What if the bravest words you speak this week are just: “I need help”?

In this candid conversation on We Are Listening! with host Pulkit Garg, retired RCMP officer turned international mentor and best-selling author Doug Lawrence opens up about PTSD, losing his wife, and why empathy—and access to real support—can change the arc of a life and a workplace.

Doug unpacks how grief quietly disrupts focus, memory, decision-making, and team dynamics, and why pressuring people to “move on” backfires. We explore why grief doesn’t follow a neat timeline, how each person’s pace is different, and the subtle signs that a hard season is tipping into prolonged depression or burnout.

You’ll hear Doug’s frontline stories: the cost of inadequate debriefs for first responders, the loneliness many in uniform carry home, and the simple check-ins that can save someone from spiraling. He also introduces the emerging role of a grief mentor—a non-clinical bridge between therapy sessions—offering presence, confidentiality, and judgment-free support when it’s needed most.

Then we shift to business: Doug clarifies mentoring vs. coaching (development vs. performance repair), and shows how mentoring works best when implemented to solve real problems—attrition, skill gaps, disengagement—while rebuilding psychological safety. For entrepreneurs, he shares lessons from programs like ACP and Branson’s Caribbean initiative, and why founder mental health is mission-critical.

If you’ve lost someone, lead a team, wear a uniform, or are building something under pressure, this episode will meet you where you are—with empathy and actionable ideas.

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