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 of composure, and the uneasy question so many first responders carry: if I’m the protector, who protects me when I finally need help? Kimmy shares how she started a deep dive into psychedelics and eventually found her way to ayahuasca in a U.S.-based church setting. We unpack the stigma around plant medicine, microdosing, and even cannabis for sleep, especially in a culture that often accepts pharmaceuticals without blinking while judging anything labeled a “drug.” The biggest takeaway isn’t hype, it’s the hard work: surrender, vulnerability, and the uncomfortable truth that healing can be demanding when your nervous system has been trained for vigilance and control. We also talk about her memoir, From the Badge to the Vine: Journey Through Duty, Trauma, and Healing, and how telling the raw story becomes part of destigmatizing mental health treatment for the first responder community. Then we zoom out to what’s next: her Camino de Santiago pilgrimage with her dog Nona, a mental health awareness walk meant to remind people that while one path isn’t for everyone, the need for healing is universal. If this conversation hits home, subscribe, share it with a coworker or a retiree, and leave a review so more first responders can find it.Here is how to reach Kemmi: www.klsadler.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/kemmisadler/https://www.facebook.com/klsadlerhttps://www.instagram.com/klsadler_/www.nonasway.comhttps://www.facebook.com/NonaTheWonderDog/https://www.instagram.com/nonas_way_/Support the showYouTube Channel For The Podcast