STRIVE to Survive the Holidays with Dr Justin Baker

In this end-of-year episode of Brainstorms, Dr. Justin Baker — clinical psychologist, Navy veteran, and Director of STRIVE (the Suicide and Trauma Reduction Initiative) — joins us for a powerful and genuinely hopeful conversation to close out 2025. Building on November’s discussion about de-escalating stressful holiday moments, Dr. Baker dives into what happens after things get hard. He breaks down how to recognize real crisis signals, how to support the people we love when they're struggling, and why his team’s groundbreaking Crisis Response Plan (CRP) is changing national standards for suicide prevention — not just in clinics, but in communities, families, and across the military. We talk about grief, expectations, holiday overwhelm, the weight veterans carry, and the simple but game-changing idea that listening can be life-saving. Dr. Baker also shares the origins of caring-contact research, his work with active-duty service members, and how STRIVE is using evidence-based treatment to reduce suicide attempts by more than 70%. This episode is equal parts grounding, educational, and inspiring — the perfect send-off as we move from “Strive to be Alive in ’25” into what we can fix, learn, and heal in 2026. If you or someone you love is struggling this season, you are not alone — and this conversation is full of tools, hope, and forward motion.