Kim - When Healers Need Healing

People trained to save everyone else rarely get asked a simple question:Where do you put your own pain?In this season finale, Valerie sits down with Kim —known to many as Captain Kim—a U.S. Army Veteran, former combat medic and emergency room nurse, and founder of the Reveille & Retreat Project.Kim’s path to leadership wasn’t linear. It was shaped by childhood adversity, military service, years on the front lines of trauma care, and raising a child as a single mother. Like so many who live in constant readiness, she learned how to function, perform, and push through—until her body no longer allowed it.When foot surgery forced her to slow down, everything she had outrun caught up.Memories from the ER. Nightmares. Survival patterns that no longer worked.In this conversation, we talk honestly about what happens when a life built on resilience meets the reality of unresolved trauma. From childhood experiences like divorce and lack of emotional attunement, to the way blame turns inward when we’re trying to make sense of it all—Kim shares what it looked like to move from living in fight-or-flight to something steadier and more sustainable.You’ll hear real, practical tools for nervous system regulation—and what it actually takes to move beyond white-knuckling your way through life.We also go deeper into Kim’s work today. Through the Reveille & Retreat Project, she creates healing retreats where military women can step out of performance and into truth—using nature, movement, and shared storytelling as pathways back to connection.She shares what makes a space truly safe, why the outdoors can support trauma healing, and how community only works when it includes boundaries and the right people.Kim is also the co-founder and host of the Dog Tag Diaries, where women veterans have honest conversations about service, identity, moral injury, grief, and life beyond the uniform.Because the stories we once survived… often become the ones that help others heal.Listen to Dog Tag Diaries here - https://dogtagdiaries.captivate.fm/Contact Valerie Support the showRemember YOU are loved and worthy of being witnessed!If today’s episode stirred heavy feelings, you are not alone. Please reach out to a trusted friend or a professional if you need support:National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) | rainn.orgSAMHSA Mental Health/Substance Use: 1-800-662-HELP (4357)988 LIFELINE: Call, Text or Chat https://988lifeline.orgVeterans Crisis Line: Dial or text 988, then press 1Help for Veterans suffering with CPTSD https://saveawarrior.org/https://www.scarsfoundation.org/*This podcast is not therapy. If you’re in immediate danger, please call 911 or your local emergency number.Want to tell your story? Send a DM or an emailFind us on IG @defiance_of_silence_podcast    [email protected]: https://www.instagram.com/defiance_of_silence_podcast?igsh=MWVxMHI3OXY1cm1paA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr