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Listener discretion is advised. This episode includes mature themes and discussions of violence, abuse, and trauma that some listeners may find distressing. Please take care of yourself while listening.

In this powerful episode of Finding Your Voice, host Jason Carrasco, LMFT, sits down with Jim Zenner, Director of the Los Angeles County Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, U.S. Army veteran, and national leader in veteran policy and services.

Jim shares his journey from enlisting after 9/11 to serving in Iraq, and how those life-and-death experiences shaped his leadership, resilience, and commitment to serving veterans. This conversation explores the real impact of military service on mental health, the challenges veterans face transitioning back to civilian life, and the importance of trauma-informed care, therapy, and community support.

Jim also discusses his groundbreaking work to end veteran homelessness in Los Angeles County, expand the Veteran Peer Access Network, and build systems that better support veterans and their families at the local, state, and national levels.

This episode is a powerful conversation about leadership, healing, purpose, and what it truly means to continue the mission after service.

Military Veteran Affairs, Los Angeles County

https://mva.lacounty.gov/executive-bios/james-zenner/

Veteran Peer Access Network (VPAN)

https://mva.lacounty.gov/veteran-peer-access-network/

Warrior Heritage Foundation (scroll down to see video of Jim Zenner speaking)

https://warriorheritagefoundation.org/about

Disclaimer: Finding Your Voice is intended for educational and informational purposes only. Although the host is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in California, this podcast does not provide psychotherapy, diagnosis, treatment, or individualized professional advice. Listening does not establish a therapist-client relationship. Guests’ views are their own and do not necessarily represent the host, the podcast, or the host’s employer. If you are experiencing an emergency, call 911 or 988 in the United States, or contact your local emergency services.

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In this episode of Finding Your Voice, I sit down with Los Angeles County Fire Department Captain Eric Eastlund, a leader, a servant to his community, and a man who understands what it means to show up in the middle of chaos.

Eric shares what it’s like to live a life of constant response, running toward crisis when others are running away. From his experiences during the Altadena Fires to the everyday realities of being continuously exposed to trauma, he opens up about the emotional weight first responders carry and how they learn to keep going.

Eric speaks candidly about his own recovery journey, the lessons he’s learned about resilience, and how giving back has become a cornerstone of his life, both within the fire department and beyond it. Whether it’s supporting his fellow firefighters, engaging in peer support, or serving his community in meaningful ways, his story is one of purpose, humility, and strength.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

https://www.samhsa.gov/substance-use/recovery

Disclaimer: Finding Your Voice is intended for educational and informational purposes only. Although the host is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in California, this podcast does not provide psychotherapy, diagnosis, treatment, or individualized professional advice. Listening does not establish a therapist-client relationship. Guests’ views are their own and do not necessarily represent the host, the podcast, or the host’s employer. If you are experiencing an emergency, call 911 or 988 in the United States, or contact your local emergency services.

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Listener discretion is advised. This episode includes mature themes and discussions of suicide, violence, abuse, and trauma that some listeners may find distressing. Please take care of yourself while listening.

In this episode of Finding Your Voice, I sit down with retired Los Angeles Police Department Detective Garrett Bush to explore the intersection of law enforcement and mental health crisis response.

Drawing from his work with the SMART team and CAMP unit, Garrett shares about his experience in crisis situations while also opening up about his own childhood trauma and challenges within his family.

This conversation is about service, resilience, and the power of meeting people with understanding in their most vulnerable moments.

National Alliance on Mental Illness

https://www.nami.org/

Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

https://988lifeline.org/

Finding Your Voice Instagram Page

https://www.instagram.com/findingyourvoicepodcast/

Disclaimer: Finding Your Voice is intended for educational and informational purposes only. Although the host is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in California, this podcast does not provide psychotherapy, diagnosis, treatment, or individualized professional advice. Listening does not establish a therapist-client relationship. Guests’ views are their own and do not necessarily represent the host, the podcast, or the host’s employer. If you are experiencing an emergency, call 911 or 988 in the United States, or contact your local emergency services.

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In this solo episode of Finding Your Voice, I share a message you may need to hear right now: you are here for a reason.

Blending science, perspective, and lived experience, we explore the idea that you are both a cosmic creation literally made of stardust, and a statistical miracle, with odds of existence estimated at 1 in 400 trillion.

This episode is a reminder that your story matters. Your voice matters. And your life is still being written.

If you’ve been feeling stuck, unseen, or waiting for the “right time” to begin again, this conversation is an invitation to take one step forward today.

Because healing is possible, growth is possible, and your voice has the power to change more than you realize. 

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In this episode of Finding Your Voice, I talk with Dr. Jaime Brown, leader at Brite Psychological Services, for a powerful and honest conversation about identity, strength, and what it truly means to heal.

We discuss:

• Latino community
• Even The “warrior” needs to be vulnerable
• Healing in community instead of isolation
• Reclaiming our shared humanity
• What therapy means to him
• And yes,  how punk rock spirit shows up in mental health

Because sometimes healing isn’t soft.
Sometimes it’s loud.
Sometimes it’s rebellious.

And sometimes the most radical thing we can do is feel. It’s about honoring where we come from without being trapped by it. And it’s about remembering that being human is not weakness, it is courage.

Brite Psychological Services

https://www.britepsych.com/

Regal Beagle

http s://www.instagram.com/regalbeaglesgv/

https://www.instagram.com/findingyourvoicepodcast

Disclaimer: Finding Your Voice is intended for educational and informational purposes only. Although the host is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in California, this podcast does not provide psychotherapy, diagnosis, treatment, or individualized professional advice. Listening does not establish a therapist-client relationship. Guests’ views are their own and do not necessarily represent the host, the podcast, or the host’s employer. If you are experiencing an emergency, call 911 or 988 in the United States, or contact your local emergency services.

Send us Fan Mail

In this inspiring episode of Finding Your Voice, I speak with Dr. Melanie Cain, a Native American psychologist whose journey into the field of psychology is as powerful as the work she does today.

Dr. Cain shares her path to becoming a psychologist—what shaped her calling, the challenges she navigated, and the deeper purpose that guides her work. From serving within state systems to building her own private practice supporting women, she brings both clinical expertise and lived understanding to the therapy room.

We explore the core issues she sees most often in her work: anxiety, depression, and intergenerational trauma. Dr. Cain offers thoughtful insight into how trauma can echo across generations, how women often carry invisible emotional burdens, and what healing can look like when culture, identity, and voice are honored in the therapeutic process.

This conversation is honest, grounded, and deeply empowering. It’s about resilience. It’s about representation. And it’s about what happens when someone chooses not only to find their voice, but to help others find theirs too.

If you’ve ever wondered how personal history shapes professional purpose, or how therapy can create space for healing across generations, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.

Substance Abuse Prevention Control

http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/sapc/

https://www.instagram.com/findingyourvoicepodcast

Disclaimer: Finding Your Voice is intended for educational and informational purposes only. Although the host is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in California, this podcast does not provide psychotherapy, diagnosis, treatment, or individualized professional advice. Listening does not establish a therapist-client relationship. Guests’ views are their own and do not necessarily represent the host, the podcast, or the host’s employer. If you are experiencing an emergency, call 911 or 988 in the United States, or contact your local emergency services.

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In this episode, I talk with Daniel French, one of the founding members of Las Cafeteras, for a conversation that moves beyond music and into meaning.

We explore the power of music as healing, the overlap between creativity and therapy, and how Daniel’s work has evolved over time from performing on stages to helping others find their own voice, purpose, and sense of connection.

This is a thoughtful, grounded conversation about art, service, and what it means to use your gifts in ways that truly impact others.

https://www.instagram.com/frenchismexican/

https://www.instagram.com/findingyourvoicepodcast

Disclaimer: Finding Your Voice is intended for educational and informational purposes only. Although the host is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in California, this podcast does not provide psychotherapy, diagnosis, treatment, or individualized professional advice. Listening does not establish a therapist-client relationship. Guests’ views are their own and do not necessarily represent the host, the podcast, or the host’s employer. If you are experiencing an emergency, call 911 or 988 in the United States, or contact your local emergency services.

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In this powerful and deeply important episode of Finding Your Voice, I’m joined by Elizabeth Eastlund, MSW, with extensive experience working with survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV).

Together, we break down what intimate partner violence really is beyond the stereotypes and misconceptions, and why it so often goes unseen. Elizabeth shares her on the ground experience from the field, offering clarity around common warning signs, patterns of control, and the emotional complexities that make these relationships so difficult to leave.

We also spend time talking about something many people struggle with: how to support someone you love who may be in an abusive relationship. What helps? 

This episode is honest, educational, and grounded in care. Whether you’re a clinician, a loved one, or someone seeking understanding, this conversation aims to raise awareness, reduce stigma, and remind listeners that support and safety begin with listening.

If you’ve ever wondered how to recognize IPV or how to be a safe presence for someone navigating it, this is a conversation you don’t want to miss.

National Domestic Violence Hotline

https://www.thehotline.org/

California Partnership to End Domestic Violence

https://www.cpedv.org/find-help/

Finding Your Voice Instagram 

https://www.instagram.com/findingyourvoicepodcast

Disclaimer: Finding Your Voice is intended for educational and informational purposes only. Although the host is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in California, this podcast does not provide psychotherapy, diagnosis, treatment, or individualized professional advice. Listening does not establish a therapist-client relationship. Guests’ views are their own and do not necessarily represent the host, the podcast, or the host’s employer. If you are experiencing an emergency, call 911 or 988 in the United States, or contact your local emergency services.