Resilience Development in Action: First Responder Mental Health
This podcast offers practical resilience strategies for first responders, leaders, and trauma survivors. Hosted by licensed mental health counselor Steve Bisson, each episode covers topics like grief processing, trauma recovery, and leadership development. The show aims to make complex mental health concepts accessible and applicable to real-world situations.
Episodes
Union Support Versus Outside Counsel For First Responders
Send us Fan MailThe hardest part of getting help in public safety is not finding resources, it’s knowing who you can trust when the stakes are your career, your reputation, and your sanity. We pick up part two with employment attorney Bridget Truxillo to talk candidly about where union support shines, where conflicts of interest can quietly derail you, and why an outside employment law perspective
When Work Becomes The Trauma
Send us Fan MailA career can end without a single bad call. Sometimes it’s the station politics, the paper trail, and the quiet retaliation that do the damage and it can hit your mental health just as hard as anything on the street. I sit down with Bridget Truxillo, an attorney, former deputy sheriff, and former SWAT team member, to talk about what happens when the workplace becomes the stressor y
Stop Saying Suck It Up Buttercup
Send us Fan MailThe fastest way to miss someone in pain is to only believe the “approved” version of distress. We sit down with Liana Lucine, a former UK London Met police officer and trainer, to unpack how stereotypes shape everything from mental health calls to workplace culture and even how we label victims. When anxiety, depression, grief, or trauma don’t match the mental picture we expect, th
Resilience Grows When We Stop Treating People Like Problems
Send us Fan MailIf you’ve ever wondered why some calls escalate fast while others calm down in minutes, the answer usually isn’t “more force” or “better scripts.” It’s the human skill that gets trained the least and judged the most: how we talk to people when they’re at their worst.I’m joined by Liana Lucine, a former Metropolitan Police officer in London with 18 years on the job and deep experien
You Can Survive The Moment Without Living In The What If
Send us Fan MailYour body can hit full panic speeds while your brain has to make courtroom-clean decisions. That tension sits at the center of my conversation with Eric Robinson, a former pastor turned FBI agent who spent 24 years in the Bureau and served on SWAT. We get real about what it means to approach a door knowing you might meet violence, and why true calm is not bravado, it is competence
How A Retired FBI Agent Stays Human In A Hard Job
Send us Fan MailHe walked away from the pulpit because the stress would not let his body rest, then spent the next two decades staring straight at humanity’s darkest corners. I’m joined by Eric Robinson, newly retired after 24 years in the FBI, to talk about resilience that’s earned, not posted. Eric shares how carrying other people’s pain as a solo pastor led to daily headaches, and why choosing
Peer Support Without Gossip
Send us Fan MailIf peer support is supposed to be a safe place, why do so many first responders avoid it because they’re afraid their story will end up in the station, the briefing room, or the chief’s office? Stephanie Conn get blunt about the real problem behind “peer support doesn’t work” and it’s usually not the idea, it’s trust, confidentiality, and what happens when one person treats private
Making Wellness Practical For Police Fire And EMS
Send us Fan MailThe job trains you to scan for danger, move fast, and stay ready, but nobody hands you a clean off-switch when you walk back through your front door. We sit down with Dr Stephanie Conn, a former dispatcher and police officer turned first responder psychologist, to get real about what actually helps police, fire, EMS, dispatch, and corrections stay steady over the long haul.We talk
What Happens After The Save
Send us Fan MailOne small action can change a whole community, and sometimes even rewrite what the next generation learns in school. We sit down with Brad and Kira Newberry to unpack the idea behind their book, The Saved Effect, and why a single rescue rarely ends when the ambulance doors close. Using the butterfly effect as a guide, we explore how “micro moments” of courage and care can ripple ou
How One Cardiac Arrest Save Ripples For Decades
Send us Fan MailYou can work a cardiac arrest, get pulses back, hand the patient off, and never learn what happened next. That missing chapter messes with how we measure success, how we carry trauma, and how we stay resilient over a long career in EMS and emergency medicine.We sit down with Brad Newberry, a captain paramedic with more than 40 years in fire and EMS and the founder of a major EMS ed
Trust Is Earned Before Therapy Can Work
Send us Fan MailYou can build the best peer support team on paper, fund the best wellness initiatives, and still miss the people who are hurting the most. That’s where this conversation with Dr. Stacey Raymond goes, and we don’t stay polite about it. We talk about why first responder mental health needs to start at the academy level, with a clear warning: the job will expose you to traumatic event
You Can Treat Trauma Early Without Reliving It
Send us Fan MailA call can end, the scene can clear, and your body can still be on the call months later. We sit down with clinical psychologist Dr. Stacy Raymond to talk about what actually works for first responder mental health when the job leaves you with nightmares, intrusive images, a short fuse, and sleep that never fully comes back. We also dig into why the “tough it out” culture quietly p
How A Crisis Cop Broke Through Stigma And Got Help
Send us Fan MailA lot of first responders can talk anyone through a crisis, then go home and quietly self-destruct. That tension sits at the center of my conversation with Joe Smarro, a former cop known for crisis work who’s also honest about the parts of his life that didn’t look “resilient” at all: shame, compulsive numbing, relationship fallout, and the kind of hopelessness that puts a gun belt
How A Police Mental Health Unit De-Escalates Chaos
Send us Fan MailA “mental health call” rarely looks like a calm conversation in a quiet office. It looks like uncertainty, pressure, split-second decisions, and a room full of risk factors that do not fit neatly into a checklist. I sit down with Joe Smarro, former Marine and former San Antonio Police Department officer who spent 11 years full-time on a mental health unit, to unpack what actually w
How A First Responder Mental Health Podcast Grows Sustainably: 5th Anniversary Celebration
Send us Fan MailFive years ago, I hit publish with a simple goal: make mental health easier to talk about and easier to access. Now, Resilience Development in Action is built specifically for first responder mental health, because police, firefighters, EMTs, paramedics, and dispatchers carry stress and trauma most people never see, then get told to just push through it.I’m sharing what’s kept this
A Paramedic’s Turning Point After A Suicide Scene
Send us Fan MailOne call can change the way you breathe, drive, sleep, and even trust your own judgment. I sit down with paramedic Emma Irwin to talk through a suicide scene that hit hard, the moment she cried on scene, and the quiet belief that too many first responders carry: “I should be able to handle this.” We name what that pressure does to police, fire, EMS, dispatchers, and paramedics when
Paramedic Trauma And The Moment It Hit
Send us Fan MailA lot of people assume first responder stress is mostly about what you see on calls. Emma Irwin, a UK paramedic who worked both London and Kent, helps us name the other half of the story: the system you work inside. We compare how ambulance “trusts” operate, what shifts when call volume spikes, how response targets change the feel of a day, and why a 30-minute transport can be a bi
A Retired Officer Shares How Ayahuasca Opened The Door To Grief Healing
Send us Fan MailThe day you retire, the job doesn’t just end. Your identity can crack wide open. I sit down with Kemmi Sadler, a recently retired law enforcement professional, to talk about what it really feels like to go from “in the club” to “civilian” overnight, and why that change can pull years of grief and trauma straight to the surface. We get honest about the quiet moments after a career o
A Diplomatic Security Agent On Trauma, Clearance Fear, And Getting Help
Send us Fan MailThe job can send you to the hardest places on earth, then expect you to come home and act like nothing followed you back.We talk with Kemmi Sadler, a retired supervisory special agent from the U.S. State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service, about what two decades of protective missions, investigations, and overseas tours can do to your inner life. From her early years in local
Why First Responders And Clinicians Still Need Human Supervision
Send us Fan MailSupervision used to be something you could reach for without fear or apology, and a lot of us built our careers on that kind of steady mentorship. Recording with Dennis Sweeney, Chris Gordon, Bob Cherney, Andy Kang, and Pat Rice, we get real about what’s changed in mental health and first responder support, and what it costs when clinicians and teams try to do complex work in isola
Mandatory Fitness and Mental Health For First Responders
Send us Fan MailIf you think police wellness is mostly about eating better and “handling stress,” this conversation will challenge you fast. Kevin Gilmartin returns and gets blunt about what the job does to the body and brain over years of hypervigilance, and why the usual scapegoat (donuts) misses the real drivers: cortisol, adrenaline, sleep debt, and a culture that treats prevention like an opt
Why Police Need Mental Health Training Like Firearms
Send us Fan MailA lot of police wellness talk starts after something terrible happens. We wanted to start earlier and go deeper, into the daily mechanics of the job that slowly shape sleep, mood, relationships, and long-term health. I’m joined by Kevin Gilmartin, a retired law enforcement veteran and clinical psychologist who’s been watching the evolution of first responder mental health since the
How Leaders Can Support First Responder Recovery
Send us Fan MailYou can do everything “right” on the job and still end up quietly falling apart at home. Part two with Nikki Mason gets real about what first responder mental health support actually needs to look like when the stakes are high and the window for help is small.We start with the hard conversation many departments avoid: how to get chiefs and administrators to back real treatment inst
Inside The Gate: Vetting Care For First Responders
Send us Fan MailThe hardest part of getting help often isn’t the therapy—it’s knowing who to trust when everything feels at risk. We sit down with treatment navigator Nikki Mason to open the black box of first responder mental health: how to spot programs that truly understand police, fire, EMS, and dispatch, why families are the first to notice cracks, and what happens when a call for help goes u
What First Responders Want From Therapy And Group Work
Send us Fan MailWhat do first responders actually need from therapy to make it stick? We unpack fresh survey results from 46 clients and more than 30 first responders to surface what’s working, what’s missing, and the changes we’re rolling out next. From session length and structure to real follow-up and safer groups, this is a candid look at the nuts and bolts of care that moves the needle.We dig
Leading With Care: Real Support For First Responders
Send us Fan MailStigma keeps too many first responders silent, and silence can cost careers, health, and lives. We sit down with a former deputy sheriff and burnout expert AK Dozanti to map clear, practical ways leaders and peers can replace fear with trust—without waiting for a crisis to force the issue. From the first honest check-in to a policy that actually protects time for care, we unpack w
How A Cop-Turned-Coach Helps First Responders Heal And Lead
Send us Fan MailWhen a split-second choice could become tomorrow’s headline, how do you stay human under the uniform? We sit down with former deputy sheriff turned coach and author AK Dozanti to unpack the real toll of first responder life—and the science-backed tools that help you heal without losing your edge.AK traces a rare path: undercover ICAC work at 19, road patrol, officer of the year, ra
Why Emotional Safety Makes Therapy Work For Police, Fire, And EMS
Send us Fan MailThe hardest stories rarely get told in the places that need them most. Susan Roggendorf and I open the door to how confidentiality truly works for police, fire, EMS, dispatchers, and medics—and why airtight boundaries are the backbone of real therapeutic change. No nods in public that out you, no name drops across departments, and no casual mentions that break trust. HIPAA is the l
Please Stop Asking Cops About Dead Bodies
Send us Fan MailEver been told to “suck it up” after a call that split your world in two? We challenge that script with a grounded, respectful look at how first responders can access care that actually helps. Steve sits down with licensed clinician and podcaster Susan Roggendorf for a candid, unfiltered conversation about culture, stigma, and practical support for police, fire, EMS, dispatch, ER,
Step Away From The Cape, You’re Not The Department Of Everything
Send us Fan MailIf you’re the one everyone turns to, you might be carrying more than you realize. We sit down with psychotherapist and mental wellness consultant Leah Marone to unpack the “serial fixer” habit—why it thrives in first responder culture and how it quietly fuels burnout, resentment, and frayed relationships. Leah works extensively with police, fire, EMS, and dispatch, and she brings s
When Systems Fail: First Responders, Crisis Work, And The Cost Of Care
Send us Fan MailIn part 2, the calls keep coming, but the solutions don’t. We sit down with crisis clinician and EMDR therapist Morgan Yaskus to trace how a frayed safety net pushes first responders into impossible roles—and how that mismatch breeds moral injury. From long drives to the nearest DMV or ER to midnight discharges with no plan, we map the structural barriers that turn compassion into
Alaska, Crisis, And The Thin Line
Send us Fan MailThe toughest calls rarely end when the sirens go quiet. We sat down with Alaska-based counselor Morgan Yaskus to explore how real support for police, fire, EMS, dispatchers, and paramedics takes shape in small communities where everyone knows your truck, your shift, and your business. Morgan spent three years on a nonprofit-led mobile crisis team working alongside first responders
How A Fire Chief-Turned-Therapist Is Changing First Responder Mental Health
Send us Fan MailStrength without silence. That’s the thread running through our conversation with Jeff Dill, a former battalion chief turned licensed counselor and the founder of the Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance. Jeff has spent years validating firefighter and EMS suicide data, building workshops from real-world stories, and leading behavioral health efforts for Las Vegas Fire and Rescue
How Shift Work, Hypervigilance, And Silence Erode Love—and What We Can Do About It
Send us Fan MailIn part 2 with Alexa Silva, we discuss how love doesn’t clock out when the tones drop. We sat down to unpack what really happens when a first responder’s world of shift work, hypervigilance, and on-call stress collides with the everyday demands of family life—and why even strong couples can drift into silence, scorekeeping, and resentment without clear structure and care.Across a c
Inside The Therapy Room: Addiction, Culture, And Trust
Send us Fan MailThe badge asks for everything, then hands you a shift change and a smile. We sat down with returning guest, licensed clinical social worker Alexis Silva, to dig into the quiet realities behind the uniform: why trust is scarce, why stigma is sticky, and how substance use becomes a steady companion long before it becomes a crisis. Alexis works almost exclusively with first responder
Best of 2025: How A Police Sergeant Faced Trauma And Found A Path Back
Send us Fan MailThe most downloaded conversation of the year returns for a reason: it’s the raw, practical guide first responders and their families keep asking for. We sit with Sgt. Michael Sugrue—Air Force security forces veteran, Walnut Creek Police sergeant, and author of Relentless Courage—to talk about the weight of hundreds of traumatic calls, how a 2012 shooting upended his life, and the e
We Celebrate A Year Of Hard Lessons, Healing Wins, And The People Who Keep First Responders Going
Send us Fan MailFrom crime and trauma scene cleanup to midnight dispatch and station kitchens, we gathered the most powerful lessons from a year of conversations with first responders, clinicians.Here are the links for all the episodes: Krista Gregg (E.188): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/e-188Jessica Jamieson (E.192): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/e-192Beth Salmo (E.204): https://p
How Unprocessed Loss Fuels Burnout And What To Do About It
Send us Fan MailWhen the lights are flashing and the clock is ticking, we train for everything—except the weight we carry home. We sit down with Coast Guard veteran and grief coach Justin Jacobs to unpack the invisible load of moral injury, the shock of losing the uniform, and the quiet ways unprocessed grief leaks into performance, relationships, and health. From the chaos of capsized boats to th
From Skepticism To Skills: How Co-Response Training Changes Policing
Send us Fan MailWhat if the most powerful tool on a crisis scene isn’t a badge or a diagnosis, but a practiced partnership? We continue our conversation with Dr. Sarah Abbott about co-response and unpack how pairing clinicians with police changes the outcome of calls involving mental health, substance use, and high-stress events—from domestic incidents with kids present to house fires and welfare
From Arrests To Care: Building A Smarter Crisis Response For First Responders
Send us Fan MailCrises rarely look like TV. Most calls aren’t bank robberies; they’re frantic welfare checks, neighbor standoffs over fences, a parent terrified for a missing teen, or someone hearing voices at 2 a.m. We sit down with Dr. Sarah Abbott, a pioneer of the police–clinician co-response model, to unpack how pairing a trained clinician with officers at the point of contact reshapes outcom
Why Role Loss After Service Can Turn Deadly And What Actually Helps
Send us Fan MailThe silence after the last shift can be deafening. We dive into what really happens when the badge comes off and the calls stop, tracing the steep drop from team identity and adrenaline to isolation, substance use, and rising suicide risk. With honesty and urgency, we unpack why retirement hits first responders so hard and outline a practical safety net that works in the real world
From Street Cop To Healer
Send us Fan MailWhat does it take to build mental health care that first responders actually trust? We sit down with former Revere police officer Joe Rizzuti, whose journey from stacked line-of-duty trauma and alcohol use to peer support leadership strips away the clichés and gets to what works. Joe’s story starts with a tough childhood, a military turnaround, and a policing career shaped by high-
Building Real Wellness For First Responders And Their Families
Send us Fan MailA culture that actually protects first responders doesn’t happen by accident—it’s built on day-one expectations, family inclusion, and leaders who tell the truth even when the news is hard. We sit down with Doug Wyman to map what real organizational wellness looks like and why “Inside the Box” has become a powerful framework for shifting identity, policy, and practice in policing.W
From Chief To Healer: A First Responder’s Journey Through Loss, Addiction, And Resilience
Send us Fan MailThe story begins where many first responder lives converge: relentless calls, court dates, and a small department that never truly sleeps. Then the personal hits. Former New Hampshire police chief Doug Wyman opens up about parenting through a son’s addiction at the height of the opioid crisis, supporting a younger child through identity shifts, and the morning that changed everythi
Inside Emergency Response: Substance Use, Stigma, And Support
Send us Fan MailAs we continue the conversation with Lisa, Trusas. Stigma is a quiet siren—it keeps people from asking for help, and it teaches the rest of us to look away. We open up about what addiction really looks like inside emergency services and at home, from dispatch centers and correctional facilities to ERs and patrol rooms. We talk about growing up in households where chaos felt normal,
The Unseen Burden Of 911: Stigma, Stress, And Support
Send us Fan MailThe first voice on a 911 call carries a lot more than a headset. In this candid, unfiltered conversation with veteran dispatcher and recovery coach Lisa Trusas, we pull back the curtain on what really happens at the console: juggling multiple emergencies at once, coaching panicked parents through CPR, catching danger in a whisper, and making judgment calls with lives on the line. L
How Neuroscience Training And Marine Corps Leadership Build Real Resilience
Send us Fan MailChange that lasts doesn’t come from a one-time high or another sleepless night patched by a pill. It comes from disciplined, daily work that your brain can actually keep—paired with leadership that people trust when it matters most. Steve sits down with Marine veteran and CEO Tony Crescenzo to unpack how audio-driven brain signals can turn short-term “state” shifts into month-later
We Do Hard Stuff In Bad Places, But My Brain Needed A Softer Pillow
Send us Fan MailEver wish you could quiet the story in your head without having to relive it? We sit down with Marine veteran and defense-tech CEO Tony Crescenzo to explore a practical, science-backed way to downshift the nervous system using neuroacoustic entrainment. Tony opens up about the years he spent running hot—rage, hypervigilance, and fractured sleep—and how a targeted audio protocol shi
Showing Stress Is Strength When You Know How To Recover
Send us Fan MailThe hardest part isn’t the call. It’s what your body and mind carry after the sirens fade. We go straight at the myth that strength means silence, and trade it for a practical blueprint to complete the stress cycle, name emotions without fancy language, and rebuild trust through honest conversation.Stephanie Simpson continues to share simple, fast tools first responders can use to
Grief, Growth, And The Uniform
Send us Fan MailWhat if the hardest grief in your life isn’t about death, but about change—leaving a team, dropping a title, or stepping away from a community that once defined you? That’s where our conversation with coach and educator Stephanie Simpson begins, and it’s where many first responders secretly live: in the space between who we were and who we’re becoming.Stephanie shares how her evolu
How Authentic Care And Honest Talk Reduce Trauma’s Hidden Toll
Send us Fan MailSome conversations ask you to sit up a little straighter. This one asks you to relax your shoulders, tell the truth, and feel what you’ve been carrying. We dive into the messy overlap of trauma and grief in first responder and military cultures, where silence is rewarded and honesty is too often punished, and we share a different path built on authenticity, peer support, and practi
How A Trilingual Clinician Bridges Police, Families, And Mental Health
Send us Fan MailThe hardest conversations often happen in the quiet minutes between calls. We sat down with clinician and co-response partner Amanda Rizoli to explore how real support for first responders is built—on language, trust, and the discipline to show up when services are thin and the need is loud. Amanda works alongside the Milford Police Department’s Family Services Unit and partners wi
From whispers to warnings: first responder burnout, leadership failures, and what real support looks like
Send us Fan MailIn this continued collaboration with Milford TV, we explore how burnout rarely makes a scene—it slips in as irritability, isolation, and the quiet urge to shut out the world. This episode is the conclusion of episode 225 and we open the door on how those whispers grow louder inside the fire service and EMS, why “just call this number” isn’t care, and what it really takes to protect
Inside the Firehouse: Burnout, Betrayal, and Building Real Leadership
Send us Fan MailBurnout doesn’t just come from the calls—it grows in the silence after, inside a culture that either catches you or drops you. We sit down with Renae, a former firefighter-paramedic who now coaches first responders on burnout recovery and nervous system regulation, to unpack how leadership betrayal, union politics, and the loss of seasoned mentors quietly shape morale, retention, a
Battling Invisible Battles: A Former Officer's Mental Health Journey
Send us Fan MailHow do we treat our physical health versus our mental health? Former London Metropolitan Police officer Jonathan Kemp spent 12 years in law enforcement while battling undiagnosed bipolar disorder, depression, and dyslexia—yet refused to seek professional help until his late 30s."I was determined to fix myself on my own," Kemp reveals in this powerful conversation. "I
When First Responder Trauma Comes Home: A Therapist's View
Send us Fan MailThe weight of trauma doesn't stay at work—it comes home. For first responders, this reality shapes not just their professional lives but transforms family dynamics, relationships, and personal wellbeing in profound ways that most people never see.In this revealing conversation, therapist Erin Sheridan shares her unique perspective as both a mental health professional specializ
When Heroes Need Help: Navigating Mental Health in Emergency Services
Send us Fan MailWhen a fellow firefighter confessed suicidal thoughts to Adam Neff one night at the firehouse, it changed everything. Despite his decades of experience handling emergencies, Adam found himself unprepared for this particular crisis. That moment became the catalyst for his remarkable transition from assistant chief of operations to licensed professional counselor specializing in firs
From Survival Mode to Sustainable Service: A First Responder's Guide to Wellbeing
Send us Fan MailThe weight of caring for others can become unbearable when we forget to care for ourselves. This powerful conversation with Deidre Gestrin, a licensed clinical professional counselor and certified health coach, takes us deep into the reality of burnout among first responders and helping professionals.Deidre shares her profound personal journey through burnout - a harrowing experien
Not Your Typical Shrinks: Real Talk for Real Heroes
Send us Fan MailSteve Bisson welcomes Bill Dwinnells, a licensed mental health counselor with over 30 years of experience and a background as an EMT, to discuss their joint venture, Gambit Counseling, and its innovative approach to first responder mental health.The conversation explores why traditional mental health services often fall short for first responders. As Dwinnells eloquently explains,
Healing Heroes: Beyond the Fire Pit
Send us Fan MailThe IAFF Center of Excellence stands as a sanctuary for firefighters navigating the complex terrain of mental health challenges. In this revealing conversation with Hannah Elmore, Clinical Outreach Coordinator, we explore how this specialized treatment facility has become a lifeline for nearly 4,000 firefighters across North America.Hannah takes us behind the scenes of this unique
Behind the Scenes at the IAFF Center of Excellence
Send us Fan MailIn this powerful conversation, Hannah Elmore, Senior Clinical Outreach Coordinator for the IAFF Center of Excellence, reveals the critical role of culturally competent care in supporting firefighter mental health. Drawing from her extensive background in clinical social work and deep immersion in fire service culture, Hannah illuminates the often-overlooked nuances of how mental he
Resilience in the Line of Duty
Send us Fan MailWhat happens when a police officer and a counselor not only share their professional expertise but also their marriage journey? In this candid, powerful conversation, Ashley and Dustin Wright bring a unique dual perspective to the challenges facing first responder marriages.Marriage requires resilience for everyone, but for those in law enforcement, the stakes are particularly high
Building Resilience as First Responder Couples: Lessons from Dustin and Ashley Wright
Send us Fan MailWhat happens when a police sergeant and a therapist build a life together? Dustin and Ashley Wright open up about their 13-year journey as a first responder couple in this vulnerable and insightful conversation that challenges conventional thinking about trauma, communication, and resilience.The conversation takes an unexpected turn when Dustin shares how a seemingly routine cardia
From Fear to Connection: How Men Heal Through Community
Send us Fan MailWhat happens when men are finally given permission to explore their full emotional range? In this eye-opening conversation that concludes episode 212 with Lee Povey, we delve into the hidden emotional landscapes that many men navigate alone, often without the tools or language to understand their experiences.The discussion challenges fundamental misconceptions about emotions, parti
Behind the Badge and Beyond: Cultural Competency in First Responder Therapy
Send us Fan MailWhat happens when a first responder walks into a therapist's office and shares a traumatic experience so dark that the therapist needs "a few minutes" before responding? For most first responders, this confirms their worst fear: no one can handle their reality. That's why cultural competency isn't just helpful—it's essential.In this powerful conversati
Resilience at 50: One Therapist's Journey
Send us Fan MailTurning fifty isn't just about crossing an age threshold—it's about recognizing the human connections that build resilience throughout a lifetime. In this deeply personal episode, therapist Steve Bisson reflects on the relationships that have shaped his capacity for strength, growth, and recovery across five decades.Steve begins by honoring his parents, whose contrasting
Beyond the Hero Complex: How Learning to Ask for Help Transforms Men's Lives
Send us Fan MailWhat does authentic masculinity look like in a world that teaches boys to hide their emotions from an early age? Leadership coach Lee Povey takes us on his transformative journey from needing to be the hero in every relationship to discovering the profound power of vulnerability.Growing up with a narcissistic father who saw Lee's achievements only as extensions of himself left
Grief Never Ends: Navigating Trauma in First Responder Life
Send us Fan MailGordon Brewer, a licensed marriage and family therapist with over 25 years of experience, joins Steve to unpack the complex relationship between trauma, grief, and emotional resilience in the first responder community. Their conversation touches on a critical but often overlooked barrier to mental health care—the fear that therapists can't handle the horrific realities first r
The Mental Men Return: Exploring Life After Career
Send us Fan MailWhat happens when your career ends but your life continues? The Mental Men, Andy Kang, Pat Rice, Chris Gordon, Dennis Sweeney, and Bob Cherney return in this deeply personal exploration of retirement, identity, and finding purpose beyond the job that defined you.Bob Cherney, recently retired after decades as a therapist, shares his raw experience of waking up each morning still fe
Goats, Firefighters, and Philosophy: Becky Schmooke's Unconventional Path
Send us Fan MailStrength isn't the absence of weakness—it's how we transform our challenges into growth. In this riveting conversation with leadership coach and author Becky Schmooke, we explore stoic philosophy as a misunderstood yet powerful tool for navigating life's inevitable obstacles.Becky shares her personal journey of using stoicism to overcome a twenty-year battle with bul
Grief and Growth: Finding Purpose After Losing a Father
Send us Fan MailBruce Wasser shares his journey of losing his father at age 15 and how this profound loss shaped his decision to become a conscientious objector during the Vietnam War and ultimately led to his 33-year teaching career.• Growing up in Seattle with his father Joe, a WWII veteran who instilled values of teamwork, equality, and community• Devastating loss of his father to cancer just 1
Breaking the Silence: First Responders and Mental Health
Send us Fan MailWhat happens when the strongest among us need support? In this powerful conversation, Elizabeth Ecklund takes us on an extraordinary journey from fighting fires in Antarctica to fighting stigma in mental health. As someone with 15 years of experience spanning firefighting, emergency medical services, and nursing, Elizabeth brings a rare perspective to the critical conversation abou
First Responder Marriages: Bridging the Gap
Send us Fan MailSteve Bisson welcomes Cyndi Doyle, licensed professional counselor, retired police spouse, and founder of Code for Couples, to discuss the unique challenges faced by first responder relationships and strategies for building resilience.• Meeting Cyndi Doyle - licensed professional counselor specializing in first responder relationships for over 20 years• Understanding the "marr
Healing Heroes: Trauma, Addiction, and Recovery
Send us Fan MailThe walls we build to protect ourselves from trauma can become our prisons. This powerful truth emerges as Dr. Charlie Powell returns to share groundbreaking developments with his "Healing Heroes: No Mind Left Behind" documentary, now evolving from a television series into a theatrical release scheduled for November 11th.Charlie takes us deep into the intricate relationsh
Breaking the Stigma of Seeking Help in Emergency Services
Send us Fan MailThe weight of witnessing trauma daily doesn't just disappear when the uniform comes off. For our first responders—those who run toward danger while others flee—the psychological impact accumulates silently, often with devastating consequences.Beth Salmo, licensed professional counselor and owner of Thin Line Counseling, joins us to unveil the realities of mental health in emer
Rock Bottom and Rebound: The Cocktail That Nearly Killed Me
Send us Fan MailThe journey from outward success to inner collapse—and the path back to authentic living—takes center stage in this compelling conversation with Nick Jonsson, international bestselling author and executive coach.Nick's story begins with transformation through adversity when a motorcycle accident in his twenties forced him from construction work to academia, eventually propelli
First Responder Mental Health: Breaking the Silence
Send us Fan MailWhat happens when those who run toward danger need help themselves? In this compelling conversation, host Steve Bisson sits down with Kevin Cornine, a former fire captain and battalion chief who's transitioning to a new role as a mental health counselor focused on supporting first responders.Kevin shares his powerful story of serving 15 years in fire rescue while watching coll
First Responders Face Their Toughest Opponent: Mental Health Stigma
Send us Fan MailMichael Sugrue shares his powerful journey from military service to law enforcement to his medical retirement due to post-traumatic stress injury, revealing how he almost became one of the alarming first responder suicide statistics and his mission to now "smash the stigma" around mental health.• From Air Force security forces officer to 14 years with Walnut Creek Police
When Healing Defies Medicine
Send us Fan MailWhat happens when a decorated Naval Lieutenant Commander, triple-boarded physician, and healthcare executive exhausts every conventional treatment for his debilitating PTSD? Dr. Charles Powell takes us on his extraordinary journey from the frontlines of military medicine to the cutting edge of psychedelic healing.After 16 years of military service and building a successful healthca
Finding Resilience in Loss
Send us Fan MailCaren Paskel's journey from struggling with mental health issues to becoming a beacon of resilience and self-belief captivates from the first moment of our conversation. Her story begins at age 16 when a yoga class provided her first genuine spiritual connection—a transformative experience that would become her lifeline through depression, unhealthy relationships, and physical
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