Life After PTSD Podcast: Healing From Trauma

In March of 2021, at the age of 41, co-host Ed experienced an unexpected stroke. Join us as he shares the experience of his stroke for Stroke Awareness Month 2023. If you believe you or someone you know are exhibiting stroke symptoms, call 911 or emergency medical services in your area and seek medical advice immediately, remember time is tissue! F.A.S.T. Warning Signs Use the letters in F.A.S.T. to spot a Stroke F = Face Drooping – Does one side of the face droop or is it numb? Ask the person to smile. Is the person's smile uneven? A = Arm Weakness – Is one arm weak or numb? Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward? S = Speech Difficulty – Is speech slurred? T = Time to call 911 Other Stroke Symptoms Watch for Sudden: NUMBNESS or weakness of face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body CONFUSION, trouble speaking or understanding speech TROUBLE SEEING in one or both eyes TROUBLE WALKING, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination SEVERE HEADACHE with no known cause For more information on Strokes https://www.stroke.org Each week the Life After PTSD Podcast shares stories of about creating a Life After PTSD. FirstOrlandoCounseling.com The show is intended to provide encouragement for the listener but is for entertainment purposes and NOT a substitute for treatment or to be used in any legal capacity whatsoever. Please seek help from a qualified mental health provider. Are you in crisis? Call: 988 or TEXT: Talk to 74174

Each week the Life After PTSD Podcast shares stories about creating a Life After PTSD.  FirstOrlandoCounseling.com The show is intended to provide encouragement for the listener but is for entertainment purposes and NOT a substitute for treatment or to be used in any legal capacity whatsoever. Please seek help from a qualified mental health provider. Are you in crisis? Call Text or Chat: 988. Dr. Joseph Dituri and Dr. Janelle Royster, both veterans, have taken their experience to create processes, procedures and protocols to change lives! The world needs more fearless trend setters like Dr. Dituri and Dr. Royster!! After nearly twenty-eight years of service to the United States, Commander Joseph Dituri retired from active duty and earned a PhD in Biomedical Engineering, with a focus on life support equipment design, high carbon dioxide environments, and both hyperbaric and hypobaric medicine. Dr. Dituri is a contributing author to Hyperbaric Medical Practice (4th edition), the author of numerous diver-training manuals, a co-author of Tao of Survival Underwater and the Navy Diving Manual, and has been published in several journals produced by the Undersea Hyperbaric Medical Society, the American Society of Naval Engineers, and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Dr. Dituri is a consultant for the International Board of Undersea Medicine and serves as the Director of the Undersea Oxygen Clinic and as Course Director for an approved forty-hour introductory hyperbaric course. Dr. Dituri is an assistant professor at the University of South Florida (USF) in both the Medical Engineering Department and Morsani College of Medicine. Dr. J Royster is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Florida and a Licensed Professional Counselor in Virginia. Dr. Royster has a doctorate in Industrial Organizational Psychology and is currently pursuing a doctorate in Traumatology. Dr. Royster is considered a solution focused trauma therapist. She is certified in 25 therapeutic modalities. Dr. Royster sits on the board of directors for Project Vet Relief, and as the treasurer for Virginia Clinical Counselors Alliance. Dr. Royster is connected to several organizations to assist in the fight against 28 suicides a day in the veteran community, three suicides a day are active-duty deaths. Police, fire, and emergency services have numbers that are even more alarming, one suicide is too many. Dr. Royster is currently completing a book called, Change your language, Change your life. Dr. Royster works with a myriad of non-profit organizations to help those who put on a uniform to serve a higher purpose than themselves. Libertyove, she is the clinical director and uses the TRIP protocol she developed to separate negative emotions from the traumatic events. Dr. Royster has worked with over 3000 people using these neurolinguistic processing techniques over the last few years and has shown over 95% effective success. Dr. Royster is the Medical Director of CISM. Dr Royster works with Blue Guardian Network and educates cadets on trauma and how to process events to prevent PTSD. Dr Royster works with Hyperbaric Oxygen Clinic as a psychologist, completing neurofeedback and assessments to determine the needs of the NFL players and veterans as they complete the 28-day intensive treatment to alleviate traumatic brain injuries. Dr. Royster works with a chiropractor in Virginia to alleviate symptoms of trauma to assist those patients in healing. Lastly Dr Royster owns her own practice called Semper Motis, which translates to always motivated, or always on the move. Dr. Royster’s mission to help others heal and continue to work with those who are struggling and moving toward a better outlook and perspective with her patients.

Hear from Jeff, Kari and Ed and learn more about Managing Emotional States Effectively (MESE) and how you can feel a new sense of meaning and provide MESE to others. --- For more info on Managing Emotional States Effectively, visit www.lifeafterPTSD.org or text MESE 4074300100. --- Each week the Life After PTSD Podcast shares stories of about creating a Life After PTSD.  FirstOrlandoCounseling.com The show is intended to provide encouragement for the listener but is for entertainment purposes and NOT a substitute for treatment or to be used in any legal capacity whatsoever. Please seek help from a qualified mental health provider. --- Are you in crisis now? Call: 8002738255 or TEXT: Talk to 74174.

Ed and Kari have a candid conversation about mental wellness and the importance of caring for yourself emotionally.

First Responder, veteran and mental health therapist, Ed Maerkl shares about the training and therapy he worked with a psychiatrist to develop and how people are gaining mental resilience with this simple technique. This is Part 1 of 2

Part 2

Michael Gier, producer of Wounded Heroes Documentary shares that there is help for PTSD

In this episode we welcome 97 year old World War II Veteran Mel Jenner, who for 70+ years has carried the trauma of war and coped in the only way he knew how: by weekly attendance at a PTSD support group for World War II Veterans.  ...until he found himself as the only one remaining.  Mel's story, "Flying Fortress," is an Emmy Award winning documentary-style short film. Mel began working to clear his trauma and in this week's episode he demonstrates the progress as he shares part of his World War II story. - The show is intended to provide encouragement for the listener but is for entertainment purposes only and NOT a substitute for proper treatment or to be used in any legal capacity whatsoever. Please seek help from a qualified mental health provider.

10 million people will consider suicide in the next 12 months; what is the difference between those who attempt and those who make the choice to live? Author Matthew Sleeth discusses his new book that will be out May 4: Hope Always For appointments: FirstOrlandoCounseling.com This show is not intended as medical advice. Please consult a health practitioner with concerns. Call 800273TALK if you have any immediate emotional concerns. https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/chat/

In this episode we welcome back Beverly Engel, a licensed marriage and family therapist of 35 years. Beverly Engel is an internationally recognized psychotherapist and an acclaimed advocate for victims of sexual, physical, and emotional abuse. She joins us to discuss how shame can be a trauma and how we often project shame on others in ways we're unaware.   - The show is intended to provide encouragement for the listener but is for entertainment purposes only and NOT a substitute for proper treatment or to be used in any legal capacity whatsoever. Please seek help from a qualified mental health provider.

In this episode we welcome Gabrielle, a Howard University student who was the first in her family to go to college.  Whereas college isn't an option in some families, it's everything but an option in others and when first generation college students leave home to pursue higher education, they often do so without the support structures of college-oriented families that help keep them motivated toward the finish line.  Out of a realization of her own struggles and traumatic experiences when she left home for school, Gabrielle saw a need to create a support system for these students and now her organization is thriving. To donate to HBCU visit https://hbcuimprint.com  -  The show is intended to provide encouragement for the listener but is for entertainment purposes only and NOT a substitute for proper treatment or to be used in any legal capacity whatsoever. Please seek help from a qualified mental health provider.

In this episode we welcome back special guest Scott Brook, Mayor of Coral Springs, Florida.  In these uncertain times of the Coronavirus (COVID-19), emotional health is perhaps more relevant than ever, with a panic stricken world suffering for relief.  As powerful and wonderful as reconnection can be, some among us need more care and the mayor is on a crusade to end the stigma and help them find it. -  The show is intended to provide encouragement for the listener but is for entertainment purposes only and NOT a substitute for proper treatment or to be used in any legal capacity whatsoever. Please seek help from a qualified mental health provider.

In this episode we welcome Craig Scott, the brother of Rachel Joy Scott, one of 12 students and 1 teacher murdered at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado on April 20, 1999 in the first prominent mass school shooting that rocked our country. Out of respect for any that may be triggered by this sensitive content, we would like to issue a warning in advance that Craig shares his account of that fateful day, a chilling account of horrifying events that forever changed his life and the life of so many others.  Hear how Craig has created a new normal spreading kindness and compassion to the world and how his sister's life and message lives on through his work.  -  The show is intended to provide encouragement for the listener but is for entertainment purposes only and NOT a substitute for proper treatment or to be used in any legal capacity whatsoever. Please seek help from a qualified mental health provider.

In this episode we welcome Dr. Frank Ochberg, a founding board member of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies and recipient of their highest honor, the Lifetime Achievement Award. He edited the first text on treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and served on the committee that essentially defined PTSD.  In an article dated September 19, 2012, titled: “AN INJURY, NOT A DISORDER: post-traumatic stress disorder has been an accepted diagnosis since 1980. It’s time for clinicians to adopt a new name- Post traumatic stress injury - that is more accurate, hopeful and honorable," Ochberg advocated that the former mainstream view that PTSD is a disorder is inaccurate.  "PTSI is a better term than PTSD. It is accurate. It does justice to the condition. It is preferred by those who contend with the condition. The APA [American Psychiatric Association] would bring credit to itself and respect to its patients by adopting this improvement in diagnostic terminology."  We were privileged to have this living room style conversation with Dr. Ochberg, who shares that his advocacy is in no way to minimize the significance of PTS rather to offer broader support to those who suffer from this operation injury (as it's referred to in some other nations already) of war, violence and human cruelty.  As Ochberg learned from many sufferers, "the concept of an injury, rather than a disorder, does justice to their experience. Once they were whole. Then they were shattered. When their counselors, employers, friends and loved ones behaved as though they were survivors of injuries, with lingering wounds, they could heal. When they felt like mental patients and were treated as persons with pre-existing weakness, they could not heal."   (original article citation: https://dartcenter.org/content/injury-not-disorder-0) - The show is intended to provide encouragement for the listener but is for entertainment purposes only and NOT a substitute for proper treatment or to be used in any legal capacity whatsoever. Please seek help from a qualified mental health provider.

In this episode we welcome Paula, a marriage and family therapist, to discuss the reasons why the vast majority of rape, sexual assault and sexual abuse goes unreported. From the perspective of many outsiders this is perplexing but the mindset of the victim with assistance from culture often comes very much into play.    -  The show is intended to provide encouragement for the listener but is for entertainment purposes only and NOT a substitute for proper treatment or to be used in any legal capacity whatsoever. Please seek help from a qualified mental health provider.

In this episode we welcome Linda Kay Klein, founder and president of the nonprofit, Break Free Together, dedicated to helping people release shame and claim their whole selves. After 15 years of research on religious trauma around sex and gender, she documented her work in the award-winning book, Pure: Inside the Evangelical Movement that Shamed a Generation of Young Women and How I Broke Free. Her work has been featured by CBS, NBC, NPR (her interview with Fresh Air’s Terry Gross was named one of the top ten of the year), and over 150 other outlets, and she has presented a TEDx.  She joins us to talk about the after effects of guilt, shame and fear many have experienced from a movement called purity culture. -  The show is intended to provide encouragement for the listener but is for entertainment purposes only and NOT a substitute for proper treatment or to be used in any legal capacity whatsoever. Please seek help from a qualified mental health provider.

Dr. David Schonfeld is a developmental-behavioral pediatrician and Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.  He has provided consultation and training on school crisis and pediatric bereavement for over 30 years in the aftermath of numerous school crisis events and disasters within the United States and abroad, including the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School community of Coral Springs/Parkland, FL. In this episode he shares why it's so important to proactively equip communities, including schools, with tools that allow teachers and administrators to do their jobs without having to fall into a role they were never prepped for: crisis counseling.  This is a must listen for every community.   - The show is intended to provide encouragement for the listener but is for entertainment purposes only and NOT a substitute for proper treatment or to be used in any legal capacity whatsoever. Please seek help from a qualified mental health provider.

In this episode we welcome Beverly Engel, a licensed marriage and family therapist of 35 years. Beverly Engel is an internationally recognized psychotherapist and an acclaimed advocate for victims of sexual, physical, and emotional abuse. On the show we identify what emotional abuse actually is, what is normal in a world that has such a skewed understanding of abuse given the vast amount of the population who has sustained it, and a prescription for those who are in emotionally abusive relationships or those on the outside of one seeing their friends are family trapped.  -  The show is intended to provide encouragement for the listener but is for entertainment purposes only and NOT a substitute for proper treatment or to be used in any legal capacity whatsoever. Please seek help from a qualified mental health provider.

In this episode we welcome Guy, a military chaplain who began his military career at West Point and as an officer.  A unique journey with some interesting experiences led him to shift his focus to the care of our finest, a calling he continues to follow today.  Guy shares some of the ways we can best care for our service men and women.  -  The show is intended to provide encouragement for the listener but is for entertainment purposes only and NOT a substitute for proper treatment or to be used in any legal capacity whatsoever. Please seek help from a qualified mental health provider.

In this episode we welcome Darren, a lifelong painter who's freak accident in falling off a ladder nearly cost him his legs and left him panicking when he had to climb the very same ladders he'd mindlessly ascended throughout his career. With the help of Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) and a well trained therapist, Darren has gained an incredible amount of ground. - The show is intended to provide encouragement for the listener but is for entertainment purposes only and NOT a substitute for proper treatment or to be used in any legal capacity whatsoever. Please seek help from a qualified mental health provider.

In this episode we welcome Zeke Vanderpool and Mary Millsaps of Operation Angel Wing, an organization raising awareness and fighting for our Nation’s Veterans and First Responders, and their families that suffer from the devastating effects of PTS.   Connect with Operation Angel Wing at: https://www.operationangelwing.com  Get Zeke's music at https://www.zekevanderpool.com  - The show is intended to provide encouragement for the listener but is for entertainment purposes only and NOT a substitute for proper treatment or to be used in any legal capacity whatsoever. Please seek help from a qualified mental health provider.

In this episode we welcome back veteran Mark who experienced multiple traumas while serving in our Armed Forces in both the Army and Navy, but had a major heart trauma believed to be the result of his mandated smallpox vaccines, part of his required medical regiment.  The culmination of all he experienced led his wife to press him to get help and the change has been dramatic. - The show is intended to provide encouragement for the listener but is for entertainment purposes only and NOT a substitute for proper treatment or to be used in any legal capacity whatsoever. Please seek help from a qualified mental health provider.

Morgan was a student from the Coral-Springs Parkland community rocked by the tragic shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on February 14, 2018.  A student in a magnet program, she was not on the school's campus the day of the shooting but knew 6 of the victims lost and was getting code yellow and code red updates as that day progressed.  In addition to her peers lost, Morgan would soon be grieving the loss of her father to cancer just months later.  In this episode she and her mom Alison join special guest Mel Jenner, 97 year old World War II veteran, to talk about new life after trauma. -  The show is intended to provide encouragement for the listener but is for entertainment purposes only and NOT a substitute for proper treatment or to be used in any legal capacity whatsoever. Please seek help from a qualified mental health provider.

Matt is an Army Veteran who experienced the shooting at Fort Hood, as well as loss in both Iraq and Afghanistan, followed by over a dozen more of his comrades lost to suicide.  His trauma was significantly impacting his marriage and life as a parent, until his wife heard the Life After PTSD podcast and reached out for help.  In this episode he shares his incredible story of change.  - The show is intended to provide encouragement for the listener but is for entertainment purposes only and NOT a substitute for proper treatment or to be used in any legal capacity whatsoever. Please seek help from a qualified mental health provider.

Laney Rosenzweig is the founder and developer of Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) and has been a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist for over 30 years. She has served on staff at the University of South Florida as an assistant visiting professor where considerable ART research has been conducted and currently maintains a private practice in Connecticut, is an on-call trauma specialist for several employee assistant programs and trains mental health professionals in ART. In this episode she shares the genesis of ART and how it’s making headway in the world of trauma treatment with trainings on military bases and comparison studies in major military medical hospitals proving it as one of the most effective treatments for helping sufferers overcome their PTSD. -  The show is intended to provide encouragement for the listener but is for entertainment purposes only and NOT a substitute for proper treatment or to be used in any legal capacity whatsoever. Please seek help from a qualified mental health provider.

In this episode we welcome Cyndi, a retired United States Air Force Staff Sergeant who now works as a licensed mental health counselor, to share a story from her days in the service where she and others were unfairly blamed by a pastor for the suicide of someone under their supervision.  Though her own supervisors assured her otherwise, she carried that trauma for a number of years before herself being cleared of the trauma of that event.   Special thanks to the Philip Stein Company for supporting the show. -  The show is intended to provide encouragement for the listener but is for entertainment purposes only and NOT a substitute for proper treatment or to be used in any legal capacity whatsoever. Please seek help from a qualified mental health provider.

In this episode we welcome Heather, a pastor's wife who has battled thoughts of suicide nearly her entire life.  Heather shares of some of the criticism she has received at times for needing a lifeline for mental health, as well as how she has remained on purpose in spite of some of the naysayers.  Often times in churches and faith communities there's a predisposition to thinking that mental health and mental wellness are givens for people of faith and that it is a sign of weakness or even "sin" should someone need to reach out for help.  Heather helps destroy that notion on this episode. - The show is intended to provide encouragement for the listener but is for entertainment purposes only and NOT a substitute for proper treatment or to be used in any legal capacity whatsoever. Please seek help from a qualified mental health provider.

In this episode we welcome back Allen Kanerva to reflect on what we’ve learned in now over 100 episodes and more than a year and a half of working together in the realm of trauma. One of our learnings during this time is that the medical model uses the term PTSD for its purposes but this diagnosis is not accurate to describe what the body is actually experiencing in its adverse reaction to trauma. - The show is intended to provide encouragement for the listener but is for entertainment purposes only and NOT a substitute for proper treatment or to be used in any legal capacity whatsoever. Please seek help from a qualified mental health provider.

New Zealander Caroline Barron is the author of Ripiro Beach: A Memoir Of Life After Near Death.  In a previous episode (#90) we learned about her story where the birth of her second child led to an emergency hysterectomy and a very intense fear of death.  We reconnect with Caroline to learn about how her own personal trauma affected both her husband and children and get some advice from her husband for spouses who are walking through a journey of trauma with their significant other. - The show is intended to provide encouragement for the listener but is for entertainment purposes only and NOT a substitute for proper treatment or to be used in any legal capacity whatsoever. Please seek help from a qualified mental health provider.

On December 30, 2018 we launched our first episode of Life After PTSD. 100 episodes later we are still going strong telling stories of those who have worked to clear their PTSD and are living a new normal of their deciding. In this first of a two part series, we revisit 6 stories from our past and allow the audience to hear the proof that PTSD is not an illness, but an injury that can heal: 1) Ally - Florida, USA - Episodes 24 & 272 2) Luke - Ontario, Canada - Episode 52 3) Dakota - Bahamas - Episode 67 -  The show is intended to provide encouragement for the listener but is for entertainment purposes only and NOT a substitute for proper treatment or to be used in any legal capacity whatsoever. Please seek help from a qualified mental health provider.

On December 30, 2018 we launched our first episode of Life After PTSD.  100 episodes later we are still going strong telling stories of those who have worked to clear their PTSD and are living a new normal of their deciding.  In this first of a two part series, we revisit 6 stories from our past and allow the audience to hear the proof that PTSD is not an illness, but an injury that can heal:  1) Shawn & Cynthia - U.S. Virgin Islands - Episode 33 2) Dani - Ontario, Canada - Episode 62 3) Todd - North Carolina, USA - Episode 11 - The show is intended to provide encouragement for the listener but is for entertainment purposes only and NOT a substitute for proper treatment or to be used in any legal capacity whatsoever. Please seek help from a qualified mental health provider.

Christie is a mom to three children with a fourth on the way.  While meeting with her midwife in a third trimester appointment the traumatic circumstances around the birth of her third child triggered previously unknown fears for the birth of her fourth.  In this episode she shares how she reached out, the help she received and her new outlook for her baby's arrival. -  The show is intended to provide encouragement for the listener but is for entertainment purposes only and NOT a substitute for proper treatment or to be used in any legal capacity whatsoever. Please seek help from a qualified mental health provider.

In this episode we get the privilege of conversing with Megan, who's firefighter husband Ed has been on previous episodes of the show.  When Megan was 3 years old and sitting in a car seat of her parents car, a bad Florida storm raged and the experience of driving through the storm ruined her for decades thereafter.  She recently had a session where a counselor used Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) and the results were instant. - The show is intended to provide encouragement for the listener but is for entertainment purposes only and NOT a substitute for proper treatment or to be used in any legal capacity whatsoever. Please seek help from a qualified mental health provider.

In this episode Dr. Leslie Cary joins us to talk about the physiological effects of uncleared trauma, especially on children, and how, different from the animal kingdom, the unconscious mind of human beings processes learnings from traumatic and significant emotional events differently, resulting in a constant replaying of those events in a harmful way to our physiology.  Be prepared to be amazed at you learn about the long term effects of carrying trauma and why healing is vital. - The show is intended to provide encouragement for the listener but is for entertainment purposes only and NOT a substitute for proper treatment or to be used in any legal capacity whatsoever. Please seek help from a qualified mental health provider.

Dr. Diego Hernandez is a licensed Clinical Psychologist, trauma expert, and Clinical Director of Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) Research at the University of South Florida and past Clinical Director of the Military Trial of ART at USF. With 20 years of mental health experience and a combat trauma expert, Dr. Diego works privately and on retreats with active duty military and Veterans. His practice emphasis is with Combat Veterans as well as active duty with emphasis on Special Forces. In this episode he joins us to address and defend the claim that Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is an injury that can heal, contrary to mainstream thinking which often labels it as an illness one can only hope to cope with.  - The show is intended to provide encouragement for the listener but is for entertainment purposes only and NOT a substitute for proper treatment or to be used in any legal capacity whatsoever. Please seek help from a qualified mental health provider.

Eric was a police officer on a smaller Florida city force who was shot in the line of duty.  The initial shock of the experience led him to assume life would go on as normal but upon return to the force he began to experience the symptoms of PTSD that heightened his fight flight response and ultimately led to his reaching out for help.  Unfortunately the average care provided by the most readily available help isn't helping our finest.  Dr. Diego Hernandez, who ultimately worked to clear Eric's trauma, joins us as well as we learn about Eric's journey toward a life after PTSD. - The show is intended to provide encouragement for the listener but is for entertainment purposes only and NOT a substitute for proper treatment or to be used in any legal capacity whatsoever. Please seek help from a qualified mental health provider.

Caroline Barron’s father never found his birth mother. After he dies suddenly on her twentieth birthday, Caroline develops an insidious fear of her own untimely death. When she nearly bleeds out on an operating table during childbirth, it almost seems her greatest fear is justified. Emerging from the experience a changed woman, Caroline spends the next six years poring over her family history in an attempt to make sense of her inexplicable rage. The family secrets she unearths threaten to destabilise her identity and carefully built life, eventually leading her to New Zealand’s rugged Ripiro Beach, where past and present dramatically collide. Her brand new book, Ripiro Beach details her discovery that there are mental health issues, suicide and incarceration in her family and – most significantly – that she is Māori. - The show is intended to provide encouragement for the listener but is for entertainment purposes only and NOT a substitute for proper treatment or to be used in any legal capacity whatsoever. Please seek help from a qualified mental health provider.

In this episode we welcome veteran Mark whose story of multiple traumas while serving in our Armed Forces, included facing constant mortar fire on deployment testicular cancer and nearly dying of a heart attack related to his military vaccines and the subsequent outlook on life cause by constantly facing death.  - The show is intended to provide encouragement for the listener but is for entertainment purposes only and NOT a substitute for proper treatment or to be used in any legal capacity whatsoever. Please seek help from a qualified mental health provider.

In this episode we dialogue about how many therapists expressed feeling overwhelmed by the emotional fallout stemming from the height of the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic. - The show is intended to provide encouragement for the listener but is for entertainment purposes only and NOT a substitute for proper treatment or to be used in any legal capacity whatsoever. Please seek help from a qualified mental health provider.

In this episode we welcome Jess, who enrolled in the Armed Services at 17 years old in order to have a future that paid for the college her family couldn't afford.  By 18 she had experienced two instances of military sexual trauma (MST) and later in life her husband left her after 14 years of marriage.  Hear her story of recover and learn why so many instances of MST go unreported each year. - The show is intended to provide encouragement for the listener but is for entertainment purposes only and NOT a substitute for proper treatment or to be used in any legal capacity whatsoever. Please seek help from a qualified mental health provider.

In this episode we welcome Stacie, who's husband Michael was comatose and on a ventilator as a result of COVID-19.  As their family reeled, Stacie read a chance social post that led her to the solution that may have ultimately saved her husband's life: plasma.  Michael is now home recovering and the family is creating their new normal after become yet another of the many faces of trauma. -  The show is intended to provide encouragement for the listener but is for entertainment purposes only and NOT a substitute for proper treatment or to be used in any legal capacity whatsoever. Please seek help from a qualified mental health provider.

In this episode we welcome Brenton Wright, father of Calvin Desir, the second of two Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School students lost to suicide in the aftermath of the Valentine's Day 2018 shooting. Less than a week earlier the Coral Springs, Florida-Parkland, Florida community lost Sydney Aiello, a fellow survivor of the shooting.  While Life After PTSD generally focuses on the story after the story, where a new normal of someone's deciding is realized after clearing their trauma, we also labor to eliminate the stigma of seeking mental wellness and Brenton's passionate plea serves as a wake up call to us all that no one should ever have to feel or experience what he and his wife did in the loss of their son. As we seek to end that stigma, the solution is to love. Calvin Desir 03/23/2019 Sydney Aiello 03/17/2019 - The show is intended to provide encouragement for the listener but is for entertainment purposes only and NOT a substitute for proper treatment or to be used in any legal capacity whatsoever. Please seek help from a qualified mental health provider.

In this episode special guest Ashley shares of how after birthing her son she grew to resent her breasts when they failed to continue to produce milk for her son.  This ultimately created a triggering response for her when her husband would initiate intimacy, specifically that part of her body.  Trauma affects countless numbers of marriages and often for reasons that aren't about bad behaviors in marriage.  Still, the effect remains the same and uncleared, the joy of the marriage and the teamwork and peace spouses should ideally feel together are robbed.  Hear some good news in this episode as Ashley and her husband Tyler are on the other side of trauma now free to enjoy their life together. -  The show is intended to provide encouragement for the listener but is for entertainment purposes only and NOT a substitute for proper treatment or to be used in any legal capacity whatsoever. Please seek help from a qualified mental health provider.

In this episode we welcome back Kim Krawczyk, teacher at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Coral Springs, FL.  With the Broward County School Board having announced that classes will be held online for the remainder of the year, teachers like Kim had to shuffle to transition to an entirely different style of teaching.  Even more significant, this represents yet another year where students at the high school face a traumatic ending.  Kim shares her perspective on what the kids are feeling and offers some encouragement for teachers everywhere. - The show is intended to provide encouragement for the listener but is for entertainment purposes only and NOT a substitute for proper treatment or to be used in any legal capacity whatsoever. Please seek help from a qualified mental health provider.

In this episode we welcome therapist Chris and client Samantha, who was in a long term abusive relationship with a boyfriend who not only sexually assaulted her, forcing her to have an abortion, but imposed curfews and systems of permission concerning what Samantha could or couldn't do as a human being.  Domestic violence is real and it's all around us.  Please be aware of your own situation but also your friends and family around you who may be victims themselves, in need of a lifeline. - The show is intended to provide encouragement for the listener but is for entertainment purposes only and NOT a substitute for proper treatment or to be used in any legal capacity whatsoever. Please seek help from a qualified mental health provider.

In this episode Kari Russo joins us to introduce Lisa who decided to work on some uncleared trauma from external circumstances early on and all throughout her marriage.  The three talk about the reality that countless marriages are struggling because of uncleared trauma, many of which long precedes the relationship.  - The show is intended to provide encouragement for the listener but is for entertainment purposes only and NOT a substitute for proper treatment or to be used in any legal capacity whatsoever. Please seek help from a qualified mental health provider.

In this episode, licensed mental health counselors Shannon and Chris join us along to talk about how vast the need is for effective trauma care in the mental health world and how when effective therapists do stellar work with the best protocols, they don't have to worry about where their next clients are going to come from.  Having been trained, Shannon and Chris are part of a cutting edge wave of counselors who understand that the world has trauma and therapists don't need to worry about keeping clients dependent on their care; when you clear someone's trauma, they will naturally send all of their friends along as well. - The show is intended to provide encouragement for the listener but is for entertainment purposes only and NOT a substitute for proper treatment or to be used in any legal capacity whatsoever. Please seek help from a qualified mental health provider.

In this episode we welcome Ed, a member of the Orlando Fire Department, to talk about trauma among first responders and how training peer support groups for first responders (like Ed is a part of), we can work to save lives by relieving initial trauma suffering before encouraging longer term care in the hands of a trauma trained clinician or coach. - The show is intended to provide encouragement for the listener but is for entertainment purposes only and NOT a substitute for proper treatment or to be used in any legal capacity whatsoever. Please seek help from a qualified mental health provider.

In this episode Dr. Leslie, a clinician with over 18 years of experience working with parents, children and families, joins us to talk about what happens when clinicians get trauma, why clearing trauma isn't optional even though we often don't feel like doing it, and how trauma affects children. - The show is intended to provide encouragement for the listener but is for entertainment purposes only and NOT a substitute for proper treatment or to be used in any legal capacity whatsoever. Please seek help from a qualified mental health provider.

In this episode we welcome Kate, who was domestically abused to the point of falling head first and knocking out several teeth in an incident with her ex-husband.  Because of being in shock from the event and her ex- telling a different account she was taken to a very difficult mental institution.  Trigger warning for those who have suffered from domestic violence, but Kate's story has a great ending. - The show is intended to provide encouragement for the listener but is for entertainment purposes only and NOT a substitute for proper treatment or to be used in any legal capacity whatsoever. Please seek help from a qualified mental health provider.

In this episode, Patty, a counselor, introduces us to Megan, a single mom whose house fire left her reeling to pick up the pieces and with the eventual realization that she was also traumatized.  Patty and Megan share the story of a clinician going the distance with a client and yet another face of PTSD.  The show is intended to provide encouragement for the listener but is for entertainment purposes only and NOT a substitute for proper treatment or to be used in any legal capacity whatsoever. Please seek help from a qualified mental health provider.

In this episode we welcome Dakota, a teenage boy who lived through Hurricane Dorian's devastating path through the Bahamas and was left with the traumatic memories of almost drowning in his own house when water levels rose in ways previously unthinkable to those who called their area home. - The show is intended to provide encouragement for the listener but is for entertainment purposes only and NOT a substitute for proper treatment or to be used in any legal capacity whatsoever. Please seek help from a qualified mental health provider.

In this episode we step back for a review of the amazing stories of Life After PTSD's first season: 2019.  Enjoy sound bites from some of the most memorable moments of the year as we conclude season 1. - The show is intended to provide encouragement for the listener but is for entertainment purposes only and NOT a substitute for proper treatment or to be used in any legal capacity whatsoever. Please seek help from a qualified mental health provider.

In this episode we welcome back Brian, of episode 4 fame, along with Dr. Ben Rall, a wholeness doctor of chiropractor, to discuss Brian's physiology as a result of combat deployment and subsequent treatment for trauma.  Many veterans are treated with similar regiments to Brian's and need physical healing as much as their need for trauma clearing.   Special thanks to the Philip Stein Company for supporting the show. Please visit PhilipStein.com and use promo code "PTSD10" to support the work of Life After PTSD. - The show is intended to provide encouragement for the listener but is for entertainment purposes only and NOT a substitute for proper treatment or to be used in any legal capacity whatsoever. Please seek help from a qualified mental health provider.

In this episode Allen Kanerva joins us to address the stigma of PTSD as an illness or disorder. - The show is intended to provide encouragement for the listener but is for entertainment purposes only and NOT a substitute for proper treatment or to be used in any legal capacity whatsoever. Please seek help from a qualified mental health provider.

In this episode we welcome special guest Bill, a Vietnam Veteran traumatized by the deaths of fellow soldiers on a make shift bridge in Vietnam that he was responsible for certifying.  Unlike most guests, Bill has only begun his treatment and still carries trauma from both the bridge incident and a fear of heights.  Part of Bill's recovery will be the ability to tell the story of what he did and saw in Vietnam. - The show is intended to provide encouragement for the listener but is for entertainment purposes only and NOT a substitute for proper treatment or to be used in any legal capacity whatsoever. Please seek help from a qualified mental health provider.

In this episode MSW, LCSW Patty joins us on the line with client Jim, a former military serviceman and presently a first responder who had shut down his emotions and closed off from the world.  We discuss how trauma isn't always a one time significant event but can be several lesser events and circumstances over a long period of time, leaving someone suffering from PTSD. Special thanks to the Philip Stein Company for supporting the show. Please visit PhilipStein.com and use promo code "PTSD10" to support the work of Life After PTSD. - The show is intended to provide encouragement for the listener but is for entertainment purposes only and NOT a substitute for proper treatment or to be used in any legal capacity whatsoever. Please seek help from a qualified mental health provider.

In this episode we welcome guest Dani, a former first responder in both Niagara and Newfoundland.  A domestic violence call left Dani with a trauma she couldn't shake and robbed her of a career she once loved.  At the prodding of her sister, she attending a training with Allen and was cleared of her trauma as a live demo subject.  The show is intended to provide encouragement for the listener but is for entertainment purposes only and NOT a substitute for proper treatment or to be used in any legal capacity whatsoever. Please seek help from a qualified mental health provider.

In this episode we welcome guest Rory for a round table discussion on how trauma being cleared by clinicians using the latest evidence based high-efficacy protocols is often not enough to bring complete healing and what other skills are necessary for effective work.   - The show is intended to provide encouragement for the listener but is for entertainment purposes only and NOT a substitute for proper treatment or to be used in any legal capacity whatsoever. Please seek help from a qualified mental health provider.

In this episode we welcome guests Angela and Vicki, stage 4 cancer survivors who not only live today cancer free, but also cleared the PTSD associated with their diagnosis and treatment and now both coach clients to breakthrough in their own traumas.  Special thanks to the Philip Stein Company for supporting the show. Please visit PhilipStein.com and use promo code "PTSD10" to support the work of Life After PTSD. - The show is intended to provide encouragement for the listener but is for entertainment purposes only and NOT a substitute for proper treatment or to be used in any legal capacity whatsoever. Please seek help from a qualified mental health provider.

In this episode Kurt Gies of the American Legion joins Kari us to talk about what the Legion is, why it was formed and how it's helping veterans overcome trauma.  On November 16th (2019) the Legion is sponsoring "Challenge 22," a charity walk and community event to raise money for suicide awareness and the prevention of PTSD.   Special thanks to the Philip Stein Company for supporting the show. Please visit PhilipStein.com and use promo code "PTSD10" to support the work of Life After PTSD. - The show is intended to provide encouragement for the listener but is for entertainment purposes only and NOT a substitute for proper treatment or to be used in any legal capacity whatsoever. Please seek help from a qualified mental health provider.

In this episode Patty, a therapist who joins us again with special guest Tarah, who grew up in Iraq during the war in the 2000s and became a refugee that fled to Lebanon and ultimately the United States.  Her story offers a glimpse of the experiences of civilians in wartimes that are rarely heard. - The show is intended to provide encouragement for the listener but is for entertainment purposes only and NOT a substitute for proper treatment or to be used in any legal capacity whatsoever. Please seek help from a qualified mental health provider.

In this episode we interview Deb, a retired police sergeant in Ontario who spent nearly 2 decades on the force.  After retiring a few years ago to start a new business, she discovered her real passion for waking up in the morning came from the possibility of helping her former colleagues clear their trauma and end the stigma of PTSD. - The show is intended to provide encouragement for the listener but is for entertainment purposes only and NOT a substitute for proper treatment or to be used in any legal capacity whatsoever. Please seek help from a qualified mental health provider.

In this episode we welcome Allen Kanerva and Dr. Ben Rall of Achieve Wellness to talk about how the idea that PTSD is an injury that can be cured, from both the perspective of mental health and physiology, is often met with great skepticism and even animosity.  Both Allen and Ben believe that the fight is not a battle, but a war, and must be fought for the sake of those suffering in their trauma. - The show is intended to provide encouragement for the listener but is for entertainment purposes only and NOT a substitute for proper treatment or to be used in any legal capacity whatsoever. Please seek help from a qualified mental health provider.

In this episode Patty, a therapist, joins us with her client Cindy, who herself was a domestic abuse survivor who now works on multiple levels with domestic abuse victims.  Patty and Cindy share the story of how Cindy's past experiences robbing her in the present brought her skeptically to Patty, looking for help. Special thanks to the Philip Stein Company for supporting the show. - The show is intended to provide encouragement for the listener but is for entertainment purposes only and NOT a substitute for proper treatment or to be used in any legal capacity whatsoever. Please seek help from a qualified mental health provider.

In this episode Allen Kanerva introduces us to client Luke, who manages a successful semi-professional baseball team but once battled the trauma of being sucker punched in a domestic assault.  Luke's story is yet another of the many faces of PTSD but one with a positive ending after working with Allen to get life back. - The show is intended to provide encouragement for the listener but is for entertainment purposes only and NOT a substitute for proper treatment or to be used in any legal capacity whatsoever. Please seek help from a qualified mental health provider.

In this episode Tara Kanerva brings on her client, Alex, who suffered a horrific blindside car accident that left him blind and without senses.  After multiple doctors and therapies robbed him of hope, NLP's timeline therapy and trauma focused protocols (TF-NLP) helped him overcome his trauma and today he continues to gain back that which doctor's said he'd permanently lost.   The show is intended to provide encouragement for the listener but is for entertainment purposes only and NOT a substitute for proper treatment or to be used in any legal capacity whatsoever. Please seek help from a qualified mental health provider.

In this episode Allen Kanerva introduces us to Shane, a long time friend who has traveled the world working as a paramedic and first responder in some incredibly dangerous, high profile areas.  Shane shares his journey from thinking PTSD was a myth to one day realizing he was completely traumatized and in need of help.  We discuss the culture of PTSD awareness within the first responder world and what needs to change in order to bring relief and greater effectiveness to the field with someone who lived it.   The show is intended to provide encouragement for the listener but is for entertainment purposes only and NOT a substitute for proper treatment or to be used in any legal capacity whatsoever. Please seek help from a qualified mental health provider.

In this episode Tara Kanerva of Inspired Outcomes joins us to talk about how her practice began by working with birth traumas and mothers preparing for the birthing experience.  Topics discussed include the unnecessary scheduling of c-sections by health mothers fearing birth trauma or unaware of the beauty the experience can be, how birth traumas can be readily and easily cleared using Trauma-Focused NLP (TF-NLP) and the benefits of using a doula in the child birthing process.   The show is intended to provide encouragement for the listener but is for entertainment purposes only and NOT a substitute for proper treatment or to be used in any legal capacity whatsoever. Please seek help from a qualified mental health provider.

In this episode Max joins us to share about his work with trauma in the Middle East.  Trauma experienced and encountered by humanitarians drives the discussion as the group recognizes yet another face of PTSD.   The show is intended to provide encouragement for the listener but is for entertainment purposes only and NOT a substitute for proper treatment or to be used in any legal capacity whatsoever. Please seek help from a qualified mental health provider.