John, a retired police chief, and his wife Trisha share their journey through alcoholism, resilience, and relationship growth. From the stigma of seeking help to the hard realities of sobriety, they open up about the challenges that tested their marriage and the tools that helped them heal. Together, they highlight the importance of communication, self-awareness, and leaning on community support. Their story offers hope and practical takeaways for law enforcement spouses and first responder families navigating similar struggles.

What you'll hear in this episode:

John's path from officer wellness advocate to facing his own alcoholism

Trisha's perspective as a spouse and life coach navigating sobriety in marriage

The role of community, peer support, and Al-Anon in recovery

How communication and vulnerability transformed their relationship

Lessons for first responder couples about resilience and post-traumatic growth

Cyndi Doyle, founder of Code4Couples®, is a licensed professional counselor supervisor, retired police spouse, and author of Hold the Line. She equips law enforcement couples with the tools to protect their relationship while protecting and serving their communities.

📌 Get Cyndi's book "Hold the Line" → https://www.amazon.com/Hold-Line-Protecting-Enforcement-Relationship-ebook/dp/B08TPRTY9G#customerReviews

🎤 Book Cyndi for training & speaking → https://code4couples.com/training/

🌐 Connect with John → https://www.deepbluecompass.com/

00:00 Intro 01:00 John & Trisha's background 04:00 Alcoholism, denial, and the turning point 10:00 Spousal perspective: enabling vs. supporting 16:00 Sobriety, Al-Anon, and recovery tools 25:00 Emotional armor and vulnerability 33:00 Communication shifts that strengthened their marriage 37:00 John's TEDx talk: breaking stigma in law enforcement 42:00 Final advice for law enforcement couples