the psychology of trauma, and literomantic neuroscience, and some have been bestsellers, her regular fees for service are billed directly to the Protectorate like those of everyone else, rather than directly covered by the funds reserved for the Lapin royalty. This is a point of pride for her, and Queen Sable is savvy enough to note that it's also good for Lapin politics.   While Dr. Price continues to offer her services at one of the Protectorate-sponsored free clinics in Okanagan City, she now has a number of Tome Knights among her clientele, and she is the most sought-after clinical therapist for Literomancers in the world. It has not hurt that the Bunny Queen and the Lapin royal family, as well as the World Literomantic Academy, have been eager to cooperate in her research in order to advance the studies of literomantic neuroscience and literomantic psychology.  

I want to know what makes literomancers tick as much as you do, doc! So if I can help with that, you just let me know. It just can't disrupt my duties, is all.

— Queen Sable to Dr. Velma Price when asked to participate in a study

Dr. Price holds two Ph.D.s; one in Medicine and the other in Psychology, both from the University of British Columbia.

Dr. Price has maintained a successful theraputic practice since the completion of her degrees, even in 2020 due to societal collapse. She is highly sought after as a therapist for Tome Knights, and there is a six month waiting list to see her, but she continues to offer her services at a free clinic in Okanagan City.