I Will Hold Space For Your Darkness - A First Responder Mental Health Podcast

Welcome to I Will Hold Space For Your Darkness; a First Responder Mental Health Podcast hosted by Erin Jane.Erin is former Australian Police Officer and Detective, previous crisis counsellor for a suicide prevention organisation and CISM trained, certified Wellness Coach for First Responders, Emergency Services Members, Public Safety Professionals and their Spouses. She is also the wife of an active duty American Firefighter.This week, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Chad Trombley, former graphic designer turned flight paramedic, based out of Texas.Chad shares how he travelled down the path of becoming an EMT, after a decade in graphic design. He pursued further education, becoming a paramedic in 2005, before gaining his dream position, as a Flight Paramedic, serving on the front lines of the First Responder world for the last two decades.He always had an interest in health and fitness, but after feeling the effects and impacts of a career in Emergency Services, including on his mental and physical health, Chad found himself invested in discovering how the right mix supplements and vitamins could not only improve, but optimize his health and wellness. This is where "Optimized FR" was born. Chad shares with Erin the journey that ended with the creation of his very own supplement brand to support the First Responder community and his passion and drive behind providing something that can support those he serves alongside, in a real, tangible way.Erin and Chad discuss their connection to The Thin Line Rock Station, what his Core 4 Pillars of health are, how integral sleep is for us all and where people can find his multivitamin, creatine and hydration products.We both hope you enjoy listening to this episode! This was a great, informative episode for anyone wanting to look after their health, on and off shift, in a real, evidence-backed way.Find Chad on IG: @optimized_fr https://www.instagram.com/optimized_fr?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==FB: https://www.facebook.com/Optimized.FR/?ref=NONE_xav_ig_profile_page_web#Or his website: https://www.optimizedfr.com/Please feel free to reach out if you'd like a topic discussed, 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/erinjanecoaching⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Call or Text: +1 617 396 4695YouTube Ep: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://youtu.be/gT2gJM3r2OQ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Find "Holding Space with Erin Jane"; every Tuesday & Thursday 2-4pm EST on The Thin Line Rock Station! Listen here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.thethinlinerockstation.com/⁠⁠⁠

Welcome to I Will Hold Space For Your Darkness; a First Responder Mental Health Podcast hosted by Erin Jane.Erin is former Australian Police Officer and Detective, previous crisis counsellor for a suicide prevention organisation and CISM trained, certified Wellness Coach for First Responders, Emergency Services Members, Public Safety Professionals and their Spouses. She is also the wife of an active duty American Firefighter.This week, I was fortunate enough to sit down with The Great Bearded One, Rich Creamer; Navy Veteran and former Police Officer, with a career spanning over 24 years in Norfolk, VA before retiring 4 years ago.Rich shares with Erin that a knee-injury whilst on an operation in the Navy, ended his envisaged career prematurely, which prompted a detour into law enforcement that he never imagined for himself. He worked in many different roles, including as an investigator with Gangs and Homicide.He found himself as someone people would turn to, seeking help or advice, so he become certified as a peer specialist. Rich even went back to school, to get his BA in Sociology and MA in Counseling and Criminal Justice. But, as he shares with Erin, behind the pretense of helping others, he was really trying more than anything to understand all the things he was thinking, feeling and experiencing, behind the mask he wore that hid everything well.The mask and everything he'd been carrying since childhood came crashing down, with a major cancer diagnosis, that ended up being a significant turning point for him personally, as well as his relationships with his family.Since retiring from his policing role, Rich has been involved in developing wellness programs, creating and training CISM/PS teams, carrying on his involvement in the wellness of Public Safety members, for over a decade now. His current role is the Director of Public Safety Insights, with Lighthouse Health and Wellness and he explains to Erin the impact they're able to have with boots on the ground members.Rich also shares what prompted him to step out from behind the keyboard, with eloquent articles about his experience gaining traction and being sharing more on social media, including starting The Responder Reset Podcast.We both hope you enjoy listening to this episode! Rich is the Bostonian big brother Erin needed in her life and his raw, humble authenticity is only matched by his desire to truly help those First Responders in need. He knows, because he's walked this path himself. He understands that the right help shouldn't be challenging to find or limited, because of a gatekeeping culture focused on grift and exclusivity, instead of what's actually needed.Find him on LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rich-creamer-60bb37171/Follow him on IG: ⁠@rich.creamer_77 or @theresponderresetpodcastCatch the podcast here: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-responder-reset-podcast/id1846142502Please feel free to reach out if you'd like a topic discussed, 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/erinjanecoaching⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Call or Text: +1 617 396 4695YouTube Ep: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://youtu.be/gT2gJM3r2OQ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Find "Holding Space with Erin Jane"; every Tuesday & Thursday 2-4pm EST on The Thin Line Rock Station! Listen here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.thethinlinerockstation.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Welcome to I Will Hold Space For Your Darkness; a First Responder Mental Health Podcast. This is part of a bonus series, where host Erin Jane shares previously aired segments from her radio show "Holding Space with Erin Jane".Erin is former Australian Police Officer and Detective, previous crisis counsellor for a suicide prevention organisation and certified Wellness Coach for First Responders, Emergency Services Members, Public Safety Professionals and their Spouses. She is also the wife of an active duty American Firefighter.You can catch these shows live every Tuesday and Thursday, from 2pm EST on The Thin Line Rock Station.Please find the best way for you to listen in real time here: ⁠⁠https://www.thethinlinerockstation.com/how-to-listen⁠⁠This show previously aired on Thursday 6th of November, 2025 and is shared here, with permission from the station.Which wolf are you feeding….? Many of us have heard of the proverb about the battle of two wolves inside of us all; a battle between “good and bad”, positive and negative, optimism vs cynicism. Who wins the battle….? Whichever one we feed .As First Responders and Emergency Services Members, given the nature of our roles and everything we can see during the course of our careers, we must be particularly intentional with the wolf we feed. Focusing on the good, leaning into kindness and compassion, seeking a positive perspective or switching our mindset to pursue happiness takes purposeful actions and choices, each and every day. Whether on shift, at home or out and about and I look forward to spending a couple of hours with you all. Please feel free to reach out if you'd like a topic discussed, to be a guest on the podcast or are interested in receiving coaching services from Erin Jane.Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.erinjanecoaching.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/erinjanecoaching⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Call or Text: +1 617 396 4695YouTube Ep: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://youtu.be/gT2gJM3r2OQ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Find "Holding Space with Erin Jane"; every Tuesday & Thursday 2-4pm EST on The Thin Line Rock Station! Listen here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.thethinlinerockstation.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Welcome to I Will Hold Space For Your Darkness; a First Responder Mental Health Podcast. This is part of a bonus series, where host Erin Jane shares previously aired segments from her radio show "Holding Space with Erin Jane".Erin is former Australian Police Officer and Detective, previous crisis counsellor for a suicide prevention organisation and certified Wellness Coach for First Responders, Emergency Services Members, Public Safety Professionals and their Spouses. She is also the wife of an active duty American Firefighter.You can catch these shows live every Tuesday and Thursday, from 2pm EST on The Thin Line Rock Station.Please find the best way for you to listen in real time here: ⁠https://www.thethinlinerockstation.com/how-to-listen⁠This episode is a double, from Suicide Prevention Month and we felt it was important to share here, in the lead up to Christmas. As we acknowledge this time of year isn't always happy for everyone, so wanted to share these thoughtful episodes with that in mind. Both shows previously aired on Tuesday 9th September and Thursday 11th September, 2025 respectfully and is shared here, with permission from the station.Tuesday Erin Jane discusses some of her own experiences with suicide, both personal and professional, as many in the First Responder, Emergency Services and Veteran community have been impacted by a loss of this nature. This conversation is not meant to be heavy with sorrow, but instead honest and real. Taking away the fear and stigma attached to a subject matter many people don't know how to discuss.Thursday, Erin Jane focuses on suicide prevention. When someone struggling has opened up courageously and shared they're struggling with suicidal thoughts or ideation....then what do we do? She talks about:The difference between ideation and intentA quick, 4 step risk assessment you can performWhat is unhelpful in the moment someone discloses to youWhat can be beneficialThis episode continues the dialogue about suicide prevention; having real conversations to comfortable with the uncomfortable and break down those barriers, so no one feels alone or that they have no one to turn to...(especially at this time of year).Please feel free to reach out if you'd like a topic discussed, 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/erinjanecoaching⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Call or Text: +1 617 396 4695YouTube Ep: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://youtu.be/gT2gJM3r2OQ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Find "Holding Space with Erin Jane"; every Tuesday & Thursday 2-4pm EST on The Thin Line Rock Station! Listen here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.thethinlinerockstation.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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, trauma informed and certified Life and Wellness Coach for First Responders, Emergency Services Members, Spouses and Loved Ones.This week, I have the immense pleasure of being joined by Dr Medina Baumgart.Dr Baumgart is an embedded Police Psychologist, a Board Certified Specialist in Police and Public Safety Psychology, the author of "Surviving Retirement; Finding Purpose and Fulfillment Beyond The Badge" and host of the brand new podcast "We Carry This".Erin and Medina discuss her path into the field of psychology and what drew her towards wanting to specialise in serving members of the policing community, including her marriage to Tony, a law enforcement officer with an extensive career, now enjoying retirement.She shares about the difficult transition it was for both of them and how realising they weren't the only ones to find that process challenging. Which prompted her to want to create a training program to help members prepare and provide a wonderful resource in her book, "Surviving Retirement".Medina and Erin discuss some great aspects of the book, her new podcast, navigating relationships as the spouse of a first responder and breakdown EMDR for those who might be interested, especially how helpful it can be to people trying to heal from trauma.They even manage to share a few laughs along the way, discovering many things in common!This conversation was an absolute joy to have. Erin has admired Dr Baumgart and her work in the space of mental health and wellness for first responders, in particular police officers, for a long time and was so grateful for her to take the time to connect with her.We both hope you enjoy listening to this episode!You can reach out to Dr Baumgart, purchase her book, access her training or listen to her podcast here: ⁠https://www.drbaumgart.comFind her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drbaumgart/Or follow her on IG: https://www.instagram.com/dr_baumgart/?hl=en⁠Please feel free to reach out if you'd like a topic discussed, 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/erinjanecoaching⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Call or Text: +1 617 396 4695YouTube Ep: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://youtu.be/gT2gJM3r2OQ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Find "Holding Space with Erin Jane"; every Tuesday & Thursday 2-4pm EST on The Thin Line Rock Station! Listen here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.thethinlinerockstation.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Welcome to I Will Hold Space For Your Darkness; a First Responder Mental Health Podcast. This is part of a bonus series, where host Erin Jane shares previously aired segments from her radio show "Holding Space with Erin Jane".Erin is former Australian Police Officer and Detective, previous crisis counsellor for a suicide prevention organisation and certified Wellness Coach for First Responders, Emergency Services Members, Public Safety Professionals and their Spouses. She is also the wife of an active duty American Firefighter.You can catch these shows live every Tuesday and Thursday, from 2pm EST on The Thin Line Rock Station.Please find the best way for you to listen in real time here: https://www.thethinlinerockstation.com/how-to-listenThis episode previously aired on Thursday 13th November, 2025 and is shared here, with permission from the station.Behaviour is a language; one we should all become fluent in. When someone’s words don’t match their actions, it’s important to be informed by the way they show up and behave, rather than some hollow words spoken. This includes us, as First Responders and Emergency Services Members. The behaviours we choose to engage in, or lack their of in some circumstances, are the language in which we communicate to those around us. How much we care about them and equally, ourselves. Please feel free to reach out if you'd like a topic discussed, 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/erinjanecoaching⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Call or Text: +1 617 396 4695YouTube Ep: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://youtu.be/gT2gJM3r2OQ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Find "Holding Space with Erin Jane"; every Tuesday & Thursday 2-4pm EST on The Thin Line Rock Station! Listen here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.thethinlinerockstation.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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, trauma informed and certified Life and Wellness Coach for First Responders, Emergency Services Members, Spouses and Loved Ones.This week, I have the absolute pleasure of being joined by a fellow former Aussie cop, Matt Newlands. Matt spent ten years serving with South Australian Police Force, before deteriorating mental health contributed to some poor decision making, bringing his policing career to an end.He speaks openly about this experience with Erin, sharing the depths he found himself in after the end of his service and identifying role as an officer.Matt tells Erin how he struggled in the aftermath, borrowing the belief others had in him to help get him through and find a new path for himself.He discusses how impactful it was to have others to talk to when he was in crisis and how he wanted to provide that support and comfort to other. Which is where the formation of "Frontline Mental Health" became a reality, with his co-founder, Narrelle Mason. Matt shares what the evolution of that organisation has looked like, serving those in the Emergency Services and Frontline community, leading to an opportunity to introduce the Boulder Crest Foundation's "Struggle Well" program and the concept of post traumatic growth to an Australian audience.He also discusses with Erin the collaboration with "Aussie Frontline Foundation" founded by one of his close mates Mali Briggs and how both organisations are serving the Aussie First Responder and Veteran population.Matt is a registered counsellor, an educator and speaker. He is a mental health advocate, fighting to break the stigma associated with speaking up and speaking out, especially in the Emergency Services community. By continuing to let his personal experience and struggles guide him, to assist those who currently are, he also serves as an ambassador for RUOK?This was a wonderful conversation to be a part of and I'm so thankful to Matt for taking the time to navigate Adelaide-Boston logistics to make it happen.You can reach out to Matt or find out more about Frontline Mental Health here: https://frontlinemh.com.au Find him on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/mattnewlandsOr follow him on IG: https://www.instagram.com/matty.newlands/Please feel free to reach out if you'd like a topic discussed, 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/erinjanecoaching⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Call or Text: +1 617 396 4695YouTube Ep: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://youtu.be/gT2gJM3r2OQ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Find "Holding Space with Erin Jane"; every Tuesday & Thursday 2-4pm EST on The Thin Line Rock Station! Listen here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.thethinlinerockstation.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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, trauma informed and certified Life and Wellness Coach for First Responders, Emergency Services Members, Spouses and Loved Ones.This is a special episode; not only are we celebrating our 50th podcast show, but this week is also a first! It's the first time we've done a collaboration/crossover episode with another podcast. The host of "Code Three Industries" Nick Lopez kindly agreed to jump on, along with podcast favourite and returning guest Josh Bailey.Navigating three different time zones (LA, Boston and Brisbane) Nick, Erin and Josh have been in contact offline, but felt compelled to jump on and have a conversation about the impact and aftermath of LODD for those in the First Responder community. It comes on the heels of a tragic incident in Australia, where two members of Victoria Police were murdered and a third was injured, but thankfully survived. (At the time of this podcast being released, the offender is still at large).This loss hit close to home, as not only are Josh, Erin and Nick all former police officers themselves, the members lost are from Erin's former police force. So given the fact all three are former police officers and have all ventured down the path of mental health since leaving their respective departments, they felt compelled to have a conversation, not about the incident itself, but as a starting point of how it can affect individuals, departments and the law enforcement community overall.Nick was an officer with the LAPD, before leaving to become a Clinical Therapist. Josh is a former Australian Defence Force Veteran and Federal Police Officer, before becoming a Provisional Clinical Psychologist.They discuss some common reactions in the days, weeks and months after an incident like this occurs, the lasting mark it can leave on a department, the fear a community can experience when an offender isn't apprehended immediately, the impact of cultural competence when it comes to First Responders mental health assistance and how it's important to find adaptive ways to cope and support one another in the aftermath.This conversation comes from a place of respect, support, compassion and grief, for those not only reeling from this tragedy in Victoria, but for the others that occur frequently in the USA and policing community abroad. We hope you find something beneficial from this conversation that we felt compelled to share with both our audiences. As former police officers, now all working in the mental health and wellness field, we want to be a part of the solution. Helping to break down stigma and decades of cultural barriers within First Responder fields, to acknowledge it's common to experience a mix of emotions and challenging psychological hardships as a result of the work we do. We are 3 similar yet different concepts of what support can look like; there are many more available to you and we feel it's important to showcase that.Reach out to any of us if you require assistance in finding the help that's right for you.Nick: @codethreeinductriesJosh: @joshs_psychology_Erin Jane:Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.erinjanecoaching.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/erinjanecoaching⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Call or Text: +1 617 396 4695YouTube Ep: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://youtu.be/gT2gJM3r2OQ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Find "Holding Space with Erin Jane"; every Tuesday & Thursday 2-4pm EST on The Thin Line Rock Station! Listen here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.thethinlinerockstation.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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, trauma informed and certified Life and Wellness Coach for First Responders, Emergency Services Members, Spouses and Loved Ones.This week, we have another returning guest in Josh Grandinetti! Since his last appearance (Episode 36 if you'd like to go back and listen in, before engaging with this conversation) Erin and Josh have struck up a wonderful, close and supportive friendship, including both hosting their own respective shows on The Thin Line Rock Station.When they last spoke, Josh was on injury leave from Eloy Fire Department as a Captain and gradually building his mindfulness meditation platform for First Responders, "Foundation Fortified".Since that time, he has medically retired from his firefighting career and assumed a new role as a Paramedic with Mesa Fire Department, began hosting "Midweek Mindfulness" every Wednesday from 12pm EST on the radio station and built Foundation Fortified to be an extensive mindfulness platform, with both free content and subscriber programs available.Josh recently released a wonderful 5 min meditation called "Doff The Clock" and after listening to it and hearing how powerful it was, Erin asked if Josh would be happy to jump on the podcast and share it with the listeners....so here they are!Having established a warm friendship over the last 12 months, Erin and Josh talk about the meditation he shared and the purpose behind it; to help First Responders separate and decompress after a shift, before returning home to their families and loved ones. They discuss the enjoyment they get from being a part of The Thin Line Rock Station and their annual Christmas show they host together.They even venture down the path of talking about the difference between compassion vs empathy for First Responders, what it really means to "work on yourself" and share a few laughs along the way.This conversation is basically one they would have with each other naturally every few weeks, they just decided to record it for you on this occasion! Josh also kindly allowed Erin to include his "Doff The Clock" mindfulness meditation at the end of the episode, so keep listening to the very end to hear that.We both hope you enjoy listening to this episode!You can follow Josh on the socials via @foundationfortified or go check out the website: https://www.foundationfortified.org Please feel free to reach out if you'd like a topic discussed, 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/erinjanecoaching⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Call or Text: +1 617 396 4695YouTube Ep: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://youtu.be/gT2gJM3r2OQ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Find "Holding Space with Erin Jane"; every Tuesday & Thursday 2-4pm EST on The Thin Line Rock Station! Listen here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.thethinlinerockstation.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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, trauma-informed certified Life and Wellness Coach for First Responders, Emergency Services Members, Spouses and Loved Ones.This episode is part of a bonus series, Mindfulness Mondays.Friend of the podcast and former guest Josh Bailey jumped on today with Erin, to cover off the busy and important month of June, which encompasses Men's Mental Health Awareness Month and PTSD Awareness Month.(They actually recorded this on June 27th, PTSD Awareness Day)Josh is an Australian Defence Force Veteran, former Police Officer and a Provisional Psychologist. He is also an informed and knowledgeable Mental Health Speaker, Writer and Advocate for the First Responder and Veteran Community.Erin and Josh decided to jump on and have a chat, given their shared law enforcement history and how important they believe it is to draw attention to the plight of Men's Mental Health and the incidence of Post Traumatic Stress, especially amongst the First Responder and Veteran populations. They discuss what this month has meant, what they think is working, what needs improving and overall, just bringing awareness that it's ok to talk about these things. As a practical takeaway and simple strategy to incorporate into your everyday coping skills, Josh shares his "Triple A Strategy", a mindfulness technique for managing thoughts. This helps provide people with insight into the consequences of their actions:1. Awareness (the thought has entered your head, stop and give it your attention). 2. Acknowledgement (look for evidence, is it true? Do I need to act on this thought? Why, Why not, Can I ignore it?)3. Acceptance (accept the consequences of your actions) Josh is also a contributor to "The Thick End" where you can find his blog series, https://thethickend.com/blogs/the-coal-faceMost recently, Erin contributed a couple of articles to Battalion 1 Consultants, in regards to Firefighter Safety Stand Down Week 2025, which you can find here:https://www.b1cfirstresponders.com/post/a-response-to-the-things-we-see-doesn-t-mean-you-re-brokenhttps://www.b1cfirstresponders.com/post/let-personal-agency-empower-youI'm excited to continue this bonus series of episodes, to compliment (not replace!) the wonderful conversations I am privileged to have and to share some brilliant resources with you, moving forward.Thanks to Josh Bailey for taking the time to jump on with Erin! You can follow him on IG: @joshs_psychology_If there's some kind of practice you'd like me to share on here, or a particular mindfulness narrative you would find beneficial, please reach out.Otherwise, 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/erinjanecoaching⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Call or Text: +1 617 396 4695You can watch the episodes as video on YouTube here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://youtube.com/@Erin-Jane-Coaching?si=XI8q0z3mhmzO_a7_⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Feel free to watch, listen, share and subscribe! You can also catch me on the Thin Line Rock Station (a radio network dedicated to First Responders) every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon, 2pm-4pm EST.Listen in here: ⁠⁠https://www.thethinlinerockstation.com/our-djs⁠⁠ or download their app to your phone!

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, trauma informed and certified Life and Wellness Coach for First Responders, Emergency Services Members, Spouses and Loved Ones.This week, Erin had the distinct pleasure of reconnecting with one of her favourite former guests, Travis Gribble! A former police officer with 24 years experience across both Michigan and Arizona. He held various positions throughout his law enforcement career, including SWAT member & Team Leader and Patrol Sergeant.In retirement he founded My Arena; a First Responder Mental Health Education and Advocacy organisation, whose mission is to help first responders navigate the mental health challenges during their careers and educate agencies on how to appropriately handle critical incidents for the employees involved and provide critical response care when needed.You can go listen to Episodes 5 and 6 to hear more about Travis' career, some of his personal mental health challenges and the drive behind My Arena.This episode was an opportunity for Erin and Travis to catch up (officially) and for Travis to speak about the changes he's incorporated in his life since that original conversation. Most recently, the difficult decision to hit pause on his My Arena organisation, when he felt pulled in a different direction.Travis shares about the immense privilege it was, travelling around the country, sharing his story and getting to connect with so many wonderful First Responders, both personally and professionally. But he was left with an overwhelming sense of "I've brought the importance of looking after their mental health to their attention, now what?"He tells Erin about how the opportunity to attend the Struggle Well Experience with The Boulder Crest Foundation came about and how truly transformative it was for him personally.So much so, he has taken on a role with them as a Guide, helping other First Responders navigate that life changing path of where Post Traumatic Growth can take them. Because of how passionately he feels about this new role, Travis has closed down his My Arena organisation and speaking engagements for the rest of 2025, choosing to focus on impacting this community in this hands on, immersive way. Neither Travis nor Erin are speaking on behalf of The Boulder Crest Foundation in any capacity, Travis is simply sharing his personal experiences from his own perspective. However, both encourage anyone who listens to this episode and is interested in learning more, to go check out: https://bouldercrest.org/We both hope you enjoy listening to this conversation and hearing more about the impact incorporating Post Traumatic Growth into your life can make.Follow Travis on IG: my_.arena or search "Travis Gribble".Please feel free to reach out if you'd like a topic discussed, 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/erinjanecoaching⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Call or Text: +1 617 396 4695YouTube Ep: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://youtu.be/gT2gJM3r2OQ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Find "Holding Space with Erin Jane"; every Tuesday & Thursday 2-4pm EST on The Thin Line Rock Station! Listen here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.thethinlinerockstation.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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, trauma informed and certified Life and Wellness Coach for First Responders, Emergency Services Members, Spouses and Loved Ones.This week, Erin speaks with AK Dozanti, a former Deputy Sheriff and Criminal Court Victim's Advocate, with a Master's Degree in Criminology and Victimology. She is a First Responder Wellness Coach and Specialist, a qualified yoga instructor, Founder of Life Saver Wellness Academy and most recently, a published author of the "Beat The Burnout".AK takes the time to chat with Erin about her background in law enforcement and victim advocacy work and her personal experience with burnout, which caused her to seemingly abruptly leave a policing career she loved.They both discuss their passion of providing wellness coaching to the First Responder population and AK details the trajectory that brought her to where she is now, offering training and education to departments all over the country.She has always maintained a strong focus on burnout since her own struggle with it and after dedicating a lot of time and effort to research it, known as "occupational phenomena" to incorporate it into her presentations, felt inspired to share all that she'd learned, in the hopes of preventing others going down a similar path.Burnout is obviously something not unique to First Responders, characterised by chronic stress and exhaustion, but experienced more frequently due to the nature of their roles. AK wanted to not only educate, but offer explanations as well as real wold strategies to....beat the burnout. This was such a beautiful conversation to engage in and as both women admit, probably long overdue! With both Erin and AK being former law enforcement officers, current wellness coaches for First Responders, with strong interests in the realm of psychology and the ultimate connection....being Boy Mums! They discovered how much they truly have in common and are part of a special tribe of women working in this field, who are here to support and raise each other up. Their passions and goals align in the most authentic way, of just wanting to help First Responders thrive instead of struggle and make no mistake; this won't be the last you see Erin and AK together.We both hope you enjoy listening to this episode!Please find AK at: https://akdozanti.com/Follow her on the socials, both FB, IG & TikTok: @akdozantiOr find her book: https://www.amazon.com/Beat-Burnout-Prevention-Solutions-Frontline/dp/B0DW6PPGML?ref_=ast_author_dpPlease feel free to reach out if you'd like a topic discussed, 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/erinjanecoaching⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Call or Text: +1 617 396 4695YouTube Ep: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://youtu.be/gT2gJM3r2OQ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Find "Holding Space with Erin Jane"; every Tuesday & Thursday 2-4pm EST on The Thin Line Rock Station! Listen here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.thethinlinerockstation.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠

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, trauma informed and certified Life and Wellness Coach for First Responders, Emergency Services Members, Spouses and Loved Ones.This week is a special episode! Erin talks to Josh Bailey, a Veteran of the Australian Defence Force, both enlisted and as a reservist and former police officer with the Australian Federal Police.Josh is the VERY FIRST return guest (you can check out our first conversation, Epsiode 26) and having developed a strong friendship since that initial podcast episode, Erin and Josh have kept in regular contact with each other.Australia and the USA have many things in common, one thing being some of ways in which they commemorate those who have served and given the ultimate sacrifice for their country, in military service.Erin and Josh were talking around Anzac Day (April 25th) and discussing some of the raw, powerful emotions that can come up for people around these revered occasions. With Memorial Day coming up here in the United States, they decided to book end a conversation about this topic, between those two dates.Whether you have served, are a First Responder and Veteran or support and love someone who is, this episode is for you.Josh and Erin talk about the history behind Anzac Day, Memorial Day, Remembrance Day and Veteran's Day respectively, the meaning they hold for veterans and civilians alike and some complicated emotions that can be brought up around these types of occasions.They discuss the ways grief can show up, Josh talks about the strategy of Awareness, Acknowledgement and Acceptance and the importance of leaning on your mates and loved ones during challenging times.This episode is just two people having a conversation, bringing awareness so others can know how incredibly common it is to wrestle with difficult emotions around these kinds of commemorative occasions and that there is nothing to be ashamed of. Utilising different coping skills and strategies and understanding there are resources available, should you need them, is the point. Plain and simple.They share some Australian-based resources and organisations doing some great work, please feel free to check them out:https://aussiefrontline.com.au/ & https://aussiefrontlinefoundation.org.au/Phoenix Foundation: https://www.phoenixaustralia.org/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=700566919&gbraid=0AAAAADhz5jnBrUROH0etTgvo4jQorNGCf&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI7M30tuOmjQMVIElHAR1XYxLwEAAYASAAEgK2ifD_BwEhttps://soldiersandsirens.com.au/https://linktr.ee/itsahardchoclifeAdditionally you can follow Josh on IG: @joshs_psychology_We hope you find some benefit in listening to this conversation. Please feel free to reach out to either of us if you need some assistance navigating the path of finding some help.If in the United States, reach out to Erin and she will be happy to send you some recommendations, or legitimately just google "Military and First Responder mental health support" and there are more than we could list here.Please feel free to reach out if you'd like a topic discussed, 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/erinjanecoaching⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Call or Text: +1 617 396 4695YouTube Ep: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://youtu.be/gT2gJM3r2OQ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Find "Holding Space with Erin Jane"; every Tuesday & Thursday 2-4pm EST on The Thin Line Rock Station! Listen here: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.thethinlinerockstation.com/⁠⁠⁠

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, trauma informed and certified Life and Wellness Coach for First Responders, Emergency Services Members, Spouses and Loved Ones.This week, Erin speaks with Chris Moore, an active duty Firefighter with over 30 years of service in departments in VA, where he currently serves as a Captain with the Chesapeake FD. Chris is an outspoken advocate for the mental health, wellness and suicide prevention amongst the First Responder, after experiencing his own mental health challenges, including a PTS diagnosis and suicide attempt.Chris travels across the country, sharing his story, in the hope of bringing awareness and reducing the associated cultural stigma that's so heavily entrenched when it comes to mental health. He was also interviewed and featured in the PTSD-911 documentary, directed by Conrad Weaver.Chris tells Erin about his childhood, growing up as the son of a Vietnam Veteran father, who went on to become a police officer after returning from the war. He remembers the sense of pride and service that instilled in him and explains what drew him towards a career in firefighting over law enforcement.He spent 8 years as a volunteer, until finding a position with Chesapeake FD, where he's spent the last 24 years serving his community.Chris details to Erin about his bucket beginning to overflow in 2017, with the cumulative nature of a First Responder role catching up to him and eventually reaching out for some help in 2018. He was given some coping tools and strategies, to replace the unhealthy ones he had developed along the course of his career and was travelling well....until he wasn't.He opens up to Erin about falling into an incredibly dark place psychologically in March of 2022, to the point he made a suicide attempt, waking up in the hospital to the image of his wife (at the time) and son at his bedside.From the depths of despair, Chris was able to fight hard and regain his mental health, with the help of therapy, new coping skills and strategies and a powerful experience attending a Save A Warrior program. Chris travels across the US, sharing his powerful mental health journey, his story of resilience and letting others know they're not alone. Additionally, he shares his personal number for people to reach out to, if they need a peer to talk to and listen. He has had over 2500 people contact him.This conversation was incredibly impactful and truly beautiful to be a part of. Chris is raw, honest, authentic and holds nothing back. He shares the good and the bad, the things many people would want to shy away from. It's a testament to the work he has done on himself and how passionate he is in trying to help others, so they don't end up in the dark place he found himself psychologically.We both hope you enjoy listening! And let's wish Chris a wonderful wedding day tomorrow!You can find Chris on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100048453519257 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-moore-2ab5b9234/Or his number is: 757 536 3373More info for Save A Warrior: https://saveawarrior.org/Please feel free to reach out if you'd like a topic discussed, 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/erinjanecoaching⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Call or Text: +1 617 396 4695YouTube Ep: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://youtu.be/gT2gJM3r2OQ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Find "Holding Space with Erin Jane"; every Tuesday & Thursday 2-4pm EST on The Thin Line Rock Station! Listen here: ⁠⁠https://www.thethinlinerockstation.com/⁠⁠

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, trauma informed and certified Life and Wellness Coach for First Responders, Emergency Services Members, Spouses and Loved Ones.This week, Erin speaks with Heidi Chance, a retired detective with over 27 years in law enforcement, including 25 years with Phoenix PD. She worked as an undercover detective investigating human trafficking cases for 13 of those years and through her hard work, dedication and experience, rescued countless victims. She is a SME (Subject Matter Expert) in the field of sex trafficking and since retiring from her position with the PD, founded "A Chance for Awareness", an organisation dedicated to raising the awareness of sex trafficking, where Heidi provides training and courses, to help law enforcement members and civilian participants understand the methodology  and characteristics of groomers and offenders, as well as about the potential vulnerabilities of victims. She most recently became a published author with the book "Talk To Them: Navigating Difficult Conversations with Youth in the Digital Age".Heidi told Erin about her childhood, growing up with a father in law enforcement, that really fueled her passion to become a police officer. She spent time in patrol and as an SRO, but found her true calling in the realm of sex trafficking and human trafficking. She details the beginning of her role, when the focus was primarily on the sex worker, through the transition into seeing them as a victim and the criminal focus turning on the actual traffickers.Heidi and Erin discuss the ever changing aspects of criminality and how advances in technology changed the way human trafficking occurs, forcing law enforcement to have to keep up with the constantly evolving nature of their tactics. She also discusses the impact this line of work had on her family life and the lack of mental health and wellness resources offered to those performing these roles, something that should be addressed.Her years of experience made her realise there was a huge intelligence gap in terms of the methodology of traffickers being known and the right ways to interact with them, even teaching civilians about the dangers involved. After retiring from Phoenix PD, she wanted to continue her passionate work in the field, so she founded "A Chance For Awareness" in March of 2022. Heidi provides awareness of sex trafficking in the community through keynote presentations, workshop/training events, law enforcement coaching and training and online courses. She has recently published the book "Talk To Them", a comprehensive guide of actionable strategies, personal anecdotes, and expert analysis aimed at fostering open communication, initiating difficult conversations with our kids and teens to ensure their safety online.  You can purchase it here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D37K9NRR?ref_=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_FQRR9J0BT7MKHX42FV3R&peakEvent=5&dealEvent=0&skipTwisterOG=1&bestFormat=trueThis was a lovely and very informative conversation to have! I'm so grateful to Heidi for taking the time to speak with me and am truly inspired by her dedication to helping the victims of human and sex trafficking. Please check out her website here: https://www.achanceforawareness.com and follow her on the socials FB: A Chance For Awareness and IG: a_chance_for_awarenessWe both hope you enjoy listening to this episode!Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.erinjanecoaching.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/erinjanecoaching⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen here: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.thethinlinerockstation.com/⁠⁠⁠ Tues/Thurs 2-4pm EST "Holding Space with Erin Jane".

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, trauma informed and certified Life and Wellness Coach for First Responders, Emergency Services Members, Spouses and Loved Ones.In this first episode for 2025, Erin speaks with Bart Wichowski, a United States Army Veteran, who served as an MP for 8 years and continued his policing career into positions with the Dept of Veteran Affairs, before landing with New Britain PD in CT. Since retiring from law enforcement, Bart has become a licensed mental health clinician, taking a special interest in treating trauma and PTSI in First Responders, Veterans and Active Duty Military members.Bart tells Erin about his military service, his deployment to Iraq during the aftermath of Operation Iraqi Freedom and the duties he performed over there as a member of the Military Police, including the development of the Iraqi Police Force, CPP and joint operations with local forces. Bart also shares about an incident that occurred on December 27th, 2003 where he was wounded in action from an explosion, receiving the Purple Heart.After his service, he became a federal law enforcement officer with the Department of Vet Affairs, but after 7.5 years, was after something more challenging, so he joined the New Britain PD in CT. Bart thoroughly enjoyed his time at this department, working as an FTO, joining the crisis negotiation team, as well as involvement in CIT and training co-ordination.Bart maintained a strong interest in the mental health field throughout his career and had chosen to pursue his Masters. This enabled him to clearly see a gap in service when it came to police officers dealing with civilians experiencing mental health challenges, so he spearheaded and developed a Mental Health Unit for his PD, where he spent the last two years of his policing career.He tells Erin about some of his own personal struggles with his mental health, including some suicidal ideation during a challenging period and the process of supporting his daughter through her own battles too, along with his wife.Knowing how crucial it is for First Responders, Veterans and Active Duty Military Members to receive culturally competent care, after 20 years in Law Enforcement, Bart knew it was time to retire and go help this community in a different capacity.He now provides clinical therapy services as an LPC-A with Headspace LLC and you can reach out to him professionally via his Psychology Today profile:⁠https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/bart-wichowski-wethersfield-ct/1279931⁠ or follow him on IG with the handle @bartwski258This was such a lovely conversation to have! Bart is warm, open, engaging and I'm so glad he's in a position to be helping First Responders with their mental health, combining all his years of law enforcement and military service to truly understand this population well.We both hope you enjoy listening to this episode!Please feel free to reach out if you'd like a topic discussed, 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/erinjanecoaching⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Call or Text: +1 617 396 4695YouTube Ep: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://youtu.be/gT2gJM3r2OQ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Additionally, you can listen in every Tuesday and Thursday, 2pm-4pm EST to hear Erin Jane as Host/DJ on The Thin Line Rock Station! Listen here: ⁠⁠https://www.thethinlinerockstation.com/⁠⁠

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, trauma-informed certified Life and Wellness Coach for First Responders, Emergency Services Members, Spouses and Loved Ones. This episode is part of a bonus series, Mindfulness Mondays. This week, I share about some of my own personal reflections and learning when to decide to take a step back and prioritise the meaningful things in life, when you truly need to. Wrestling with the anxiety and guilt, that can come along with feeling like you're being pulled in a multitude of different directions, only to be left feeling that nothing you do is ever enough. So this Mindfulness Mondays episode is dedicated to Focus on February (or Fuck It February, as I'm calling it) which grants a permission structure of sorts, to turn towards yourself purposefully and decide what you truly want to give your time, love, energy and attention to this month. With February being the shortest month of the year, it's a time to really take stock of what's important in your life. And let's be honest, we can all take 28 days (or 25 given we're a few days in already!) and focus on something important to us. Whether that is a relationship or our marriage, being more present with our kids, prioritising your mental health and wellness, taking a technology detox, learning a new skill or engaging in a hobby you've been wanting to start, anything. I share about what I'm focusing on this month while visiting my beautiful homeland of Australia and additionally, discuss the launch of Foundation Fortified's Subscriber Content this past weekend. How truly talented its founder, Josh Grandinetti is as a mindfulness meditation instructor and facilitator, what an incredible resource it is and how it can be a beneficial resource for the First Responder and Emergency Services population. Feel free to check out their content and subscriber options here: https://www.foundationfortified.org/membership or follow Foundation Fortified on the socials; IG: https://www.instagram.com/foundation_fortified/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/p/Foundation-Fortified-61560257165834/?mibextid=JRoKGi YouTube: UC_2osLcuwVDNzqh6E49l5Rg I'm excited to continue this bonus series of episodes, to compliment (not replace!) the wonderful conversations I am privileged to have and to share some brilliant resources with you, moving forward. If there's some kind of practice you'd like me to share on here, or a particular mindfulness narrative you would find beneficial, please reach out. Otherwise, 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, share and subscribe!  You can also catch me on the Thin Line Rock Station (a radio network dedicated to First Responders) every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon, 2pm-4pm EST. Listen in here: ⁠https://www.thethinlinerockstation.com/our-djs⁠ or download their app to your phone!

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, trauma informed and certified Life and Wellness Coach for First Responders, Emergency Services Members, Spouses and Loved Ones. In this episode, (which Erin recorded on New Years Eve) she does a quick recap on the year that was with the podcast. In 2024, with I Will Hold Space Space For Your Darkness we had over 30 episodes! Including a few solo ones and the bonus series of Mindfulness Mondays. We also had an incredible list of guests, who kindly gave their time to come on and have some deep, heartfelt, honest, raw and riveting conversations. I'm so grateful to each and every one of them and have not only had the opportunity to make some truly wonderful connections and friendships, but also learnt about many different aspects available to First Responders in the mental health and wellness realm. 2024 has been a big year and a busy year! Looking forward to see what 2025 brings. Please feel free to reach out if you'd like a topic discussed, 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 YouTube Ep: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://youtu.be/gT2gJM3r2OQ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Additionally, you can listen in every Tuesday and Thursday, 2pm-4pm EST to hear Erin Jane as Host/DJ on The Thin Line Rock Station! Listen here: https://www.thethinlinerockstation.com/

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, trauma informed and certified Life and Wellness Coach for First Responders, Emergency Services Members, Spouses and Loved Ones. In this episode, Erin speaks with Doug White, a United States Air Force Veteran, where he was a Security Forces Specialist, and a career spanning 25 years in Law Enforcement as Deputy Sheriff in Florida. Since retiring in July 2023, Doug has become a mental health advocate for the First Responder and Veteran community, sharing his own personal story and struggles in the published memoir "Hiding In Plain Sight; The Truth About Trauma, Service and the Way Forward." He also is a podcast host, with "Tell This Story" where he shares important conversations with First Responders and Veterans. Doug tells Erin about being raised with a strong sense of service, which led him to join the Air Force. His role as a Security Specialist involved service at US-SOCOM, including returning to active duty after 9/11 to continue to serve his country. Prior to the events of 9/11, Doug had already began his career in Law Enforcement with a major agency in Florida, where his roles ranged from FTO, instructor, patrolman, supervisor and he goes into detail about his time as a certified bomb technician. He served for 25 years with this department with dedication, tenacity and commitment, but eventually, to the detriment to his mental health and personal relationships. A cumulation of exposure to trauma, poor coping skills and lack of sleep after a promotion had Doug on midnight shifts, unfortunately left him struggling both physically and psychologically. He shares with Erin about experiencing suicidal thoughts and ideation one night in 2019, leaving him all alone in a car park one night, with a firearm in his hand. This was a turning point for Doug and with the incredible support of his wife Michelle, he was able to start receiving some help. He didn't retire until July 2023, so endured the rest of his career dealing with PTS and some other mental health challenges, but this is evidence of Doug's immense resilience and ability to rise when faced with adversity. After retirement, Doug began to journal and realised his story and experience was one worthy of sharing. To explain that post traumatic growth is possible and share the mistakes he made along the way, like prioritising his career opportunities over dedication to his family, something he has worked hard to rectify since. His book "Hiding In Plain Sight" truly is a raw, heartfelt read, that speaks not only to Veterans and First Responders, but their spouses and partners too. As they discuss, Doug is very much still in the trenches when it comes to his healing journey, but everything about this man is decent, authentic and inspiring. Through his podcast and foundation "Tell This Story", Doug's mission is a powerful one and is resonating with this community all over the country. It was an absolute privilege to speak with Doug and this is a really special episode that we both hope you enjoy listening to. His pull-no-punches style resonates because of its pure authenticity and I encourage everyone to read his book, which you can find here: https://www.amazon.com/Hiding-Plain-Sight-Service-Forward/dp/B0DJRY7W72 Please follow him on FB/IG at Tell This Story or jump on his website https://dougwhiteofficial.com/ to reach out for a speaking engagement or information about his podcast. Reach out to Erin Jane: Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.erinjanecoaching.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/erinjanecoaching⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Call or Text: +1 617 396 4695 YouTube Ep: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://youtu.be/gT2gJM3r2OQ⁠⁠⁠⁠ 

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, trauma informed and certified Life and Wellness Coach for First Responders, Emergency Services Members, Spouses and Loved Ones. In this episode, Erin speaks with Vance Row, a former police officer with the Ocean City PD for over 20 years and current dispatcher for their police and fire departments, the Founder of "Yoga Rescue" a practice that combines breath work, movement and mindfulness, which is used to combat mental health challenges and suicidality in the First Responder and Veteran community and a "Guide" at Boulder Crest Foundation, who offers programs for military members, Veterans and the First Responder community focusing on post traumatic growth. Vance tells Erin about how he got his start in law enforcement, some of the varied roles he performed and the extent of the extended hours required when you hold a position at a popular beach side town. He explains about how he ended up acquiring his polygraph examination qualification and the toll it took on him, both being time intensive and psychologically heavy as the person hearing everyone's confessions and revelations that they may never have shared before. To deal with the heaviness of that role, the extended hours he was working and resulting burnout, Vance relied heavily on alcohol as a coping mechanism. This was exacerbated by a LOD injury that resulted in months off work, surgery and with more time to think than ever before, he shares about experiencing suicidal thoughts and ideation. After being confronted by his wife about his spiraling drinking, Vance realised something needed to change, so he chose to stop and has been sober for over 5 years. He turned to the practice of yoga and after discovering the immense benefits for himself, how it calmed the storm within in, he felt compelled to share this practice and skill with the First Responder and Veteran communities, understanding how it could serve, heal and be a wonderful resource for them. For their overall wellness and in particular, their mental health, for which he is such a strong advocate. He became a qualified instructor and this is how Yoga Rescue was born! Please check out their website here: https://www.yoga-rescue.com/ Vance has also recently become involved with the Boulder Crest Foundation, who provide important programs for Veterans, Active Military Members, First Responders and their families, at no cost, to help them heal from the the things they experience and endure as a result of their profession. He is a "Guide" and explains the wonderful and unique benefits of programs offered all over the country by this organisation. Find out more here: https://bouldercrest.org/ Vance and Erin also briefly discuss the First Responder documentary PTSD-911 and the Director, Conrad Weaver, and the important impact it's having in showing the realities of life as a First Responder. Please find more information here: https://ptsd911movie.com/ It was a true honour and pleasure to speak with Vance. To have him openly discuss his personal struggles, hear his passion about the practice of yoga and his first-hand understanding of how it can benefit those in the emergency services communities. Please follow him on the socials: yoga.rescue (IG) and "Yoga Rescue" on FB. We both hope you enjoy listening to this episode! Please feel free to reach out if you'd like a topic discussed, 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 YouTube Ep: ⁠⁠https://youtu.be/gT2gJM3r2OQ⁠⁠ 

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, trauma-informed certified Life and Wellness Coach for First Responders, Emergency Services Members, Spouses and Loved Ones. This episode is part of a bonus series, Mindfulness Mondays. This week, I share about the practice of Self Compassion. What it is, what's involved and how it can be a beneficial resource for the First Responder and Emergency Services population. In terms of learning to have grace for yourself, offering kindness and compassion in the way you would to your best friend and how holding space for mistakes or disappointments, without letting them overwhelm or engulf you allows for greater perspective and forgiveness of common human challenges. I'm excited to continue this bonus series of episodes, to compliment (not replace!) the wonderful conversations I am privileged to have and to share some brilliant resources with you, moving forward. If there's some kind of practice you'd like me to share on here, or a particular mindfulness narrative you would find beneficial, please reach out. Otherwise, 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, share and subscribe!  You can also catch me on the Thin Line Rock Station (a radio network dedicated to First Responders) every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon, 2pm-4pm EST. Listen in here: https://www.thethinlinerockstation.com/our-djs or download their app to your phone!

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, trauma informed and certified Life and Wellness Coach for First Responders, Emergency Services Members, Spouses and Loved Ones. In this episode, Erin speaks with Tim Gardiner, a USMC Veteran and National Guard member, where he served as a Landing Specialist, a former Law Enforcement officer of 13 years with Birmingham PD and current Probationary Parole Officer with a State Bureau. Tim was and continues to be an advocate for the mental health and wellness of his members, implementing an officer safety and wellness program and establishing a peer support team that catered to over 1000 members at BPD. He provides initial and continuing education on relevant mental health subjects in classes he teaches all over the country, such as trauma, suicide prevention, resilience and compassion fatigue. Tim is also a founding member and chairman of the board of non-profit organisation "Operation Righteous Valor", whose mission is to assist Veteran, First Responders and their families in a time of crisis. Tim talks to Erin about how he ended up joining the Marines and what his role as a Landing Support Specialist entailed, how he drifted a little after leaving the service and ended up performing a few First Responder and security roles before landing in Law Enforcement. He shares about the time he was a little down on his luck and a kind police officer showed him compassion and support when he really needed it, an encounter that would go on to shape the way he conducted himself throughout most of his career, especially in his position as a SRO. He even discusses a time in his life when he endured his own suicidal thoughts and ideation, which has greatly helped him to empathise and show compassion to those he's interacted with since. Tim shares about the grief he experienced along with his police department after the loss of a number of colleagues to suicide and a good friend in a LODD. It fueled an already burning passion to implement appropriate mental health resources that he had already been asking for and to be involved in the welfare of his friends and colleagues in a real, impactful way. Tim shares how "Operation Righteous Valor" came to be, what their mission is in terms of providing hope, assistance and resources to Veterans, First Responders and their families in a time of crisis and what his ultimate vision is for the future. This was an absolutely wonderful conversation to have, with someone who cares deeply about the mental health and wellness of this population and has put in the work to be a resource and help as many people as possible, either in his capacity as a police officer, a veteran, a parole officer and with the non-profit Operation Righteous Valor. Tim is kind, introspective, honest and reflective of the beautiful essence of southern hospitality. You can follow Operation Righteous Valor on Facebook under their name or head to their website ⁠www.oprv.org⁠ to check out their next fundraising event or donate to a very worthy cause. We both hope you enjoy listening to this episode! Please feel free to reach out if you'd like a topic discussed, 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 YouTube Ep: ⁠⁠https://youtu.be/gT2gJM3r2OQ⁠⁠ 

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, trauma-informed certified Life and Wellness Coach for First Responders, Emergency Services Members, Spouses and Loved Ones. This episode is part of a bonus series, Mindfulness Mondays. This week, I share a resource to activate or induce a state of calm and relaxation in our body, called Bilateral Stimulation. More specifically, the auditory cued kind. Similarly to how I shared in the last episode about the the benefits of Deep Diaphragmatic Breathing and how it can be utilised to return our bodies back to equilibrium, from a stress response into a relaxation response, Bilateral Stimulation can act in a similar way, by stimulating each hemisphere of our brains in an alternating fashion, activating our parasympathetic nervous system. I discuss how Bilateral Stimulation forms part of EMDR therapy and that it's been shown to be significantly beneficial to those experiencing the after effects of trauma exposure, particularly those in the First Responder and Veteran communities. However the auditory kind I'm sharing about is not the same used in that kind of therapeutic setting, but rather a kind of music that is readily available and easy for you to access, should be you interested or inclined to see if it's an appropriate resource for you. I share the benefits of B.S and the positive effects it has on our bodies, the unique benefits it could offer someone in a First Responder role and how it interacts with our brain. In this episode I also share the exciting news that I am joining The Thin Line Rock Station as one of their Hosts, every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon, 2-4pm EST. This is a radio network dedicated to those serving on the front lines in the First Responder and Emergency Services community and I couldn't be more thrilled! So check them out on the socials, their website via: ⁠https://www.thethinlinerockstation.com/⁠ or you can download their app and listen in! I hope you find something interesting in hearing about Bilateral Stimulation in today's episode and if you choose to give it a try, let me know how you go! As promised during the episode, here is a playlist from Spotify for you to check out: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1E4wueTsxIfFXI?si=0t4h2MgBQFaEV7KNa_D3kg⁠ and one from YouTube has soft music with actual lyrics, but the same bilateral sensation: ⁠https://youtu.be/efcuh7wRomo?si=IzFM14Rm4AZLgFgp⁠ I'm excited to continue this bonus series of episodes, to compliment (not replace!) the wonderful conversations I am privileged to have and to share some brilliant resources with you, moving forward. If there's some kind of practice you'd like me to share on here, or a particular mindfulness narrative you would find beneficial, please reach out. Otherwise, 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, share and subscribe! 

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, trauma informed and certified Life and Wellness Coach for First Responders, Emergency Services Members, Spouses and Loved Ones. In this episode, Erin speaks with Mike Morgan, a Law Enforcement Veteran with 30 years experience across two departments, a mental health advocate for the First Responder community and a proponent for the healing benefits of plant-based medicines, in particular, Ayahuasca. Mike talks to Erin about the first ten years of his policing career, spent with Atlanta PD and how extreme that experience was, attending multiple murder scenes in just his first shift. He left to return closer to his roots in New York, spending the next 20 years with the Suffolk County PD. Although a very different style and level of policing, it did not leave him unscathed psychologically by any means. Mike shares about mounting stress, that led to an opioid addiction, which he thankfully overcame after a stint in a rehab facility. He also tells Erin about one of the toughest calls of his career, a job to attend a 2yo little girl, found floating unresponsive in a backyard pool. In his vivid description, Mike shares about having to perform CPR with another colleague, how grateful the parents were that they were able to revive their daughter, despite suffering a hypoxic brain injury and how his guilt made him feel so conflicted for being nominated for an award as a result of this job. After suffering an OTJ injury in September 2020 and undergoing surgery, Mike retired in October 2022. Having such an extensive career as a First Responder, Mike had learnt to bury anything that brought up difficult emotions, but in his retirement, soon realised these kinds of things don't stay buried. After watching a podcast where former Navy SEAL Eddie Penney was openly emotional about some of his experiences, Mike felt some part of him crack wide open, experiencing flashbacks from his career and understanding he needed some help. Not feeling like traditional medicine was the right path for him, he turned to plant-based medicine and found healing through Ayahuasca. This also led to Mike finding his new mission; to be an advocate for the mental health and wellness of First Responder and Veterans, in particular, healing through plant-based medicines, especially after his own experiences and success. One such organisation who has the same mission and Mike is a supporter of, is No Fallen Heroes Foundation; https://nofallenheroesfoundation.org/ It was so lovely to speak with Mike and learn about Ayahuasca! You can follow him on Instagram at: @theresilientwarrior5778. We both hope you enjoy listening to this episode! (Since we recorded this episode, Mike's IG changed to the one listed above, so it's different to the one he mentioned during our conversation. He also reached out to the parents of Dana, the little girl they were able to rescue from the swimming pool. She is doing well, but her healthcare and assistance needs are expensive, so Mike has set up a GoFundMe page. Please consider donating: https://gofund.me/57bdafa5) Please feel free to reach out if you'd like a topic discussed, 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, share and subscribe!  YouTube Ep: https://youtu.be/gT2gJM3r2OQ 

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 and Wellness Coach for First Responders, Emergency Services Members, Spouses and Loved Ones. This episode is part of a bonus series, Mindfulness Mondays. This week, I share some information that I've been learning in my psychology class this semester. Namely about researching the benefits of Deep Diaphragmatic Breathing and how it can be utilised to return our bodies back to equilibrium, from a stress response into a relaxation response. I discuss some of the effects that chronic exposure to stress can do to our body, both physically and psychologically and how important it is, especially as a First Responder or Emergency Services Member, to have tools, resources and the knowledge to be able to calm ourselves down when required. I speak about the empirical research, backing up the health benefits of engaging in this kind of breathing technique and share it in the hope it will be of some kind of benefit, armed with the knowledge of how it can provide you a sense of control over your own nervous system. So this week, I share with you information from my researched assignment, on how Deep Diaphragmatic Breathing can be utilised to combat stress, what happens to our body when we experience our stress response, often known as the "Fight or Flight" response and how to mitigate the negative impact of chronic stress we experience as First Responders, by engaging in practices like this. I'm excited to continue this bonus series of episodes, to compliment (not replace!) the wonderful conversations I am privileged to have and to share some brilliant resources with you, moving forward. If there's some kind of practice you'd like me to share on here, or a particular mindfulness narrative you would find beneficial, please reach out. Otherwise, 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, share and subscribe! 

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, trauma informed and certified Life and Wellness Coach for First Responders, Emergency Services Members, Spouses and Loved Ones. In this episode, Erin speaks with Chris "Kable" Martinez, a former US Army Ranger, who recently retired from a 24 year policing career, serving with two Police Departments in Floria. Since leaving and experiencing some of his own personal struggles, Chris has focused on becoming an advocate for the mental health and wellness of the Veteran and First Responder communities, by becoming a certified mindset coach and breath-work facilitator. This prompted him to share his knowledge of how breath work can benefit that community, by writing a book. Chris tells Erin about joining the US Army, becoming a Ranger and how an instructor was pivotal in showing him that he had the potential to be a leader. After leaving the military, the reality of starting a family prompted him to find a steady job to provide for them, so he looked to policing. Something he never imagined for himself! Chris talks about how much he enjoyed the first eight years of law enforcement at Hialeah PD, only leaving for financial and career opportunities to a newer police department at Miami Gardens. He was able to qualify to be on their SWAT Team, work in patrol and as an RTO throughout his 16 years of service there. Towards the end of his career, the cumulative trauma exposure of 24 years of policing and an additional 4 years in the army performing reconnaissance Ranger missions began to take their toll. Chris shares openly about his awful mental health spiral, leading to drug addiction, infidelity and separating from his family, which almost broke him. He talks about the suicidal ideation he experienced and how close he came, before seeing his own daughter hospitalised for her own attempt, which prompted him to make a change. He went to his local church and submitted himself to God, having a visceral experience that made him feel like he now knew what his mission would be, moving forward. After reconciling and rebuilding trust with his family, Chris has been committed to leading his life authentically, which includes sharing his own personal struggles and the things that have helped him along the way in his own healing journey. Although knowing he will never be truly "healed" from some of his PTSD symptoms, he invested in learning all he could to be in a position to help himself and others. While his faith is a crucial part for Chris, he also believes that physical health and perspective also play a role. He became a qualified life/mindset coach and breath work facilitator. That lead to Chris writing a book on breath work and creating an accompany journal, specifically aimed at helping those in the First Responder and Veteran community. His book, "The Calm Warrior; Breath Work Practices For Mental Resilience" is available now! You can contact him via [email protected] for speaking engagements or coaching sessions and follow on IG @kable_official It was wonderful to speak with Chris. Although deeply personal and painful, he shares for the purpose of helping others. We both hope you enjoy listening to this episode! Please feel free to reach out if you'd like a topic discussed, 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, share and subscribe! 

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, trauma informed and certified Life and Wellness Coach for First Responders, Emergency Services Members, Spouses and Loved Ones. In this episode, Erin speaks with Josh Grandinetti, an active duty Firefighter and Paramedic with over 15 years experience, who currently holds the rank of Captain with the Eloy Fire District in Arizona. Josh is the Founder of "Foundation Fortified", an organisation bringing the immense benefits of Mindfulness Training to First Responders, with practices uniquely designed and tailored for them. Josh is also a Certified Mindfulness Instructor, with a trauma sensitive certification. Josh tells Erin about a chance encounter that led him to completely change his initial career trajectory and become a firefighter. He discusses his early career experience, getting hired at 19 and how he ended up working at his current department in Eloy, an epic skydiving location, which Erin has some experience with. Josh talks about always having a unique sense of wonder and intrigue, even as a kid, that eventually drew him along the path of discovering the practice of mindfulness meditation; essentially having an awareness of our moment to moment experiences, through acknowledgement, acceptance and a complete lack of judgement. He has been a practitioner for over eight years and realised how beneficial it is, not only in his capacity as a Firefighter, but in every other aspect of his life as well. It occurred to him how consequential mindfulness could be, if utilised correctly by the First Responder community, to help with their overall health, stress response and wellness. You only have to listen to Josh speak for a few moments to understand how passionate an advocate he is for the practice of mindfulness. He kindly takes the time during this conversation, to explain in detail what the practice of mindfulness actually is, how it's performed, who it's for and the kind of benefits one can expect to receive from it. Josh became a mindfulness instructor and his organisation "Foundation Fortified" was able to come to fruition after an on-duty injury sidelined him this past year. He tells Erin about what Foundation Fortified wants to offer First Responders, as well as being a resource for the partners, spouses and children of those members. He also believes teaching and implementing this practice to recruits at the academy level, so they have it a resource for the entirety of their career, will prove immensely beneficial. Josh is full of knowledge, experience and passion for mindfulness, not only as a practitioner, but as a teacher. His unique insight into what it's like to perform a First Responder role positions him perfectly to be able to offer this unique, specially designed practice as a tool to enrich the lives and overall wellness of fellow Emergency Services Members. It was a true pleasure to speak with Josh and we both hope you enjoy listening to this episode! Please follow him on social media at Foundation Fortified; Check out his website: ⁠https://www.foundationfortified.org/⁠ and find some mindfulness meditations on his YouTube Channel: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_2osLcuwVDNzqh6E49l5Rg⁠ 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, share and subscribe! 

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, trauma informed and certified Life and Wellness Coach for First Responders, Emergency Services Members, Spouses and Loved Ones. In this episode, Erin speaks with Kenny Mitchell Jr, a Firefighter with over 22 years experience in VA, who retired as a Lieutenant this past April. Kenny is also the Founder of Operation Yellow Tape, an organisation empowering First Responders to build upon their strength, resilience and hope. Their mission is dedicated to breaking the stigma around mental health in the First Responder profession and community by offering education, resources and support, including their 3rd Annual OYT Conference coming up on September 14th! Kenny tells Erin about how the events of 9/11 dramatically changed his career trajectory, taking him from the life of a graphic designer, to feeling inspired to want to serve on the front lines, by joining the fire department. While he loved and thrived in his new role, he could see the impact of the job could be heavy on someone's mental health, so he joined the peer support network of his fire department in 2009. Despite knowing the importance of maintaining your mental health and wellness, Kenny endured a tragic and devastating personal loss in 2013, which irrevocably changed his world. He was left engulfed by grief, suffering from depression and experiencing infrequent thoughts of suicidal ideation. This mental health struggle lasted for 7 years, until the sudden loss to suicide of one of Kenny's close friends and colleagues, Tom. He knew something needed to change, so he began sharing his own personal struggles, realising how many fellow First Responders were experiencing the same kind of mental health challenges, but no one was speaking about them. Whilst scribbling notes at his friend's funeral, Kenny wrote "There are too many of us to ever feel alone" and the concept of Operation Yellow Tape was born. Kenny reached a point towards the beginning of 2024, where he could acknowledge his cup was getting full and it was time for him to walk away from his firefighting career, feeling proud of all he'd accomplished. He now spends his time dedicated to Operation Yellow Tape, giving presentations to First Responder and civilian groups alike, about the importance of maintaining our mental health and being proactive about seeking assistance. He also still participates in training MAYDAY/RIT. First Responder Mental Health and Wellness is deeply personal for Kenny; you don't have to speak to him for very long to know how passionate he is about the work he does with OYT. They have their 3rd Annual OYT Conference coming up on September 14th in North Chesterfield, VA. You can obtain tickets here: ⁠⁠https://www.kennymitchelljr.com/oyt⁠⁠ It was an absolute pleasure to speak with Kenny and have him share his story and experience. (Third time was the charm for us!) We both hope you enjoy listening to this episode and you can follow Kenny on social media @kennymitchellfire or you can go check out his website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.kennymitchelljr.com/meetkenny⁠⁠ You can also find his podcast "Operation Yellow Tape" wherever you find your podcasts! 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, share and subscribe! 

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, trauma informed and certified Life and Wellness Coach for First Responders, Emergency Services Members, Spouses and Loved Ones. In this episode, Erin speaks with Egan de los Cobos, a Firefighter and Paramedic with 25 years experience from California. In 2013, Egan and his young son were involved in an awful MVA, where a vehicle careened into the cafe they were sitting in. This subsequently led to a PTSD diagnosis and the stress and trauma present in his body, lead to the triggering of an autoimmune condition. After years of chronic pain, Egan sought answers and relief that weren't coming from the mainstream medical system and finally found relief. Inspired by his own journey, he became a certified health coach, focusing on aligning immune, gut, mental and physical health after enduring a protracted search for answers to his own physical health struggles, eventually founding First Wellness Health. Egan tells Erin about why he decided to become a firefighter/paramedic, inspired by his uncle in the job and they discuss the wildfires that often occur out in California, including his department's member heavy deployments to such incidents. He also shares about the day that changed the trajectory of his life, where an out of control vehicle collided with the outdoor cafe he and his son were sitting in, one morning in 2013. Egan was knocked unconscious and when he came to, had no idea where his son was or in what condition. He searched the rubble, only to find every parent's worst nightmare; his little boy, lying face down and not moving. Thankfully both he and his son escaped relatively unharmed physically from the incident, even having some of his colleagues treat them on scene. However, the psychological impact on Egan triggered the autoimmune condition of psoriatic arthritis and psoriasis, causing his physical health to deteriorate dramatically. It took 4 years and countless appointments with different medical professionals for Egan's frustration to drive him to seek his own answers and the realisation of the mind-body connection. He was finally able to find some relief through focusing on nutrition, supplements and improving his own health, which finds him now in a place where he could barely walk or attend work most days, to now being able to run marathons. Egan also received a PTSD diagnosis, resulting from the MVA with his son and underwent EMDR therapy, with he found immensely beneficial and successful. He also discusses how feeling so helpless and powerless in that moment with his son, when usually as a First Responder, we are the ones in control of a situation like that, was also part of his trauma. He tells Erin about his desire to help others, which is why he formed First Responder Wellness and now coaches and supports people on their health and wellness journey. It was so lovely to speak with Egan and have him share his story with us. We both hope you enjoy listening to this episode and you can follow Egan on social media @eganfirstwellness (IG and TikTok) and Egan de los Cobos (FB) or you can go check out his website: ⁠https://www.firstwellnesshealth.com/⁠ 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, share and subscribe! 

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 and Wellness Coach for First Responders, Emergency Services Members, Spouses and Loved Ones. This episode is part of a bonus series, Mindfulness Mondays. This week, I talk about the notion of "gratitude", inspired by my recent birthday and how achieving a new milestone can give you pause to reflect on the things in this life we're grateful for. We know as First Responders and Emergency Services Members, it's easy to become complacent. To let the awful things we see allow us to become jaded and cynical, missing out on seeing the beauty in the little things and remembering to take a moment to be grateful for the good things in life, instead of focusing on the negative. I speak about the empirical research, backing up the health benefits of practicing gratitude, whether that's writing it down, making a mental checklist or speaking it out loud, even expressing it to those we are grateful to have in our lives. And the process having a positive leaning perspective can have on our brains. So this week, after listening to this episode, I challenge you to take just 5 minutes; sit somewhere quietly and deeply think about and reflect on the aspects of your life that perhaps bring you joy and you find yourself feeling the most grateful for. If one of those things is a person, dare to be brave enough to share your thoughts and feelings of gratitude with them. I'm excited to continue this bonus series of episodes, to compliment (not replace!) the wonderful conversations I am privileged to have and to share some brilliant resources with you, moving forward. If there's some kind of practice you'd like me to share on here, or a particular mindfulness narrative you would find beneficial, please reach out. Otherwise, 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, share and subscribe! 

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, trauma informed and certified Life and Wellness Coach for First Responders, Emergency Services Members, Spouses and Loved Ones. In this episode, Erin speaks with Jeff Fields, a former Law Enforcement Officer with 22 years experience across Local, State and Federal Departments, including positions at the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and as a Criminal Investigator with the US Postal Service. He now has a Public Safety Education and Consulting Organisation, "1333 Consulting" and is the author of "Sober From Sin"; a memoir of his journey through addiction and his search for spiritual and personal redemption. Jeff tells Erin about growing up with a father in law enforcement, which set him on the path to follow in his footsteps, without really taking the time to consider another career choice. Jeff spent time in various uniformed departments across New Mexico and Arizona as well as Criminal Investigator positions, before obtaining a position with Department of Homeland Security. He talks about seeking different positions with different departments, promotions and titles, but never really feeling completely fulfilled. As many others in law enforcement, he had always been a big drinker, something Erin and Jeff talk about that is promoted by the culture of the profession. But his drinking behaviour escalated and Jeff talks incredibly openly and honestly about his struggles with alcohol, that began to increase during his time with DHS and resulted from the revelation of childhood trauma and abuse. Not knowing how to cope and not having the correct tools, led him to spiral into a full blown addiction. The requirement to maintain a security clearance affected his ability to receive the mental health assistance he truly needed, which ultimately meant he never received the kind of support he was desperate for. Jeff explains that he reached a point where he knew his career in law enforcement had to end, which as he notes, was easier for him to walk away from that to get sober. But for the sake of his marriage, his family and his own wellbeing, he knew it was something he had to do. One aspect that helped Jeff along his path to sobriety was his faith, which he tells Erin about and explains the important role it now plays in his life and his recovery. He also tells Erin about the choice he made to put his story out there, warts an all, in an incredibly raw and authentic way, but writing "Sober From Sin". His ultimate goal is just to help as many people as he can, by sharing his story of his battle with addiction, so others know they're not alone. It was an absolute honour to have this in depth conversation with Jeff and we both hope you enjoy listening! You can find Jeff via his website: https://thejefffields.com/ and follow him on Instagram via @soberfromsin and "Jeff Fields" on Facebook. You can purchase his book "Sober From Sin: A Law Enforcement Veteran's Journey To Unraveling Addiction and Faith" via his website or https://www.amazon.com/Sober-Sin-Enforcement-Unraveling-Addiction/dp/B0D1VYF955 which I encourage you all to check out! 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, share and subscribe! 

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 and Wellness Coach for First Responders, Emergency Services Members, Spouses and Loved Ones. We're trying something new this week! I've been thinking for a little while about adding some more resources to the podcast. While I believe there is great power in sharing our stories with others, so they know they aren't alone in their struggles, I want to do more. So I'm starting a bonus series as a part of these podcast episodes, called "Mindfulness Mondays". With my continued studies in psychology towards obtaining my Bachelor's, as well as my own personal deep dives into mindfulness, coping skills and strategies, exercise, trauma informed certifications, ASMR, breath work and any other somatic skill or practice you can imagine, I want to be in a position to share some with you all as I go along. I believe strongly that knowledge is power; second to that, knowledge gained should be knowledge shared. I don't have all the answers and am not a Clinician; I am a Wellness Coach, so I know it's important to stay in my lane. But if one skill, strategy or practice I share helps even just one person, (usually accompanied by anecdotal evidence from my own experience) then I believe it's worth putting it out there for you to listen to, consume and try for yourselves. And these resources I want to share with you are adaptive mental health coping skills and strategies that can be practiced on your own, in your own time, in an effort to increase a First Responder or Emergency Services Member's already stellar levels of resilience. This week, I share about the concept of Box Breathing. Also known as Tactical Breathing, Square Breathing and a few other names. It's something I've spoken about on previous long form episodes of this podcast and it's my personal favourite. It's simple, easy to do, requires very little from you, can be done anywhere and is a resource and a practice I desperately wish I'd known about during my First Responder/Law Enforcement career. In this episode, I explain the practice of Box Breathing, how it affects our nervous system, and lead the listener through a practice in real time. I'm excited to begin this bonus series of episodes, to compliment (not replace!) the wonderful conversations I am privileged to have and to share some brilliant resources with you, moving forward. If there's some kind of practice you'd like me to share on here, or a particular mindfulness narrative you would find beneficial, please reach out. Otherwise, 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, share and subscribe!

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 Steve Powers, a Veteran of the United States Marine Corps, former Police Officer with over 22 years experience, with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg PD in North Carolina and previously, serving as a Correctional Officer with Charles County Sheriff's Office in Maryland. Since retiring from law enforcement in late 2021, Steve has spent his time heavily involved in Peer Support and Crisis Intervention Teams, focusing on Vicarious Trauma and Officer Wellness. He is also the Founder of "Hashtag BuddyCheck", a 501(c)3 organisation, created to assist First Responders and their spouses with the impact of trauma, through awareness and education, after experiencing his own share of trauma exposure and mental health challenges over his 30+ years of service. In their conversation, Steve tells Erin about what drew him to enlist in the USMC at just 17 and his service in the Security Forces and as Squad Leader in the 3rd Battalion. He recounts the transition out of the military and back to Maryland, where he applied for numerous Law Enforcement positions, before becoming a Correctional Officer. Steve worked amongst this population for 4 years and, as many describe, it's like you're doing time along with the inmates. With family in the Charlotte, NC area, Steve applied for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg PD, where he would spend the majority of his career. He explains that he spent a lot of time in patrol and early on, found himself to be "one of those people" that others felt comfortable coming to and speaking with if they were having a difficult time. Steve tells Erin after finding himself naturally thrust into that kind of privileged position, he found courses to do to become a qualified Peer Support Specialist, at both State and Federal levels and how he was part of a Crisis Intervention Team, where he and a Mental Health Clinician would attend a myriad of calls for assistance together. Steve opens up about his own mental health battles, feeling overwhelmed, burnt out and unable to find his way out of darkness and despair, leading to two suicide attempts. Through the support of his wife, family and fellow Veteran friend, he was able to get some help and begin on a path of healing and learning about his own capacity to help others. Knowing what a challenge mental health and trauma exposure is for the Veteran and First Responder community, Steve founded "Hashtag BuddyCheck" in 2019 in an effort to educate and help others with their struggles in the way he was helped. He describes to Erin what's behind the name of the 501(c)3 and the kind of education and presentations he provides. This was a wonderful, honest and heartfelt conversation to have and another chance to highlight a man doing great things in the month of June, being Men's Mental Health Awareness Month. You can follow Steve on social media on "Hashtag BuddyCheck" pages and reach out for speaking engagements or make a donation via https://hashtagbuddycheck.com We both hope you enjoy listening to this episode!  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! 

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 and Wellness Coach for First Responders, Emergency Services Members, Spouses and Loved Ones. In this episode, Erin speaks about the importance of the month of June, being Men's Mental Health Awareness Month and PTSD Awareness Month and how she's looking forward to sharing some conversations focusing specifically on men this month. Obviously both of these issues affect the First Responder and Emergency Services populations significantly, so she talks about how impactful it is to raise awareness for people struggling in that space right now. She speaks about what trauma actually is and how this community is uniquely affected, often in a cumulative manner, with constant exposure in the workplace. She reads out the clinical definition of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, as from the DSM-5, because with lots of opinions and conversations out there about PTSD, PTSI, PTS, etc it's sometimes helpful know the exact criteria and strongly believes knowledge is power. Erin discusses the mental health of men, from the perspective of the daughter of a father who completed suicide and how, 37 years ago, when he reached out for help, there was no one there to listen. That mental health needs to be spoken about by men, especially by men brave enough to share their stories, but also by the women who love and care for them. No one's voice should be silenced on an issue this important. Erin shares personal experiences of speaking with men battling the depths of depression and something important that most men fail to realise; that our perception of you won't change if you dare to cry or express emotion in front of us. She talks about the fact the tide is turning and how this podcast is evidence of that. Wonderful men have come on here and shared their experiences, emotions, failures and triumphs, in an effort to end the stigma and ensure men's mental health is a part of the conversation in society. That 30+ years later, there is the kind of help available that there once wasn't. It isn't perfect, but it exists and is improving each day we share it in places like this. Erin also discusses the changing emotions over her lifetime that she's felt towards her Dad, in the way that the she lost him and the choice he made to leave. That there has been the overwhelming grief of missing out on having him in her life, the disappointment and confusion as a young child, the anger and resentment that can manifest with a loss to suicide, the never-ending "Why?" questions we are all faced with and finally, with the birth of her own child at the same age her father died, landing in a place of empathy and compassion. Nothing more, nothing less. And how that empathy and compassion authentically extends to anyone who has found themselves in the same amount of despair, to be experiencing suicidal ideation or intention. Thank you for listening. 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, share and subscribe! 

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 and Wellness Coach for First Responders, Emergency Services Members, Spouses and Loved Ones. In this episode, Erin speaks with Justin Cotte, a former Police Officer from Washington State, who served his community for 20 years in various law enforcement positions, including patrol, K9 handler, corrections, part of a US Marshalls Task Force for Violent Offenders, Critical Incident Investigator including OIS and held a Detective position with ICAC; Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Since retiring, Justin is a Civilian Investigator for the AG's Office and is also studying his Master's of Science in Military and First Responder Psychology. Justin tells Erin about growing up in Canada during his teenage years, but that how the events of 9/11 made him want to return to the United States and join Law Enforcement. Watching the calm disposition on the faces of the First Responders on that horrible day, amongst all the chaos and tragedy, inspired him to join their ranks. He volunteered for both fire and police departments, but ultimately Law Enforcement won out in the end. Justin and Erin discuss becoming First Responders around the same age and how they were so naive and unaware of what a career in Law Enforcement would ultimately entail. Everyone joins to help people, but we all leave being changed by our roles. Justin shares about two ambush-style incidents where offenders opened fire on he and his colleagues, which caused him to enter in a significant state of constant hypervigilence and about the position he enjoyed the most, being the handler of his beloved K9, Solo. He tells Erin about the loss to suicide of two colleagues from nearby departments and how it made him question his own future career aspirations, ultimately leading him to engage in pursuing studies in psychology, knowing he wanted to be of service to his colleagues in a different capacity. Justin is honest and open about some of his mental health struggles throughout his career, using alcohol as a maladaptive coping mechanism early on to deal with a relationship breakdown and to combat feeling burnt out, the trauma exposure that murders, crimes against children and just general policing can have on you and the toll it ultimately can take, even leading to negative physiological health responses. He also shares about finding peace for the first time in his career, when he tried a kind of sensory deprivation, known as float therapy. Justin now practices meditation and this helps him alleviate any stress, anxiety and residual trauma he may be experiencing. Justin's ultimate goal is to travel, live adventurously and help his fellow First Responders with their mental health moving forward, to prevent more losses to suicide, like those of his colleagues and many, many others. It was so lovely to chat with Justin, in this first podcast episode for the month of June, being Men's Mental Health Awareness Month. We both hope you enjoy listening! 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, share and subscribe! 

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 and Wellness Coach for First Responders, Emergency Services Members, Spouses and Loved Ones. In this episode, Erin speaks with Chrissy Stewart McKeen, a fellow First Responder Spouse, with her husband being a Law Enforcement Officer, based in the lovely country of Canada. She is a dedicated Police Wife Coach, helping fellow spouses navigate some of the challenges that can accompany being the wife of a police officer and has a background in psychology and the wellness industry. She is about the launch a program called "Police Wife Academy", which aims at teaching essential skills, stress management and building resilience in an often forgotten part of the First Responder community. Erin and Chrissy have a wonderful conversation, in what is Chrissy's first ever podcast appearance! In Part 2, she talks how her relationship was impacted and affected when her husband Cam became a police officer, that while her world was opening up, his was closing and he was losing trust in people and learning to look at the world differently to civilians. Erin and Chrissy discuss what it's like as First Responder spouse and how they've both gone about figuring out how best to support their husbands in their respective First Responder roles, being firefighter and law enforcement. That navigating these kinds of relationships is an ongoing process and learning experience for all involved. They also share about how unmet needs can show up as resentment, anger, grief and a desire for acknowledgement and validation. Chrissy tells us about what her new coaching program, Police Wife Academy was inspired by and how important it is to have a community of support around you, especially as a law enforcement family today. Obviously Erin and Chrissy found they have a lot in common and ended up speaking for over two hours about what the life of a First Responder spouse can entail and how important it is, to not only support your partner in the way that they need, but to make yourself a priority as well. This is Part 2 of their conversation, if you haven't listened to Part 1 yet, go back and take a listen as this episode follows on from where that one left off! It was an absolute pleasure to speak with Chrissy and we both hope you enjoy listening to this episode! You can follow Chrissy on Instagram: @police.wifelife and her website is ⁠https://www.policewifelife.ca/⁠ to learn more about Chrissy and the kind of coaching she offers. 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, share and subscribe! 

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 and Wellness Coach for First Responders, Emergency Services Members, Spouses and Loved Ones. In this episode, Erin speaks with Chrissy Stewart McKeen, a fellow First Responder Spouse, with her husband being a Law Enforcement Officer, based in the lovely country of Canada. She is a dedicated Police Wife Coach, helping fellow spouses navigate some of the challenges that can accompany being the wife of a police officer and has a background in psychology and the wellness industry. She is about the launch a program called "Police Wife Academy", which aims at teaching essential skills, stress management and building resilience in an often forgotten part of the First Responder community. Erin and Chrissy have a wonderful conversation, in what is Chrissy's first ever podcast appearance! She talks how she met her husband Cam 17 yers ago in university and that while he was very upfront about his intentions to join the police force, she really didn't know or understand what it meant at the time to pledge her support and encouragement to his career aspirations. They talk about what it's like being on the other side of the public First Responder experience, how everything their husband's experience invariably bleeds back into their relationship and family life and the different strategies they use to help maintain a healthy dynamic and relationship balance. So much is now spoken about in regards to the mental health and wellness of the first responder population, they both think that spouses are an under-utilised resource, as they are the ones that will often notice subtle changes in behaviour and demeanour of their partners. Education on what to look out for in regards to mental and behavioural health conditions could help facilitate some of the proactive approaches and could improve the nature of these important relationships. Erin and Chrissy mention the fact they are talking/filming during National Police Week in the United States and about how it's never been so challenging to be the spouse of a police officer. They discuss how crucial communication is to ensuring you and your partner are on the same page, that there isn't any one-size-fits-all tool to help each individual couple dynamic, but that if things go left unsaid, it can cause resentment, which poisons a relationship. They are both firm believers in sharing our stories, so that others don't feel so alone and creating a camaraderie and community, whether it be as a first responder, emergency services member or a spouse, is incredibly important. Obviously Erin and Chrissy found they have a lot in common and ended up speaking for over two hours about what the life of a First Responder spouse can entail and how important it is, to not only support your partner in the way that they need, but to make yourself a priority as well. This is Part 1 of their conversation, tune in next week for Part 2! It was an absolute pleasure to speak with Chrissy and we both hope you enjoy listening to this episode! You can follow Chrissy on Instagram: @police.wifelife and her website is https://www.policewifelife.ca/ to learn more about Chrissy and the kind of coaching she offers. 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, share and subscribe! 

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 and Wellness Coach for First Responders, Emergency Services Members, Spouses and Loved Ones. In this episode, Erin jumps on to continue her own promise and intention for 2024, to continue to do more solo episodes! She discusses some feedback she's received in regards to people listening to this podcast and the lovely impact it's having out there in the real world. She also talks about the fact each guest, whatever they share, is their experience and story to tell. So someone listening can disagree, have a different opinion or have had a vastly different experience with the same organisation or situation, but that doesn't make what the guest experienced or talked about untrue. Everyone's experience and point of view is subjective; all she asks is that no one invalidates any experience someone was courageous enough to take the time to share on here, because that is their truth and that's important. Erin mentions the fact is was National Police Week in the United States and about how important it is to support those in law enforcement, especially right now, because it's a tough gig. (This was filmed on Thursday the 16th of May, 2024) Erin also talks about The Overwatch Collective's "50 Miles To Memorial Day Challenge", which she's participating in this year. It's encouraging people to walk, run, hike or ruck 50 miles/80.4km before Memorial Day and share it on social media, in order to raise awareness for their organisation, which funds therapy and coaching services, purely through donations alone, for First Responders, Military Veterans, their spouses and families. An incredibly worthy cause and Erin's been posting her progress and updates on Instagram and Facebook all month, with links to donate should you be in a position. She's also going to put her money where her mouth is and donate for every mile/km she runs, so if you'd like to match her donation or just donate in general, please reach out! If you'd like to donate to The Overwatch Collective and help fund therapy and coaching services for First Responders and Military Veterans, please follow this link: ⁠https://www.theoverwatchcollective.com/donate⁠ Erin also talks about the "Man vs Bear" debate that has been permeating the internet and social media over the last few weeks and shares her thoughts on it, from the perspective of a woman and a former First Responder. 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, share and subscribe! 

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 Josh Bailey, a Veteran of the Australian Defence Force, both enlisted and as a reservist and former police officer with the Australian Federal Police and Australian Protective Services, where he performed duties as an Air Marshall. Josh left the AFP after an on-duty motor vehicle accident, which resulted in a PTSD diagnosis. He is a registered provisional psychologist in Australia, almost finished his Master's of Professional Practice in Psychology and is also a member of Disaster Relief Australia, a veteran focused, volunteer disaster recovery organisation, with multiple deployments to emergencies and natural disasters, across Australia and New Zealand. Josh and Erin discuss his incredible life of service, in so many varied capacities, including joining the Australian Army Reserves at 17 and becoming a member of the 1st Commando Regiment (Reserve Special Forces). Josh is open and honest about his pride of attaining his "green beret" but that he was disappointed that he wasn't suited to the role as much as he'd hoped. Josh tells Erin about joining the Australian Protective Services and that he was amongst the first group to go through the Air Marshalls training, something that ramped up after September 11th, then his lateral switch over to the Australian Federal Police, based in and around Canberra. He discloses a rather toxic culture at play in the force at the time he was in General Duties and the circumstances surrounding an awful motor vehicle accident that occurred at a high rate of speed whilst on duty. Josh sustained psychological trauma as a result of the accident and ended up with a Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) diagnosis, which is one of the primary reasons he left the job. He moved to Queensland with his partner Tracey and enlisted in the ADF as a Fitter & Turner, however his mental health battles became overwhelming during this service and he was medically discharged in 2020. Josh has since found purpose with his psychology studies and strongly believes having endured significant mental health challenges himself, places him in an excellent position to be able to help others in the future, as a registered psychologist. He has also found a wonderful sense of purpose and community with the veteran focused, Disaster Relief Australia organisation. This was a wonderful conversation, full of some brutal honesty, funny stories and basically just two Aussies having a laugh and a chin-wag. Josh is completely open, about his mental health, triumphs and disappointments along the way, in an authentic manner that not many could emulate or live up to. This conversation is evidence of the kinds of connections that can be generated through the power of the First Responder Mental Health community and social media. You can follow Josh on Instagram with the handle ⁠⁠@the_everyday_prov_psych Find out more about DRA here: https://disasterreliefaus.org/ We both hope you enjoy listening to this episode!  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!

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 and Wellness Coach for First Responders, Emergency Services Members, Spouses and Loved Ones. In this episode, Erin jumps on to talk about the incredibly heavy start to this year for First Responders, especially those in the Law Enforcement community, with the news of police officers being shot and killed in the line of duty populating our news feeds almost daily. It strikes at the heart of anyone who has ever worn the uniform and Erin talks about the heartache, as the spouse of a fellow First Responder, of how difficult it can be to watch your partner leave for work, not knowing if they'll return and how fearful and anxiety inducing it must be to be a wife/husband/spouse/partner of anyone in Law Enforcement right now. She discusses the number of officers lost so far this year, not only in the line of duty, but also to suicide and shares some data and statistics from the National Fraternal Order of Police and Blue Help. Erin segways into the fact that May is Mental Health Awareness Month and talks about how crucially important it is for First Responders and Emergency Services members to take their mental health seriously, given all that they see, do and are exposed to. She encourages everyone listening to take this month as an opportunity to evaluate what kind of coping skills, strategies and mechanisms you have at your disposal, whether you feel like you're in need of them or not, as the more you have in your "tool kit" should the need arise, the better. Be proactive in knowing what services are available and even try adding a new coping skill into the mix this month! Lastly, Erin talks about The Overwatch Collective's "50 Miles To Memorial Day Challenge", which she's participating in this year. It's encouraging people to walk, run, hike or ruck 50 miles/80.4km before Memorial Day and share it on social media, in order to raise awareness for their organisation, which funds therapy and coaching services, purely through donations alone, for First Responders, Military Veterans, their spouses and families. An incredibly worthy cause and Erin will be posting her progress and updates on Instagram and Facebook all month, with links to donate should you be in a position to. We hope you enjoy this episode. It certainly discusses some heavy topics, but Erin felt the need to jump on, talk about and acknowledge the losses rippling through the First Responder, and in particular, Law Enforcement community right now. This is where you can find information Erin referenced in the episode, as to the names and numbers of officers shot and killed in the line of duty: https://national.fop.net/reportshotkilled512024#page=7 This is where you can see the information in regards to the losses of Law Enforcement to suicide that Erin mentioned: https://bluehelp.org/honor-wall/ If you'd like to donate to The Overwatch Collective and help fund therapy and coaching services for First Responders and Military Veterans, please follow this link: https://www.theoverwatchcollective.com/donate 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, share and subscribe! 

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 Matt Pitcher, a former police officer with over 22 years experience in law enforcement, with both the Charlotte-Mecklenburg PD in North Carolina and Monroe County Sheriff's Office in Florida. His professional duties included extensive undercover experience, at both the State and Federal levels, involving drug trafficking, organised crime, political corruption and domestic terrorism. Matt even received the Medal of Valor for his role in one such case. Throughout his career, he had involvement in Major Crime invesitgations, involving rape, human trafficking and homicide, in particular one case involving a suspected serial killer. Matt medically retired from law enforcement in late 2022 and kindly now, shares his stories and experiences in a mission to help fellow First Responders, especially Law Enforcement Officers, recognise the mental health implications of careers in these kinds of professions and encourage others to seek assistance when they need it and not leave it until it's too late. (If you haven't already listened to Part 1, Episodes 21 & 22, and Start of Part 2, Episode 23, I encourage you to go back and listen, as this episode picks up exactly where the last episode left off).  In their conversation, (Part 2 of 2) Matt tells Erin in detail about his second deep undercover investigation, where he infiltrated an environmental anarchist group, that had members within their ranks with plans on domestic terrorism. Namely, to bomb the Democratic National Convention in 2011. This was completely different to his previous operation and a very different personality to portray, as well as demographic of people to ingratiate himself with. He spent most of his time with a very dangerous, manipulative and unpredictable man named Billy, in an organisation that styled themselves on Al Qaeda.  As a result, he was able to provide information to his handler, which thwarted their efforts to conduct a catastrophic domestic terrorist attack. For his dedication to this investigation, Matt was awarded the Medal of Valor. Suffice to say, two back to back undercover operations took their toll on Matt's mental health significantly, making acclimation back into his "real" life challenging at times. Matt is really open and honest with Erin during this conversation, going in depth about the kind of psychological and physiological effects his career had on him. He has spoken often about his time as a police officer, but it's taken time for him to feel comfortable sharing the mental health aspects. But his desire to help others struggling and the catharsis he experiences sharing his story is all a part of his own healing process. What a privilege it was for Erin to speak with Matt and hear about this aspect of his journey. Matt is working on a book about his experiences and career and we think it will be an amazing read! You can follow Matt on Instagram or TikTok with the handle ⁠@ret_det_mattpitcher⁠ We both hope you enjoy listening to this episode!  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! 

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 Matt Pitcher, a former police officer with over 22 years experience in law enforcement, with both the Charlotte-Mecklenburg PD in North Carolina and Monroe County Sheriff's Office in Florida. His professional duties included extensive undercover experience, at both the State and Federal levels, involving drug trafficking, organised crime, political corruption and domestic terrorism. Matt even received the Medal of Valor for his role in one such case. Throughout his career, he had involvement in Major Crime invesitgations, involving rape, human trafficking and homicide, in particular one case involving a suspected serial killer. Matt medically retired from law enforcement in late 2022 and kindly now, shares his stories and experiences in a mission to help fellow First Responders, especially Law Enforcement Officers, recognise the mental health implications of careers in these kinds of professions and encourage others to seek assistance when they need it and not leave it until it's too late. (If you haven't already listened to Part 1, Episodes 21 & 22, I encourage you to go back and listen, as this episode picks up exactly where the last episode left off). In their conversation, (Part 2 of 2) Matt tells Erin in detail about his second deep undercover investigation, where he infiltrated an environmental anarchist group, that had members within their ranks with plans on domestic terrorism. Namely, to bomb the Democratic National Convention in 2011. This was completely different to his previous operation and a very different personality to portray, as well as demographic of people to ingratiate himself with. He spent most of his time with a very dangerous, manipulative and unpredictable man named Billy, in an organisation that styled themselves on Al Qaeda. As a result, he was able to provide information to his handler, which thwarted their efforts to conduct a catastrophic domestic terrorist attack. For his dedication to this investigation, Matt was awarded the Medal of Valor. Suffice to say, two back to back undercover operations took their toll on Matt's mental health significantly, making acclimation back into his "real" life challenging at times. Matt is really open and honest with Erin during this conversation, going in depth about the kind of psychological and physiological effects his career had on him. He has spoken often about his time as a police officer, but it's taken time for him to feel comfortable sharing the mental health aspects. But his desire to help others struggling and the catharsis he experiences sharing his story is all a part of his own healing process. What a privilege it was for Erin to speak with Matt and hear about this aspect of his journey. Matt is working on a book about his experiences and career and we think it will be an amazing read! You can follow Matt on Instagram or TikTok with the handle @ret_det_mattpitcher We both hope you enjoy listening to this episode!  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! 

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 Matt Pitcher, a former police officer with over 22 years experience in law enforcement, with both the Charlotte-Mecklenburg PD in North Carolina and Monroe County Sheriff's Office in Florida. His professional duties included extensive undercover experience, at both the State and Federal levels, involving drug trafficking, organised crime, political corruption and domestic terrorism. Matt even received the Medal of Valor for his role in one such case. Throughout his career, he had involvement in Major Crime invesitgations, involving rape, human trafficking and homicide, in particular one case involving a suspected serial killer. Matt medically retired from law enforcement in late 2022 and kindly now, shares his stories and experiences in a mission to help fellow First Responders, especially Law Enforcement Officers, recognise the mental health implications of careers in these kinds of professions and encourage others to seek assistance when they need it and not leave it until it's too late. In their conversation, (Part 1 of 2) Matt tells Erin about his early years, where he was interested in acting, but how he'd always been fascinated with undercover work and after listening to his older brother's stories of his policing experiences, he decided to join too. He talks about working in a busy part of Charlotte, NC and how his career trajectory was always focused towards working in an undercover capacity. That he worked hard and made his way to vice and narcotics, where he was able to pursue that aspiration. Matt shares about one of the most tragic experiences of his career, in a personal and professional sense, the loss of two of his colleagues and good friends, Sean Clark and Jeff Shelton, in an ambush style Line of Duty Death. Erin and Matt discuss how a loss like that can truly haunt a police department. He tells Erin about how generating Confidential Informants led to his first deep undercover, prolonged and protracted investigation, that ultimately began from an outlandish lie he told that spiraled into 18 months of drugs, strippers, nightclubs, fast cars, cash and organised crime. Matt shares that during this time, he had a wife and newborn baby at home, who he hardly got to see and how those factors impact an undercover investigator, as they very much live a double life. He even explains about the night he thought he was going to be killed, by the criminal he had befriended. Matt and Erin ended up speaking for almost three hours together, so this episode is Part 1 of 2, ending just before Matt starts to discuss his second case involving deep undercover work, where he infiltrated an organisation with plans of domestic terrorism. Stay tuned for Part 2 next week! You can follow Matt on Instagram or TikTok with the handle @ret_det_mattpitcher We both hope you enjoy listening to this episode!  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! 

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 Matt Pitcher, a former police officer with over 22 years experience in law enforcement, with both the Charlotte-Mecklenburg PD in North Carolina and Monroe County Sheriff's Office in Florida. His professional duties included extensive undercover experience, at both the State and Federal levels, involving drug trafficking, organised crime, political corruption and domestic terrorism. Matt even received the Medal of Valor for his role in one such case. Throughout his career, he had involvement in Major Crime invesitgations, involving rape, human trafficking and homicide, in particular one case involving a suspected serial killer. Matt medically retired from law enforcement in late 2022 and kindly now, shares his stories and experiences in a mission to help fellow First Responders, especially Law Enforcement Officers, recognise the mental health implications of careers in these kinds of professions and encourage others to seek assistance when they need it and not leave it until it's too late. In their conversation, (Part 1 of 2) Matt tells Erin about his early years, where he was interested in acting, but how he'd always been fascinated with undercover work and after listening to his older brother's stories of his policing experiences, he decided to join too. He talks about working in a busy part of Charlotte, NC and how his career trajectory was always focused towards working in an undercover capacity. That he worked hard and made his way to vice and narcotics, where he was able to pursue that aspiration. Matt shares about one of the most tragic experiences of his career, in a personal and professional sense, the loss of two of his colleagues and good friends, Sean Clark and Jeff Shelton, in an ambush style Line of Duty Death. Erin and Matt discuss how a loss like that can truly haunt a police department. He tells Erin about how generating Confidential Informants led to his first deep undercover, prolonged and protracted investigation, that ultimately began from an outlandish lie he told that spiraled into 18 months of drugs, strippers, nightclubs, fast cars, cash and organised crime. Matt shares that during this time, he had a wife and newborn baby at home, who he hardly got to see and how those factors impact an undercover investigator, as they very much live a double life. He even explains about the night he thought he was going to be killed, by the criminal he had befriended. Matt and Erin ended up speaking for almost three hours together, so this episode is Part 1 of 2, ending just before Matt starts to discuss his second case involving deep undercover work, where he infiltrated an organisation with plans of domestic terrorism. Stay tuned for Part 2 next week! You can follow Matt on Instagram or TikTok with the handle @ret_det_mattpitcher We both hope you enjoy listening to this episode!  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! 

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. What a fun conversation this was to have! In this episode, Erin speaks with James Boomhower, a Critical Care Transport Specialist - Paramedic, who has been involved with EMS for over 20 years, is the founder of Stay Fit 4 Duty, an organisation dedicated to bringing mental health wellness and awareness to the EMS and First Responder community, by promoting recognition, management and acceptance of acute stress in fellow frontline providers, he is a Graduate Intern in Clinical Psychology focusing on trauma and is the Lead Peer Support Director at Boston MedFlight. James was kind enough to come join Erin in person, where they discussed his family background of First Responders and how, from a young age, he knew he wanted to help people and be one of the first on scene to be able to provide that initial, critical care. He details becoming an EMS member in his teenage years and how showing any kind of emotion, was not encouraged. James explains his desire to continue to gain knowledge, experience and expertise in his field, leading him to his current position, as Critical Care Transport Specialist - Paramedic. Erin and James talk about their shared interest in psychology and how his experiences in his profession eventually led him towards wanting to be a therapy provider for other First Responders. They discuss the power of holding space for someone to unburden themselves and know they are in a safe space, with someone who has a unique level of understanding. That peer support/CISM can actually offer a lot of benefits, especially when it's more focused on a proactive instead of reactive disposition. And how it's important for First Responders, at the beginning of their careers and as they progress through, to be educated on the kind of trauma they will inevitably be exposed to, how it can show up for them in their life and their body, what resources, assistance and tools are available for them and to encourage reaching out and accessing those resources when they're needed. James also shares about the creation of Stay Fit 4 Duty, what the mission and purpose of the organisation is and how it's helping those in the First Responder community as a resource. It was wonderful to speak with James and I'm so grateful for his time. He is a wealth of knowledge and resources in regards to mental health, peer support, CISM and everything First Responder related. You only have to speak with him for the briefest moment to hear and see how passionate he is about what he does, wearing many different hats in his various roles as paramedic, instructor, therapist, educator and all round great bloke. Thanks for stopping by the "Rorschach Room" James! Please check out his website and follow him on Instagram: https://www.stayfit4duty.org/ @stay_fit4duty We both hope you enjoy listening to this episode!  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! 

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 "Aussie Update", Erin Jane jumps on from her childhood backyard in Australia (where if you listen really closely, you can hear the birds and wildlife!) to check in and discuss her trip home. She felt compelled to jump on for this quick episode, as there has been a lot of loss, sadness and tragedy in the First Responder and Emergency Services community of late. With multiple LODD and suicides in the USA, as well as three in Australia in the last week and a half, Erin just wanted to acknowledge these losses in our shared community and talk about the grief and despair felt when we lose on of our own. She talks about catching up with many of her First Responder friends since she's been home in Australia, the conversations they've been having about the state of the job, the mental health situation and the burnout many are experiencing. This episode is just a quick one, to share some thoughts in the moment, amongst the news of a significant number of losses. To say I hope you enjoy this episode doesn't really sound like the right way to phrase it....more I hope you can hear the genuine sadness I feel of losing more members to suicide, when there's so many of us in this community, trying to offer resources so that it doesn't happen anymore. There is a wonderful kinship I feel to you, the listener, as I know you share in my grief at this kind of heartbreaking news and I always feel like I can share my thoughts, feelings and emotions and express authentic vulnerability amongst this "Darkness Community". If you get to the end and feel the way I feel....thank you for listening. It's an honour to hold space for people's darkness and if you find yourself struggling, I am always a resource for you. 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! 

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 first solo episode for the year, Erin Jane jumps on to talk about how how everyone is travelling in 2024 as we approach the end of the first month of a brand new year! She talks about the pressure a lot of people put on themselves, especially throughout the month of January, to live up to new habits, intentions and resolutions and how our mindset can have a significant effect on our levels of success. Erin talks about how we can set ourselves up for failure, leading us down the path of a Self Fulfilling Prophecy and how to avoid it. She talks about how breaking down goals into small, incremental pieces, attaching new goals and intentions to already established habits to set yourself up for success and how celebrating small wins along the way is important. Erin shares some wisdom her sister shared with her, about looking at a rhythm instead of a "routine", how changing your perspective on things and learning to have understanding and compassion can help you continue on when some days don't go to plan. Erin shares a big win she's had in 2024 that means a lot to her and talks about an upcoming trip home to Australia. More importantly, she lives up to one of her own intentions for the year with doing more solo episodes! Hope you enjoy this episode and tune in over the next few weeks for some more wonderful conversations with Erin Jane and her guests. (Maybe even some from Australia!) 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! 

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! 

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 Chris Littrell, an Air Force Veteran with 6 years of service in the Security Forces and a retired Law Enforcement officer from Washington State, with 19 years on the job. Chris had experience as a Detective, Patrol Sergeant, SWAT team member, Community Services and Peer Support Coordinator. Chris retired from service just 7 months ago, after battling some mental health struggles that made his choice to leave the right one for him and his family. Chris also talks about the wonderful things he does outside of his policing career, including being a contributor and columnist for Police 1, creating Gravity Consulting and Training and being the co-host of Gravity Podcast with his wife, Jaimie. Chris and Erin discuss what encouraged him to join the United States Air Force, including the fact his brother also served in the same military branch. Chris remembers in vivid detail being on active duty in South Korea when the September 11th terrorist attack occurred and how the nature of his entire service changed from that moment. He tells Erin about choosing to leave the Air Force and what sparked his desire to enter a role in Law Enforcement. Joining the same police department as his father after an initial stint elsewhere, he details how they both always maintained a mutual level of respect throughout their years of service together. Chris explains the many aspects of policing he undertook throughout his 19 year career and is very open and honest about needing some mental health assistance at certain times along the way. He details to Erin that those mental health struggles really came to the forefront this past summer of 2023, when he started experiencing some flashbacks, Post Traumatic Stress and suicidal ideation. Chris explains that with the right support, he was able to face up to the reality, albeit reluctantly, that he needed more help and went to a facility that treats our First Responder community. Chris and Erin talk about what his life is like since retiring from his policing career, what he feels like his mission is now and how much joy he gets from teaching. They also discuss their mutual love of podcasting and how much of a privilege it is for people to open up and speak about their darkness with them, especially those in the First Responder community. Chris is deep, authentic and introspective. He was incredibly generous with his time, words and honesty and it's difficult to convey appropriately how much I valued our conversation. It was such an honour to speak with him and we both hope you enjoy listening to this episode! You can find Chris in the following ways: His columns on Police 1: https://www.police1.com/Christopher-Littrell/ Gravity Consulting and Training: https://gravityct.com/ Gravity Podcast: Available on all streaming platforms, but this is Apple's - https://podcasts.apple.com/ro/podcast/gravity-podcast/id1589620471 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/gravitychris Instagram: @thatgravitypodcast and @chris.littrell.5 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! 

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 Dave, a Correctional Officer from Massachusetts with over 17 years experience. Dave talks about why he became interested in Law Enforcement in the first place and why he chose to become a CO. He details what the academy experience was like and all of the different aspects of training a Correctional Officer must undertake. A profession that we all know exists and that is glorified on TV and film, Dave reveals what being a CO is really like, what his every day duties entail and the high level of turnover amongst inmates that occurs, bringing with it variety and a constantly changing environment. Dave tells Erin about how utilising your communication skills as your primary tool is one of the most important skills he could possibly have and how his Crisis Negotiation training comes in handy in de-escalating tense and dangerous situations with inmates. They discuss the unique smell of a prison, how claustrophobic it can feel at times, the atmosphere when something is about to spark up and what it's like to work in an environment where you're outnumbered so drastically. Erin asks Dave about what it's like having to remain in such a hypervigilant state each and every day and how he manages to turn his levels down to return home to his family. They also discuss the mental health of Correctional Officers overall and how it can often feel like they are "doing time" alongside the inmates. Dave talks about why it's important for him to be there for his colleagues, to be astute in noticing the subtle differences in people's dispositions and why that led him to be a part of the Peer Support and CISM teams in the past. It was wonderful to speak with Dave and we both hope you enjoy listening to this episode! It was great to find out more about this lesser known aspect of Law Enforcement and share some insights with you all. 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!