meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
Strictly Stalking

330. Stalking, Surveillance, and Fear: Vanessa Reiser

Strictly Stalking

Strictly Stalking

Society & Culture, True Crime

4.1 • 2.6K Ratings

🗓️ 12 May 2026

⏱️ 61 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Vanessa Reiser is a therapist whose life became the focus of a relentless campaign of surveillance and intimidation. After her relationship ended, the harassment didn't stop — it escalated. A private investigator was allegedly hired to follow her, and someone posing as a patient infiltrated her therapy practice. As Vanessa fought to protect herself, she turned to the courts for help. But when her request for a restraining order was denied, the fear and harassment only intensified. Now, Vanessa is speaking publicly about what happened behind the headlines — and what it feels like when the system meant to protect you leaves you vulnerable instead.

Share Your Story on the Show:

Guest Links:

Vanessa M. Reiser, LCSW

Our Sponsors

Related Podcasts

  • The Last Trip - Podcast - hosted by Jaimie Beebe
  • Listen & Subscribe Here: The Last Trip
  • lovelustfear | with Jake Deptula
  • Listen & Subscribe Here: lovelustfear

Instagram

 

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

For like a week, I was running with a GoPro because I'm a runner and my therapist was really guiding me around how to radically accept that there was just essentially going to be somebody in my bushes all day long. Like, just to kind of get my mind around that like somebody was just going to be stalking me. And that was it. I was going to be stalked. And maybe I was going to be stalked for the rest of my life. And I had to radically accept that.

0:21.9

I'm Jamie Beebe.

0:23.5

And I'm Jake Deptula.

0:24.8

On today's episode of Strictly Stocking, we're speaking with Vanessa Riser, a therapist

0:29.1

whose life became the target of a calculated campaign of surveillance.

0:33.1

After her relationship ended, the harassment didn't stop.

0:36.7

It escalated.

0:38.9

A private investigator was hired to watch her, and someone posing as a patient answered her practice.

0:43.6

Fearing for her safety, Vanessa filed for a restraining order. But in court, the request

0:47.8

was denied and the stalking and harassment intensified.

0:51.2

Now Vanessa is speaking out about what really happened behind the news headlines and what

0:55.5

it's like when the system doesn't protect you. Vanessa, thank you for joining us today. Thank you for

1:00.2

having me. We know this is the first time you've actually shared this story out in public on a format

1:06.2

like a podcast. So why don't we start from the beginning? Tell us about who you are. And before all this

1:11.9

happened, who was Vanessa Reiser? I grew up in Rockland County, New York, kind of ragamuffin Irish

1:18.8

kid, not a lot of resources, kind of struggled to get through all the things, and then managed

1:26.5

to get my associates degree from a community college. In my 30s,

1:31.3

went on to graduate from USC with my master's in social work. I was working in the Bronx at an

1:39.4

outpatient mental health clinic triage style, kind of like gangbangers, foster care kids and all kinds of

1:47.9

trauma. Life was okay at this point. I had managed to kind of get out of a lot of those adverse

1:54.9

childhood experiences. And then I met my ex and that was where things really, really turned.

2:03.5

What was it about the work that you do as a therapist that really drew you to people,

...

Transcript will be available on the free plan in 4 days. Upgrade to see the full transcript now.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Strictly Stalking, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Strictly Stalking and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.