Episode 17: Jen Lewis - Former Dispatcher, First Responder Wellness & Meditation Coach, Reiki Master Practitioner, TOC Resource

Welcome to I Will Hold Space For Your Darkness; a First Responder Mental Health Podcast hosted by Erin Jane.  A former Australian Police Officer and Detective, wife of an American Firefighter, previous crisis counsellor for a suicide prevention organization and current CISM trained, certified Life & Wellness Coach for First Responders, Emergency Services Members, Spouses and Loved Ones. In this episode, Erin speaks with Jen Lewis, a former Dispatcher, fellow First Responder Wellness Coach, who is also a Meditation Coach, Reiki Master Practitioner and owner of "Wellness In The Uniform". Jen tells Erin about her journey from being a hairdresser to becoming interested in becoming a First Responder, namely a Dispatcher. As she was going through the application process, unfortunately Jen found her mother unresponsive. She performed CPR and called 911, but ultimately her mother passed away. Jen talks about pushing down and blocking out all of her overwhelming emotions and just focusing on the Dispatcher process, getting hired and commencing her First Responder career. It wasn't until she began taking 911 calls that mimicked her own situation from that day, that it was evident to her how affected she was by her Mum's death and that there was significant trauma lingering just beneath the surface for her. She tells Erin that just shy of the 12 month mark, her agency recognised she wasn't coping with the role of dispatcher and she left the job. But her experience as a First Responder helped Jen realise that there was a community and a population that really needed more support and it inspired her to begin a new journey and career. After engaging in meditation and reiki as a way to cope with her trauma after the loss of her Mum, Jen became certified in both practices. Having an understanding of what First Responders go through on a daily basis, it fueled her to want to help them, provide them coping skills and to be a resource, which is where "Wellness In The Uniform" was born. Jen and Erin discuss the overwhelming benefits of what they believe coaching can do for members of the First Responder community and talk about the different modalities and ultimately, their shared passion about it. They both love that they can bridge the gap between what peer support can offer and what clinical services can provide, given the vast array of different needs of Emergency Services Members and as Jen says, really just helping them get to where they want to be by shining a light on their true self that's trying to emerge. They also discuss their affiliation with The Overwatch Collective, a wonderful organisation who funds therapy and coaching services for First Responders and Military Veterans, from donations alone. Both Jen and Erin are deeply privileged to be a resource for TOC and should anyone want to engage in their services but are financially struggling, you can reach out to The Overwatch Collective for assistance. It was such a joy to speak with Jen and get to discuss all the wonderful aspects of coaching with her. We both hope you enjoy listening to this episode!  You can find Jen in the following ways: Instagram: @wellnessintheuniform Email: [email protected] Please feel free to reach out if you'd like a topic discussed, would like to be a guest or are interested in receiving coaching services from Erin Jane. Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.erinjanecoaching.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/erinjanecoaching⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Call or Text: +1 617 396 4695 You can watch the episodes as video on YouTube here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://youtube.com/@Erin-Jane-Coaching?si=XI8q0z3mhmzO_a7_⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Feel free to watch, listen, subscribe and share!