Shows
Resilience Development in ActionE.214 Behind the Badge: Cultural Competency in First Responder TherapySend us a textWhat 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 conversation with the founding members of "Behind the Badge and Beyond," we explore the critical importance of specialized mental health care for those who serve our communities. Lisa Knowles, Richard Winning, Erin Sheridan, Alexa Silva, Jennifer Waldron, an...2025-07-2352 min
Resilience Development in ActionE.212 Beyond the Hero Complex: How Learning to Ask for Help Transforms Men's LivesSend us a textWhat 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 him with a deep question that persists even at 52 years old: what does it really mean to be a man? His search led him to therapy and men's groups...2025-07-0933 min
Resilience Development in ActionE.211 Grief Never Ends: Navigating Trauma in First Responder LifeSend us a textGordon 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 responders face daily."Sometimes people forget about how trauma manifests in different ways," Gordon explains, sharing how his background as a funeral director gave him unique insights into grief processing. Both experts explore why first responders mi...2025-07-0231 min
Resilience Development in ActionE.206 First Responder Marriages: Bridging the GapSend us a textSteve 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 "married but single" phenomenon that many first responder spouses experience• Recognizing grief in relationships when expectations don't match reality• How hypervigilance affects communication and connection at home• The importance of perspective-taking to reduce resentment• Standing in your partner's sh...2025-05-2844 min
Resilience Development in ActionE.205 Healing Heroes: Trauma, Addiction, and RecoverySend us a textThe 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 relationship between PTSD and addiction, revealing how these conditions often share the same root causes. "Most cases of PTSD don't start in adulthood," he explains, sharing his personal revelation that despite decades in military service...2025-05-2154 min