This week, Erin sits down with Dr. Erica Birkley, a trauma psychologist and nationally recognized expert in evidence-based treatment for PTSD, to talk about what real recovery looks like for responders, spouses, and the clinicians walking beside them.

From running trauma retreats for veterans and first responder couples to helping responders rebuild trust in therapy after feeling betrayed by “the system,” Dr. Birkley brings equal parts science, heart, and humanity to the conversation.

She breaks down what actually makes therapy work (spoiler: it’s not the therapy itself, it’s the relationship), why confidentiality is sacred, and how isolation feeds trauma more than any single call ever could.

This episode is a deep dive into hope. Not fluffy hope, but the kind that’s built from science, trust, and small moments of connection that remind you you’re not alone and you’re not broken.

Dr. Birkley also shares her practical wisdom on how responders can vet clinicians, what “evidence-based treatment” really means, and why the most powerful predictor of healing isn’t medication or a diagnosis, it’s positive, perceived support.

If you’ve ever wondered whether recovery is real, this episode will change your mind.

IN THIS EPISODE

• How Dr. Birkley’s early research on aggression led her to trauma treatment
• Why therapy works when trust is built — not forced
• How to spot a culturally competent, trauma-trained clinician
• Why cumulative trauma hits responders differently than single-event trauma
• How isolation becomes the real danger zone
• The myth of “burdening your therapist” — and what therapists actually feel
• Why openness in therapy leads to faster, longer-lasting results
• What “positive perceived support” means — and how it prevents PTSD
• Why recovery is possible, measurable, and sustainable

MENTAL FIREPOWER

The Way Out Is Through.
You can’t outthink your trauma, and you can’t outrun it.
You move through it — one honest conversation, one connection, one step at a time.

WHO THIS EPISODE IS FOR

• First responders carrying years of cumulative trauma
• Spouses or families who want to understand the healing process
• Clinicians seeking to serve responders with integrity and competence
• Peer supporters and leaders ready to strengthen their departments’ mental health culture
• Anyone who needs proof that evidence-based recovery actually works

Music from #Uppbeat

https://uppbeat.io/t/needmospace/chill-power

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