Episodes

"Extra-ordinary people doing extra-ordinary things". This is how Cynthia describes first responders and the people that love them. Cynthia served as a RCMP for 25 years - and is married to an RCMP member. Throughout those years she raised a blended family, moved all over the country, and did her best to fit in. As a female, in a predominately male career Cynthia share how she spent years "acting like a guy". She talks about all the events that lead to her being diagnosed with PTSD/PTSI - and how...

"Extra ordinary people doing extra ordinary things". This is how Cynthia describes first responders and the people that love them. Cynthia served as a RCMP for 25 years - and is married to an RCMP member. Throughout those years she raised a blended family, moved all over the country, and did her best to fit in. As a female, in a predominately male career Cynthia share how she spent years "acting like a guy". She talks about all the events that lead to her being diagnosed with PTSD/PTSI - and how...

We are constantly in AWE of the people that we get to chat with on the podcast. Wendy Lund was no exception to this. She is the CEO/Founder of Wellth Management Inc. A nurse by trade for 23 years with a passion for helping First Responders. How do we promote wellness for our first responders and front-line workers? Wendy is a "wellth" of knowledge when it comes to mental health and wellness for those that have the tendency to put their own on the back burner. This episode is packed with so much ...

We hear it a lot in the Veteran and First Responder world - my dog saved my life. PTSI service dogs are extremely hard to come by, and they are very expensive. Our guest this week, Cindy Weir experienced this firsthand when she searched for years to get assistance to train her dog GRACIE to be a service dog for herself after being diagnosed with PTSI. Cindy is a military veteran who was faced with numerous barriers and obstacles when attempting to get support to on her healing journey. Cindy's m...

We know that part of the reason that first responders don't reach out is because of the stigma attached to struggling with your mental health. We also know that there are significant barriers that stop first responders from seeking necessary treatment to due to limited access, long wait times, and finances. Dr. Jody Burnett is hugely committed to serving first responders through PSPNET - and dedicating to giving her very best to the people that serve our communities. Her knowledge, her passion, ...

You know that we love first responders, but we also have a special place in our hearts for those that love them too. Melissa is the spouse of a former corrections officer who had to leave his career due to PTSI. She is also a Clinical Social Worker that works with PSPNET to help Public Safety Personnel manage their mental health with access to FREE online therapy programs and clinicians to assist in mental health intervention and prevention. There are also offer FREE online programs for current ...

Courageous Cindy. With 25 years in the service - women's units, men's units, IERT team, CISM, maximums, mediums, minimum, and Security Intelligence positions this episode has it all. This conversation could not have been more fun and interesting. Cindy talks about being assaulted the first day on the job - and shares her experience with responding to a staff hostage taking where 4 inmates had an officer for 4.5 hours. Her career took her on many different paths, but for the last 13 years she has...

This episode is full of ups and downs. Gillian shares her incredible story, her path through some pretty difficult situations, and her resiliency to keep going. Gill openly talks about her own battle with mental health during her career - and opens up about the loss of her brother to suicide in 2015. You will never be who you were before you experience trauma - your brain is different, your experiences are different, and you see things differently. Acceptance and self compassion help Gill naviga...

From the military to corrections - James Lee went from one extreme career to the next. Hired as a CX2 at Edmonton Institution for Women in 2005, James loved his career, the people, and working with the inmates. Unfortunately, this fondness did not last long. After working 2 years at the penitentiary things began to slide - James knew that he was battling something but was unsure how to get help. He felt very unsupported by the institution and the people that were in positions to assist him. Stru...

Like most people that choose corrections as a career, Sammy was on a mission to help people. Little did she know that she would have to sacrifice herself in the process. A single mom who was trying do it all: hold down a career, manage her family, and suppress the negative emotions that were taking over - she turned to alcohol to mitigate the stress, and the pain. In October 2021, Sammy was diagnosed with PTSD, depression, and severe anxiety disorder. Her absence from work led her down the path ...

You can't help but gravitate to people that are like you. Colette and Gary are a first responder couple that were forced to navigate some uncharted territory when Gary was involved in a shooting while at work. They talk about the incident, the negative affects it had on both of them, and the steps that took to dig themselves out of the hole that was dug because of this extremely impactful experience. They are extremely passionate about helping other first responder families build resilience, cre...