This episode dives into the concept of moral injury—a psychological and spiritual wound that happens when law enforcement officers or first responders feel they've gone against their moral code. Cyndi and guest Lisa Dway, a clinician and police spouse, explain how moral injury differs from burnout and PTSD, and why it often shows up in officers after critical incidents, omissions, or departmental conflicts.

What You'll Learn in This Episode:

How moral injury shows up in law enforcement officers and first responder families

The difference between moral injury, burnout, and PTSD

Real stories of officers experiencing moral injury after shootings, omissions, or departmental conflicts

Warning signs for spouses and families to recognize

Practical steps to support healing through validation, safe conversations, and self-compassion

I'm Cyndi Doyle, licensed professional counselor supervisor, retired police spouse, author of Hold the Line, and host of the Code4Couples® Podcast. My mission is to help law enforcement officers and their spouses build stronger, healthier relationships while navigating the unique challenges of first responder life.

Free Resource: Grab my book Hold the Line: The Essential Guide to Protecting Your Law Enforcement Relationship → https://www.amazon.com/Hold-Line-Protecting-Enforcement-Relationship-ebook/dp/B08TPRTY9G#customerReviews

Speaking & Training: Want Cyndi to speak or train your department? → https://code4couples.com/training/

00:00 Intro + Guest Introduction 02:00 What is Moral Injury? 05:00 Real-world examples from officers and spouses 09:00 Moral injury vs. PTSD and burnout 13:00 Warning signs spouses and partners can spot 19:00 How to support an officer experiencing moral injury 23:00 Healing through self-compassion and forgiveness 27:00 Final thoughts + resources