Dr. Venus Nicolino is one of thee doctors on Bravo’s upcoming series LA Shrinks. The show follows Dr. V, as she’s referred to by her clients, and two others as they tackle the L.A. craziness — literally. During the hour show, fans will get to know the doctors both in their professional lives and their personal lives and for Dr. V, one is just as hectic as the other.
In the office Dr. V has several very complex patients, some of which fans will meet. Among them is a pair of identical twins who she helps face an issue they don’t have in common — their sexuality. Another couple needs help with their sex life and Dr. V has some unconventional methods which are sure to be fun to watch — she even takes them to a sex shop!
^ Dr. V with her father, her husband, and her children
At home, Dr. V is both a wife and a mommy and she doesn’t care for just her own two children, ages 3 and 5. She also has permanent guardianship of her two nephews, ages 6 and 7. That means in addition to her demanding job, she’s also taking care of four children — and a husband.
According to her official cast blog for Bravo, Dr. V is “sharp-tongued with a mind to match. Dr. V’s code is one of genuine kindness and recognition in the transformative powers of empathy. Using her compassionate understanding of the human condition with an occasional dash of profanity, she tackles the obstacles and joys that make up life.”
During a recent interview with The Examiner, Dr. V talked about her childhood and what made her into the woman she is today:
“When I was a child, my family hardly ever traveled, and never very far, because we were a large family with very little money. To succeed in these social settings, I had to be ‘better’ than my wealthier peers; the ‘best’ cellist, the ‘smartest’ kid in GATE (gifted and talented education). Because of my poorer ‘hood, the gate keepers to these programs were always looking for a reason to oust me, and thus held me to higher standard than my more well-to-do peers. It backfired on them, as I was determined to not give them ‘their reason’ and only threw myself into my work that much more. I’ve worked very hard to get where I am, but I don’t think we need to make it prohibitively difficult for those with the same work ethic to realize their own full potential, just for the sake of reinforcing our outdated notions of class.
And as for the differences between her professional life as Dr. V and her personal life as Mrs. V, she admits, “I’m probably a bit softer and more vulnerable as Mrs. V, but that’s just because I can safely let my guard down with my husband and kids. There are also times when, just like everyone else, I just want to turn the work part of my brain off and enjoy the moment with my family.”
In the trailer, which you can watch here, Dr. V displays a candid style with a flair for the dramatic.
LA Shrinks premieres Monday, March 4 at 10/9c on Bravo.
