Trauma

The Long Tail of Trauma -- Adverse Childhood Experiences and Suicide: Interview with Corey Jones | Episode 116

The Long Tail of Trauma -- Adverse Childhood Experiences and Suicide: Interview with Corey Jones | Episode 116

The research on ”Adverse Childhood Experiences” is clear — The CDC Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study has identified ten types of childhood trauma that can affect people later in life. Five types of trauma are personal, such as physical abuse or neglect, while the other five are related to family members, such as having a parent who is an alcoholic or experiencing the divorce of parents. Each type of trauma counts as one, so someone who has experienced physical abuse, has one alcoholic parent, and a mother who was a survivor of domestic violence has an ACE score of three.

The study revealed a strong link between childhood trauma and chronic diseases that people develop as adults, such as heart disease, lung cancer, and diabetes. It also showed a link to social and emotional problems such as depression, violence, and suicide.

What if Suicide Prevention is Simple? Crisis Response Planning: Interview with Dr. Craig Bryan | Episode 99

What if Suicide Prevention is Simple? Crisis Response Planning: Interview with Dr. Craig Bryan | Episode 99

Mental health providers — often well-intended and fearful — have made suicide prevention complicated. “Clipboard counseling,” interrogation approaches and highly restrictive interventions have not worked. What if a 5-step, 30-minute intervention made a huge difference? What if we could train peers to help with firearm safety counseling? In this interview I speak with Veteran and psychologist Dr. Craig Bryan about his evidence-based “Crisis Response Planning” intervention…

Empowering Young People, Strengthening Schools & Mobilizing Communities: Interview with John MacPhee | Episode 97

Empowering Young People, Strengthening Schools & Mobilizing Communities: Interview with John MacPhee | Episode 97

Suicide rates for our youth and young adults have been climbing since 2001. The reasons for this trend is complex but experts suggest it is a perfect storm of historical events, easy access to distressing information, an unhealthy screen time to outside and social time ratio, and compromised sleep, among other things. The good news is, young people are extraordinary. They have lower mental health bias, they have a desire to help others, and they will change the word.

In this episode I speak with John MacPhee, Executive Director for The Jed Foundation about his thoughts on best practices for engaging young people and schools in the work of suicide prevention and mental health promotion.

Healing is More than Talk Therapy -- Expanding Our Models of Care as We Look to Better Serve Our AAPI Communities: Interview with Dr. DJ Ida | Episode 91

Healing is More than Talk Therapy -- Expanding Our Models of Care as We Look to Better Serve Our AAPI Communities: Interview with Dr. DJ Ida | Episode 91

In this conversation, I meet with a nationally recognized expert, Dr. DJ. Ida, Executive Director of the National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health Association about how these issues and many more impact the wellbeing of the AAPI communities, and what are some additional approaches -- beyond traditional talk therapy — that may promote healing.

Historical Trauma and Historical Healing: Interview with Abigail Echo Hawk | Episode 87

Historical Trauma and Historical Healing: Interview with Abigail Echo Hawk | Episode 87

Historical trauma is often understood to be multigenerational wounding caused by the cumulative impact of major events inflicted upon a specific cultural, racial or ethnic group. When it comes to research about health and well-being, Western modalities of understanding human experience are limited and biased, further driving disparities and truncated views that can cause even more harm. By contrast, a strength-based, Indigenous framework of understanding resists the narrow view and on-going trauma of colonialism and focuses on restoration and healing. In this interview I speak with a “Storyteller of Health” and epidemiologist Abigail Echo Hawk about her vision of an anti-racist approach to data collection and recovery among tribal communities.

Leading Others to Resilience -- 3 Ways to Accelerate Organizational Recovery During Crisis: Interview with Bob VandePol | Episode 59

Leading Others to Resilience -- 3 Ways to Accelerate Organizational Recovery During Crisis: Interview with Bob VandePol | Episode 59

In this interview I speak with crisis response expert Bob VandePol on crisis leadership. We explore the questions of how do leaders embody resilience during trauma? How can leaders sustain a group commitment to a mission greater than the individual? How can leaders cultivate trust and social support when things feel out of control? How do we develop a resilience plan that transitions people to grow through crisis?

Wellness at Work — What the Fire Service Can Teach Us about Creating a Kitchen Table Culture: Interview with Captain Dena Ali | Episode 51

Wellness at Work — What the Fire Service Can Teach Us about Creating a Kitchen Table Culture: Interview with Captain Dena Ali | Episode 51

Our best bet in preventing suicide is to get in front of it.

Way in front.

Promoting protective factors not only will reduce the risk of suicide — it also is a great way to build a life worth living. In this podcast, I interview Captain Dena Ali about what we have learned about wellness at work from the fire service and the mitigating effects of social support, mindfulness and sleep. We also talk about the power of peer support to promote these buffering factors and how small interventions can go a long way. As you listen to Captain Ali, ask yourself, “How can these protective factors of the fire service be translated to other industries and workplaces? 

The Human Side of Crisis Management: Interview with Tricia Kagerer | Episode 50

The Human Side of Crisis Management: Interview with Tricia Kagerer | Episode 50

“We are not just human resources, we are human beings.”

A significant workplace traumatic event can make or break a company depending on how well the employer has prepared for it — at the heart of a successful transition through the crisis is the how well leadership connects with the people most impacted by the trauma. In this interview, Tricia Kagerer, an expert in workplace risk management, shares key steps in helping companies move from “it-will-never-happen-here” mentality to building a responsive plan for crisis.

Teens Bereaved by Suicide -- Moving Forward When You Feel Left Behind: Interview with Jason Holzer | Episode 47

Teens Bereaved by Suicide -- Moving Forward When You Feel Left Behind: Interview with Jason Holzer | Episode 47

When a teen loses a loved one to suicide, the intense reactions can be overwhelming, and sometimes the caring adults don’t know what to do to help. Teens who are already feeling the pressure of school and social expectations can be very challenged in navigating the complexity of suicide bereavement. In this interview, Jason shares his journey from surviving to thriving after losing his Dad to suicide when he was 17.

The Role of Arts in Healing A Conversation with an Indigenous Trauma Survivor & Student of Honor: Interview with Swil Kanim | Episode 36

The Role of Arts in Healing A Conversation with an Indigenous Trauma Survivor & Student of Honor: Interview with Swil Kanim | Episode 36

…Swil is an indigenous man and a trauma survivor who credits his ability to overcome racism and suffering and become a student of honor to his discovery of the violin in the 4th grade. Join us as he shares his path of finding that healing was his responsibility and that the way he would be true to his journey was through expressing himself musically.

Peer Support & The Helper Effect -- When Doing Good Feels Good: Interview with Lt. John Coppedge | Episode 29

Peer Support & The Helper Effect -- When Doing Good Feels Good: Interview with Lt. John Coppedge | Episode 29

While peer support and peer specialist efforts have long existed in areas of mental health communities and post-critical incidents, their role in suicide prevention has been more recent. Some feared that peer support might increase vulnerability through the “copycat” phenomenon. Others were concerned that suicide was just too complicated of an issue for peers to try to take on…

…In this interview I get the honor of chatting with Lt. John Coppedge, whom I met through the Denver Police Department’s Peer Support Program. Lt. Coppedge was a key leader in our “Breaking the Silence” video and training workbook with the International Association of Chiefs of Police. Here he shares his journey about his own trauma history and how it has helped shape his passion for peer support.

Then we listened to the voices of people with lived experience with suicidal intensity who told us over and over that peers played an incredibly influential role in not only bringing them back from the brink, but giving them new reasons for living and hope. Peer supporters and peer specialists also told us that helping others helped them.

Resilience and the Transgender Community -- Living Out Loud: Interview with Iden Campbell | Episode 13

Resilience and the Transgender Community -- Living Out Loud: Interview with Iden Campbell | Episode 13

41% of adults who identify as transgender have attempted suicide (versus 4.6% of U.S. general population and 10-20% of LGB adults). The issues driving this despair are usually best understood best through a lens of social justice…We must fight injustice and advocate for safety. In this podcast, Iden and I talk about his incredibly inspiring journey into activism and some take-away messages about building resilience.