Resilience Development in Action
Discover practical resilience strategies that transform lives. Join Steve Bisson, licensed mental health counselor, as he guides first responders, leaders, and trauma survivors through actionable insights for mental wellness and professional growth.
Each week, dive deep into real conversations about grief processing, trauma recovery, and leadership development. Whether you're a first responder facing daily challenges, a leader navigating high-pressure situations, or someone on their healing journey, this podcast delivers the tools and strategies you need to build lasting resilience.
With over 20 years of mental health counseling experience, Steve brings authentic, professional expertise to every episode, making complex mental health concepts accessible and applicable to real-world situations.
Featured topics include:
• Practical resilience building strategies
• First responder mental wellness
• Trauma recovery and healing
• Leadership development
• Grief processing
• Professional growth
• Mental health insights
• Help you on your healing journey
Each week, join our community towards better mental health and turn your challenges into opportunities for growth with Resilience Development in Action.
Episodes
237 episodes
E.219 The IAFF Center of Excellence: A Lifeline for Firefighters in Crisis
The IAFF Center of Excellence stands as a sanctuary for firefighters navigating the complex terrain of mental health challenges. In this revealing conversation with Hannah Elmore, Clinical Outreach Coordinator, we explore how this specialized t...
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Season 12
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Episode 218
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36:19
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E.218 Behind the Scenes at the IAFF Center of Excellence with Hannah Elmore
In this powerful conversation, Hannah Elmore, Senior Clinical Outreach Coordinator for the IAFF Center of Excellence, reveals the critical role of culturally competent care in supporting firefighter mental health. Drawing from her extensive bac...
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Season 12
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Episode 218
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35:30
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E.217 Bouncing Back: A Cop and Counselor Spill Their Marriage Tea
What happens when a police officer and a counselor not only share their professional expertise but also their marriage journey? In this candid, powerful conversation, Ashley and Dustin Wright bring a unique dual perspective to the challenges fa...
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Season 12
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Episode 217
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28:24
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E.216 Building Resilience as First Responder Couples: Lessons from Dustin and Ashley Wright
What happens when a police sergeant and a therapist build a life together? Dustin and Ashley Wright open up about their 13-year journey as a first responder couple in this vulnerable and insightful conversation that challenges conventional thin...
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Season 12
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Episode 216
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36:02
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E.215 From Fear to Connection: How Men Heal Through Community
What happens when men are finally given permission to explore their full emotional range? In this eye-opening conversation that concludes episode 212 with Lee Povey, we delve into the hidden emotional landscapes that many men navigate alone, of...
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Season 12
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Episode 215
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40:03
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E.214 Behind the Badge: Cultural Competency in First Responder Therapy
What happens when a first responder walks into a therapist's office and shares a traumatic experience so dark that the therapist needs "a few minutes" before responding? For most first responders, this confirms their worst fear: no one can hand...
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Season 12
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Episode 214
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52:15
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E.213 Finding Strength Through Relationships: Lessons From Five Decades
Turning fifty isn't just about crossing an age threshold—it's about recognizing the human connections that build resilience throughout a lifetime. In this deeply personal episode, therapist Steve Bisson reflects on the relationships that have s...
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Season 12
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Episode 213
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20:41
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E.212 Beyond the Hero Complex: How Learning to Ask for Help Transforms Men's Lives
What does authentic masculinity look like in a world that teaches boys to hide their emotions from an early age? Leadership coach Lee Povey takes us on his transformative journey from needing to be the hero in every relationship to discovering ...
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Season 12
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Episode 212
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33:38
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E.211 Grief Never Ends: Navigating Trauma in First Responder Life
Gordon Brewer, a licensed marriage and family therapist with over 25 years of experience, joins Steve to unpack the complex relationship between trauma, grief, and emotional resilience in the first responder community. Their conversation touche...
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Season 12
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Episode 211
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31:41
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E.210 The Mental Men Return: Exploring Life After Career
What happens when your career ends but your life continues? The Mental Men, Andy Kang, Pat Rice, Chris Gordon, Dennis Sweeney, and Bob Cherney return in this deeply personal exploration of retirement, identity, and finding purpose beyond ...
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Season 12
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Episode 210
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52:29
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E.209 Goats, Firefighters, and Philosophy: Becky Schmooke's Unconventional Path
Strength isn't the absence of weakness—it's how we transform our challenges into growth. In this riveting conversation with leadership coach and author Becky Schmooke, we explore stoic philosophy as a misunderstood yet powerful tool for navigat...
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Season 12
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Episode 209
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45:11
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E.208 When a Father's Death Shapes Who We Become
Bruce Wasser shares his journey of losing his father at age 15 and how this profound loss shaped his decision to become a conscientious objector during the Vietnam War and ultimately led to his 33-year teaching career.• Growing up in Se...
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Season 12
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Episode 208
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43:58
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E.207 Breaking the Silence: First Responders and Mental Health
What happens when the strongest among us need support? In this powerful conversation, Elizabeth Ecklund takes us on an extraordinary journey from fighting fires in Antarctica to fighting stigma in mental health. As someone with 15 years of expe...
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Season 12
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Episode 207
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45:22
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E.206 First Responder Marriages: Bridging the Gap
Steve Bisson welcomes Cyndi Doyle, licensed professional counselor, retired police spouse, and founder of Code for Couples, to discuss the unique challenges faced by first responder relationships and strategies for building resilience.•...
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Season 12
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Episode 206
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44:08
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E.205 Healing Heroes: Trauma, Addiction, and Recovery
The walls we build to protect ourselves from trauma can become our prisons. This powerful truth emerges as Dr. Charlie Powell returns to share groundbreaking developments with his "Healing Heroes: No Mind Left Behind" documentary, now evolving ...
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Season 12
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Episode 205
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54:32
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E.204 Your Badge Doesn't Make You Bulletproof With Beth Salmo
The weight of witnessing trauma daily doesn't just disappear when the uniform comes off. For our first responders—those who run toward danger while others flee—the psychological impact accumulates silently, often with devastating consequences.<...
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Season 12
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Episode 204
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43:46
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E.203 Rock Bottom and Rebound: The Cocktail That Nearly Killed Me
The journey from outward success to inner collapse—and the path back to authentic living—takes center stage in this compelling conversation with Nick Jonsson, international bestselling author and executive coach.Nick's story begins with...
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Season 12
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Episode 203
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39:43
E.202 First Responder Mental Health: Breaking the Silence
What happens when those who run toward danger need help themselves? In this compelling conversation, host Steve Bisson sits down with Kevin Cornine, a former fire captain and battalion chief who's transitioning to a new role as a mental health ...
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Season 12
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Episode 202
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57:06
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E.201 First Responders Face Their Toughest Opponent: Mental Health Stigma
Michael Sugrue shares his powerful journey from military service to law enforcement to his medical retirement due to post-traumatic stress injury, revealing how he almost became one of the alarming first responder suicide statistics and his mis...
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Season 12
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Episode 201
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40:20
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E.200 Resilience Beyond Traditional Therapy: Journey Through Trauma and Recovery
What happens when a decorated Naval Lieutenant Commander, triple-boarded physician, and healthcare executive exhausts every conventional treatment for his debilitating PTSD? Dr. Charles Powell takes us on his extraordinary journey from the fron...
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Season 12
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Episode 200
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48:42
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E.199 The Power of Self-Belief: Caren Paskel's Journey Through Grief to Growth
Caren Paskel's journey from struggling with mental health issues to becoming a beacon of resilience and self-belief captivates from the first moment of our conversation. Her story begins at age 16 when a yoga class provided her first genuine sp...
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Season 12
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Episode 199
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41:08
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E.198 Therapy Uncensored: The Truth Behind Closed Doors
Therapy has long been shrouded in mystery, leaving many to wonder what actually happens once that office door closes. Steve Bisson pulls back the curtain on these therapeutic misconceptions with refreshing candor and humor. Gone are the days of...
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Season 12
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Episode 198
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19:25
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E.197 Mental Men: Trauma, Grief, and Healing
Trauma lies at the heart of most psychological suffering, yet our understanding of it continues to evolve. In this profound conversation with the returning "Mental Men" panel of experienced therapists, we explore how mental health treatment has...
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Season 12
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Episode 197
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54:30
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E.196 Supporting First Responders: Effective Therapy Techniques & Approaches
First responders—police officers, firefighters, EMTs, paramedics, and emergency room personnel—face unique psychological stressors that extend far beyond trauma exposure. In this insightful Podcourse, I'm joined by Steve Bisson, LM...
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Season 12
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Episode 196
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1:04:43
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E.195 Religious Trauma, Professional Boundaries, and Finding Balance in Mental Health Work
What happens when the therapist needs therapy? In this vulnerable and illuminating conversation, clinical counselor Jennifer Schrappe opens up about her personal wake-up call that forced her to confront years of self-neglect while caring for ot...
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Season 12
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Episode 195
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40:17
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