Welcome to I Will Hold Space For Your Darkness; a First Responder Mental Health Podcast hosted by Erin Jane.

A former Australian Police Officer and Detective, wife of an American Firefighter, previous crisis counsellor for a suicide prevention organization and current CISM trained, trauma informed and certified Life and Wellness Coach for First Responders, Emergency Services Members, Spouses and Loved Ones.

In this episode, Erin speaks with Kenny Mitchell Jr, a Firefighter with over 22 years experience in VA, who retired as a Lieutenant this past April. Kenny is also the Founder of Operation Yellow Tape, an organisation empowering First Responders to build upon their strength, resilience and hope. Their mission is dedicated to breaking the stigma around mental health in the First Responder profession and community by offering education, resources and support, including their 3rd Annual OYT Conference coming up on September 14th!

Kenny tells Erin about how the events of 9/11 dramatically changed his career trajectory, taking him from the life of a graphic designer, to feeling inspired to want to serve on the front lines, by joining the fire department.

While he loved and thrived in his new role, he could see the impact of the job could be heavy on someone's mental health, so he joined the peer support network of his fire department in 2009.

Despite knowing the importance of maintaining your mental health and wellness, Kenny endured a tragic and devastating personal loss in 2013, which irrevocably changed his world. He was left engulfed by grief, suffering from depression and experiencing infrequent thoughts of suicidal ideation.

This mental health struggle lasted for 7 years, until the sudden loss to suicide of one of Kenny's close friends and colleagues, Tom. He knew something needed to change, so he began sharing his own personal struggles, realising how many fellow First Responders were experiencing the same kind of mental health challenges, but no one was speaking about them.

Whilst scribbling notes at his friend's funeral, Kenny wrote "There are too many of us to ever feel alone" and the concept of Operation Yellow Tape was born.

Kenny reached a point towards the beginning of 2024, where he could acknowledge his cup was getting full and it was time for him to walk away from his firefighting career, feeling proud of all he'd accomplished. He now spends his time dedicated to Operation Yellow Tape, giving presentations to First Responder and civilian groups alike, about the importance of maintaining our mental health and being proactive about seeking assistance. He also still participates in training MAYDAY/RIT.

First Responder Mental Health and Wellness is deeply personal for Kenny; you don't have to speak to him for very long to know how passionate he is about the work he does with OYT.

They have their 3rd Annual OYT Conference coming up on September 14th in North Chesterfield, VA. You can obtain tickets here: ⁠⁠https://www.kennymitchelljr.com/oyt⁠⁠

It was an absolute pleasure to speak with Kenny and have him share his story and experience. (Third time was the charm for us!) We both hope you enjoy listening to this episode and you can follow Kenny on social media @kennymitchellfire or you can go check out his website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.kennymitchelljr.com/meetkenny⁠⁠

You can also find his podcast "Operation Yellow Tape" wherever you find your podcasts!

Please feel free to reach out if you'd like a topic discussed, would like to be a guest or are interested in receiving coaching services from Erin Jane.

Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.erinjanecoaching.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/erinjanecoaching⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Call or Text: +1 617 396 4695

You can watch the episodes as video on YouTube here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://youtube.com/@Erin-Jane-Coaching?si=XI8q0z3mhmzO_a7_⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Feel free to watch, listen, share and subscribe! 

Welcome to I Will Hold Space For Your Darkness; a First Responder Mental Health Podcast hosted by Erin Jane.

A former Australian Police Officer and Detective, wife of an American Firefighter, previous crisis counsellor for a suicide prevention organization and current CISM trained, trauma informed and certified Life and Wellness Coach for First Responders, Emergency Services Members, Spouses and Loved Ones.

In this episode, Erin speaks with Egan de los Cobos, a Firefighter and Paramedic with 25 years experience from California. In 2013, Egan and his young son were involved in an awful MVA, where a vehicle careened into the cafe they were sitting in. This subsequently led to a PTSD diagnosis and the stress and trauma present in his body, lead to the triggering of an autoimmune condition. After years of chronic pain, Egan sought answers and relief that weren't coming from the mainstream medical system and finally found relief. Inspired by his own journey, he became a certified health coach, focusing on aligning immune, gut, mental and physical health after enduring a protracted search for answers to his own physical health struggles, eventually founding First Wellness Health.

Egan tells Erin about why he decided to become a firefighter/paramedic, inspired by his uncle in the job and they discuss the wildfires that often occur out in California, including his department's member heavy deployments to such incidents.

He also shares about the day that changed the trajectory of his life, where an out of control vehicle collided with the outdoor cafe he and his son were sitting in, one morning in 2013. Egan was knocked unconscious and when he came to, had no idea where his son was or in what condition. He searched the rubble, only to find every parent's worst nightmare; his little boy, lying face down and not moving. Thankfully both he and his son escaped relatively unharmed physically from the incident, even having some of his colleagues treat them on scene.

However, the psychological impact on Egan triggered the autoimmune condition of psoriatic arthritis and psoriasis, causing his physical health to deteriorate dramatically. It took 4 years and countless appointments with different medical professionals for Egan's frustration to drive him to seek his own answers and the realisation of the mind-body connection.

He was finally able to find some relief through focusing on nutrition, supplements and improving his own health, which finds him now in a place where he could barely walk or attend work most days, to now being able to run marathons.

Egan also received a PTSD diagnosis, resulting from the MVA with his son and underwent EMDR therapy, with he found immensely beneficial and successful. He also discusses how feeling so helpless and powerless in that moment with his son, when usually as a First Responder, we are the ones in control of a situation like that, was also part of his trauma.

He tells Erin about his desire to help others, which is why he formed First Responder Wellness and now coaches and supports people on their health and wellness journey.

It was so lovely to speak with Egan and have him share his story with us. We both hope you enjoy listening to this episode and you can follow Egan on social media @eganfirstwellness (IG and TikTok) and Egan de los Cobos (FB) or you can go check out his website: ⁠https://www.firstwellnesshealth.com/⁠

Please feel free to reach out if you'd like a topic discussed, would like to be a guest or are interested in receiving coaching services from Erin Jane.

Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.erinjanecoaching.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/erinjanecoaching⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Call or Text: +1 617 396 4695

You can watch the episodes as video on YouTube here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://youtube.com/@Erin-Jane-Coaching?si=XI8q0z3mhmzO_a7_⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Feel free to watch, listen, share and subscribe! 

Welcome to I Will Hold Space For Your Darkness; a First Responder Mental Health Podcast hosted by Erin Jane.

A former Australian Police Officer and Detective, wife of an American Firefighter, previous crisis counsellor for a suicide prevention organization and current CISM trained, certified Life and Wellness Coach for First Responders, Emergency Services Members, Spouses and Loved Ones.

This episode is part of a bonus series, Mindfulness Mondays.

This week, I talk about the notion of "gratitude", inspired by my recent birthday and how achieving a new milestone can give you pause to reflect on the things in this life we're grateful for.

We know as First Responders and Emergency Services Members, it's easy to become complacent. To let the awful things we see allow us to become jaded and cynical, missing out on seeing the beauty in the little things and remembering to take a moment to be grateful for the good things in life, instead of focusing on the negative.

I speak about the empirical research, backing up the health benefits of practicing gratitude, whether that's writing it down, making a mental checklist or speaking it out loud, even expressing it to those we are grateful to have in our lives. And the process having a positive leaning perspective can have on our brains.

So this week, after listening to this episode, I challenge you to take just 5 minutes; sit somewhere quietly and deeply think about and reflect on the aspects of your life that perhaps bring you joy and you find yourself feeling the most grateful for. If one of those things is a person, dare to be brave enough to share your thoughts and feelings of gratitude with them.

I'm excited to continue this bonus series of episodes, to compliment (not replace!) the wonderful conversations I am privileged to have and to share some brilliant resources with you, moving forward. If there's some kind of practice you'd like me to share on here, or a particular mindfulness narrative you would find beneficial, please reach out.

Otherwise, please feel free to reach out if you'd like a topic discussed, would like to be a guest or are interested in receiving coaching services from Erin Jane.

Email: ⁠[email protected]⁠

Website: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.erinjanecoaching.com/⁠⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/erinjanecoaching⁠⁠⁠

Call or Text: +1 617 396 4695

You can watch the episodes as video on YouTube here: ⁠⁠https://youtube.com/@Erin-Jane-Coaching?si=XI8q0z3mhmzO_a7_⁠⁠

Feel free to watch, listen, share and subscribe! 

Welcome to I Will Hold Space For Your Darkness; a First Responder Mental Health Podcast hosted by Erin Jane.

A former Australian Police Officer and Detective, wife of an American Firefighter, previous crisis counsellor for a suicide prevention organization and current CISM trained, trauma informed and certified Life and Wellness Coach for First Responders, Emergency Services Members, Spouses and Loved Ones.

In this episode, Erin speaks with Jeff Fields, a former Law Enforcement Officer with 22 years experience across Local, State and Federal Departments, including positions at the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and as a Criminal Investigator with the US Postal Service. He now has a Public Safety Education and Consulting Organisation, "1333 Consulting" and is the author of "Sober From Sin"; a memoir of his journey through addiction and his search for spiritual and personal redemption.

Jeff tells Erin about growing up with a father in law enforcement, which set him on the path to follow in his footsteps, without really taking the time to consider another career choice. Jeff spent time in various uniformed departments across New Mexico and Arizona as well as Criminal Investigator positions, before obtaining a position with Department of Homeland Security.

He talks about seeking different positions with different departments, promotions and titles, but never really feeling completely fulfilled.

As many others in law enforcement, he had always been a big drinker, something Erin and Jeff talk about that is promoted by the culture of the profession. But his drinking behaviour escalated and Jeff talks incredibly openly and honestly about his struggles with alcohol, that began to increase during his time with DHS and resulted from the revelation of childhood trauma and abuse. Not knowing how to cope and not having the correct tools, led him to spiral into a full blown addiction.

The requirement to maintain a security clearance affected his ability to receive the mental health assistance he truly needed, which ultimately meant he never received the kind of support he was desperate for.

Jeff explains that he reached a point where he knew his career in law enforcement had to end, which as he notes, was easier for him to walk away from that to get sober. But for the sake of his marriage, his family and his own wellbeing, he knew it was something he had to do.

One aspect that helped Jeff along his path to sobriety was his faith, which he tells Erin about and explains the important role it now plays in his life and his recovery. He also tells Erin about the choice he made to put his story out there, warts an all, in an incredibly raw and authentic way, but writing "Sober From Sin". His ultimate goal is just to help as many people as he can, by sharing his story of his battle with addiction, so others know they're not alone.

It was an absolute honour to have this in depth conversation with Jeff and we both hope you enjoy listening!

You can find Jeff via his website: https://thejefffields.com/ and follow him on Instagram via @soberfromsin and "Jeff Fields" on Facebook.

You can purchase his book "Sober From Sin: A Law Enforcement Veteran's Journey To Unraveling Addiction and Faith" via his website or https://www.amazon.com/Sober-Sin-Enforcement-Unraveling-Addiction/dp/B0D1VYF955 which I encourage you all to check out!

Please feel free to reach out if you'd like a topic discussed, would like to be a guest or are interested in receiving coaching services from Erin Jane.

Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.erinjanecoaching.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/erinjanecoaching⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Call or Text: +1 617 396 4695

You can watch the episodes as video on YouTube here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://youtube.com/@Erin-Jane-Coaching?si=XI8q0z3mhmzO_a7_⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Feel free to watch, listen, share and subscribe! 

Welcome to I Will Hold Space For Your Darkness; a First Responder Mental Health Podcast hosted by Erin Jane.

A former Australian Police Officer and Detective, wife of an American Firefighter, previous crisis counsellor for a suicide prevention organization and current CISM trained, certified Life and Wellness Coach for First Responders, Emergency Services Members, Spouses and Loved Ones.

We're trying something new this week! I've been thinking for a little while about adding some more resources to the podcast. While I believe there is great power in sharing our stories with others, so they know they aren't alone in their struggles, I want to do more. So I'm starting a bonus series as a part of these podcast episodes, called "Mindfulness Mondays".

With my continued studies in psychology towards obtaining my Bachelor's, as well as my own personal deep dives into mindfulness, coping skills and strategies, exercise, trauma informed certifications, ASMR, breath work and any other somatic skill or practice you can imagine, I want to be in a position to share some with you all as I go along.

I believe strongly that knowledge is power; second to that, knowledge gained should be knowledge shared. I don't have all the answers and am not a Clinician; I am a Wellness Coach, so I know it's important to stay in my lane.

But if one skill, strategy or practice I share helps even just one person, (usually accompanied by anecdotal evidence from my own experience) then I believe it's worth putting it out there for you to listen to, consume and try for yourselves.

And these resources I want to share with you are adaptive mental health coping skills and strategies that can be practiced on your own, in your own time, in an effort to increase a First Responder or Emergency Services Member's already stellar levels of resilience.

This week, I share about the concept of Box Breathing. Also known as Tactical Breathing, Square Breathing and a few other names. It's something I've spoken about on previous long form episodes of this podcast and it's my personal favourite. It's simple, easy to do, requires very little from you, can be done anywhere and is a resource and a practice I desperately wish I'd known about during my First Responder/Law Enforcement career.

In this episode, I explain the practice of Box Breathing, how it affects our nervous system, and lead the listener through a practice in real time.

I'm excited to begin this bonus series of episodes, to compliment (not replace!) the wonderful conversations I am privileged to have and to share some brilliant resources with you, moving forward. If there's some kind of practice you'd like me to share on here, or a particular mindfulness narrative you would find beneficial, please reach out.

Otherwise, please feel free to reach out if you'd like a topic discussed, would like to be a guest or are interested in receiving coaching services from Erin Jane.

Email: ⁠[email protected]⁠

Website: ⁠⁠https://www.erinjanecoaching.com/⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/erinjanecoaching⁠⁠

Call or Text: +1 617 396 4695

You can watch the episodes as video on YouTube here: ⁠https://youtube.com/@Erin-Jane-Coaching?si=XI8q0z3mhmzO_a7_⁠

Feel free to watch, listen, share and subscribe!

Welcome to I Will Hold Space For Your Darkness; a First Responder Mental Health Podcast hosted by Erin Jane. 

A former Australian Police Officer and Detective, wife of an American Firefighter, previous crisis counsellor for a suicide prevention organization and current CISM trained, certified Life & Wellness Coach for First Responders, Emergency Services Members, Spouses and Loved Ones.

In this episode, Erin speaks with Steve Powers, a Veteran of the United States Marine Corps, former Police Officer with over 22 years experience, with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg PD in North Carolina and previously, serving as a Correctional Officer with Charles County Sheriff's Office in Maryland.

Since retiring from law enforcement in late 2021, Steve has spent his time heavily involved in Peer Support and Crisis Intervention Teams, focusing on Vicarious Trauma and Officer Wellness. He is also the Founder of "Hashtag BuddyCheck", a 501(c)3 organisation, created to assist First Responders and their spouses with the impact of trauma, through awareness and education, after experiencing his own share of trauma exposure and mental health challenges over his 30+ years of service.

In their conversation, Steve tells Erin about what drew him to enlist in the USMC at just 17 and his service in the Security Forces and as Squad Leader in the 3rd Battalion.

He recounts the transition out of the military and back to Maryland, where he applied for numerous Law Enforcement positions, before becoming a Correctional Officer. Steve worked amongst this population for 4 years and, as many describe, it's like you're doing time along with the inmates.

With family in the Charlotte, NC area, Steve applied for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg PD, where he would spend the majority of his career. He explains that he spent a lot of time in patrol and early on, found himself to be "one of those people" that others felt comfortable coming to and speaking with if they were having a difficult time.

Steve tells Erin after finding himself naturally thrust into that kind of privileged position, he found courses to do to become a qualified Peer Support Specialist, at both State and Federal levels and how he was part of a Crisis Intervention Team, where he and a Mental Health Clinician would attend a myriad of calls for assistance together.

Steve opens up about his own mental health battles, feeling overwhelmed, burnt out and unable to find his way out of darkness and despair, leading to two suicide attempts. Through the support of his wife, family and fellow Veteran friend, he was able to get some help and begin on a path of healing and learning about his own capacity to help others.

Knowing what a challenge mental health and trauma exposure is for the Veteran and First Responder community, Steve founded "Hashtag BuddyCheck" in 2019 in an effort to educate and help others with their struggles in the way he was helped. He describes to Erin what's behind the name of the 501(c)3 and the kind of education and presentations he provides.

This was a wonderful, honest and heartfelt conversation to have and another chance to highlight a man doing great things in the month of June, being Men's Mental Health Awareness Month.

You can follow Steve on social media on "Hashtag BuddyCheck" pages and reach out for speaking engagements or make a donation via https://hashtagbuddycheck.com

We both hope you enjoy listening to this episode! 

Please feel free to reach out if you'd like a topic discussed, would like to be a guest or are interested in receiving coaching services from Erin Jane.

Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.erinjanecoaching.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/erinjanecoaching⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Call or Text: +1 617 396 4695

You can watch the episodes as video on YouTube here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://youtube.com/@Erin-Jane-Coaching?si=XI8q0z3mhmzO_a7_⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Feel free to watch, listen, subscribe and share! 

Welcome to I Will Hold Space For Your Darkness; a First Responder Mental Health Podcast hosted by Erin Jane.

A former Australian Police Officer and Detective, wife of an American Firefighter, previous crisis counsellor for a suicide prevention organization and current CISM trained, certified Life and Wellness Coach for First Responders, Emergency Services Members, Spouses and Loved Ones.

In this episode, Erin speaks about the importance of the month of June, being Men's Mental Health Awareness Month and PTSD Awareness Month and how she's looking forward to sharing some conversations focusing specifically on men this month.

Obviously both of these issues affect the First Responder and Emergency Services populations significantly, so she talks about how impactful it is to raise awareness for people struggling in that space right now.

She speaks about what trauma actually is and how this community is uniquely affected, often in a cumulative manner, with constant exposure in the workplace. She reads out the clinical definition of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, as from the DSM-5, because with lots of opinions and conversations out there about PTSD, PTSI, PTS, etc it's sometimes helpful know the exact criteria and strongly believes knowledge is power.

Erin discusses the mental health of men, from the perspective of the daughter of a father who completed suicide and how, 37 years ago, when he reached out for help, there was no one there to listen. That mental health needs to be spoken about by men, especially by men brave enough to share their stories, but also by the women who love and care for them. No one's voice should be silenced on an issue this important.

Erin shares personal experiences of speaking with men battling the depths of depression and something important that most men fail to realise; that our perception of you won't change if you dare to cry or express emotion in front of us.

She talks about the fact the tide is turning and how this podcast is evidence of that. Wonderful men have come on here and shared their experiences, emotions, failures and triumphs, in an effort to end the stigma and ensure men's mental health is a part of the conversation in society. That 30+ years later, there is the kind of help available that there once wasn't. It isn't perfect, but it exists and is improving each day we share it in places like this.

Erin also discusses the changing emotions over her lifetime that she's felt towards her Dad, in the way that the she lost him and the choice he made to leave. That there has been the overwhelming grief of missing out on having him in her life, the disappointment and confusion as a young child, the anger and resentment that can manifest with a loss to suicide, the never-ending "Why?" questions we are all faced with and finally, with the birth of her own child at the same age her father died, landing in a place of empathy and compassion. Nothing more, nothing less.

And how that empathy and compassion authentically extends to anyone who has found themselves in the same amount of despair, to be experiencing suicidal ideation or intention.

Thank you for listening.

Please feel free to reach out if you'd like a topic discussed, would like to be a guest or are interested in receiving coaching services from Erin Jane.

Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.erinjanecoaching.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/erinjanecoaching⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Call or Text: +1 617 396 4695

You can watch the episodes as video on YouTube here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://youtube.com/@Erin-Jane-Coaching?si=XI8q0z3mhmzO_a7_⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Feel free to watch, listen, share and subscribe! 

Welcome to I Will Hold Space For Your Darkness; a First Responder Mental Health Podcast hosted by Erin Jane.

A former Australian Police Officer and Detective, wife of an American Firefighter, previous crisis counsellor for a suicide prevention organization and current CISM trained, certified Life and Wellness Coach for First Responders, Emergency Services Members, Spouses and Loved Ones.

In this episode, Erin speaks with Justin Cotte, a former Police Officer from Washington State, who served his community for 20 years in various law enforcement positions, including patrol, K9 handler, corrections, part of a US Marshalls Task Force for Violent Offenders, Critical Incident Investigator including OIS and held a Detective position with ICAC; Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Since retiring, Justin is a Civilian Investigator for the AG's Office and is also studying his Master's of Science in Military and First Responder Psychology.

Justin tells Erin about growing up in Canada during his teenage years, but that how the events of 9/11 made him want to return to the United States and join Law Enforcement. Watching the calm disposition on the faces of the First Responders on that horrible day, amongst all the chaos and tragedy, inspired him to join their ranks. He volunteered for both fire and police departments, but ultimately Law Enforcement won out in the end.

Justin and Erin discuss becoming First Responders around the same age and how they were so naive and unaware of what a career in Law Enforcement would ultimately entail. Everyone joins to help people, but we all leave being changed by our roles.

Justin shares about two ambush-style incidents where offenders opened fire on he and his colleagues, which caused him to enter in a significant state of constant hypervigilence and about the position he enjoyed the most, being the handler of his beloved K9, Solo.

He tells Erin about the loss to suicide of two colleagues from nearby departments and how it made him question his own future career aspirations, ultimately leading him to engage in pursuing studies in psychology, knowing he wanted to be of service to his colleagues in a different capacity.

Justin is honest and open about some of his mental health struggles throughout his career, using alcohol as a maladaptive coping mechanism early on to deal with a relationship breakdown and to combat feeling burnt out, the trauma exposure that murders, crimes against children and just general policing can have on you and the toll it ultimately can take, even leading to negative physiological health responses.

He also shares about finding peace for the first time in his career, when he tried a kind of sensory deprivation, known as float therapy. Justin now practices meditation and this helps him alleviate any stress, anxiety and residual trauma he may be experiencing.

Justin's ultimate goal is to travel, live adventurously and help his fellow First Responders with their mental health moving forward, to prevent more losses to suicide, like those of his colleagues and many, many others.

It was so lovely to chat with Justin, in this first podcast episode for the month of June, being Men's Mental Health Awareness Month. We both hope you enjoy listening!

Please feel free to reach out if you'd like a topic discussed, would like to be a guest or are interested in receiving coaching services from Erin Jane.

Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.erinjanecoaching.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/erinjanecoaching⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Call or Text: +1 617 396 4695

You can watch the episodes as video on YouTube here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://youtube.com/@Erin-Jane-Coaching?si=XI8q0z3mhmzO_a7_⁠⁠⁠⁠

Feel free to watch, listen, share and subscribe! 

Welcome to I Will Hold Space For Your Darkness; a First Responder Mental Health Podcast hosted by Erin Jane.

A former Australian Police Officer and Detective, wife of an American Firefighter, previous crisis counsellor for a suicide prevention organization and current CISM trained, certified Life and Wellness Coach for First Responders, Emergency Services Members, Spouses and Loved Ones.

In this episode, Erin speaks with Chrissy Stewart McKeen, a fellow First Responder Spouse, with her husband being a Law Enforcement Officer, based in the lovely country of Canada. She is a dedicated Police Wife Coach, helping fellow spouses navigate some of the challenges that can accompany being the wife of a police officer and has a background in psychology and the wellness industry.

She is about the launch a program called "Police Wife Academy", which aims at teaching essential skills, stress management and building resilience in an often forgotten part of the First Responder community.

Erin and Chrissy have a wonderful conversation, in what is Chrissy's first ever podcast appearance! In Part 2, she talks how her relationship was impacted and affected when her husband Cam became a police officer, that while her world was opening up, his was closing and he was losing trust in people and learning to look at the world differently to civilians.

Erin and Chrissy discuss what it's like as First Responder spouse and how they've both gone about figuring out how best to support their husbands in their respective First Responder roles, being firefighter and law enforcement. That navigating these kinds of relationships is an ongoing process and learning experience for all involved.

They also share about how unmet needs can show up as resentment, anger, grief and a desire for acknowledgement and validation.

Chrissy tells us about what her new coaching program, Police Wife Academy was inspired by and how important it is to have a community of support around you, especially as a law enforcement family today.

Obviously Erin and Chrissy found they have a lot in common and ended up speaking for over two hours about what the life of a First Responder spouse can entail and how important it is, to not only support your partner in the way that they need, but to make yourself a priority as well.

This is Part 2 of their conversation, if you haven't listened to Part 1 yet, go back and take a listen as this episode follows on from where that one left off! It was an absolute pleasure to speak with Chrissy and we both hope you enjoy listening to this episode!

You can follow Chrissy on Instagram: @police.wifelife and her website is ⁠https://www.policewifelife.ca/⁠ to learn more about Chrissy and the kind of coaching she offers.

Please feel free to reach out if you'd like a topic discussed, would like to be a guest or are interested in receiving coaching services from Erin Jane.

Email: ⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.erinjanecoaching.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/erinjanecoaching⁠⁠⁠⁠

Call or Text: +1 617 396 4695

You can watch the episodes as video on YouTube here: ⁠⁠⁠https://youtube.com/@Erin-Jane-Coaching?si=XI8q0z3mhmzO_a7_⁠⁠⁠

Feel free to watch, listen, share and subscribe! 

Welcome to I Will Hold Space For Your Darkness; a First Responder Mental Health Podcast hosted by Erin Jane.

A former Australian Police Officer and Detective, wife of an American Firefighter, previous crisis counsellor for a suicide prevention organization and current CISM trained, certified Life and Wellness Coach for First Responders, Emergency Services Members, Spouses and Loved Ones.

In this episode, Erin speaks with Chrissy Stewart McKeen, a fellow First Responder Spouse, with her husband being a Law Enforcement Officer, based in the lovely country of Canada. She is a dedicated Police Wife Coach, helping fellow spouses navigate some of the challenges that can accompany being the wife of a police officer and has a background in psychology and the wellness industry.

She is about the launch a program called "Police Wife Academy", which aims at teaching essential skills, stress management and building resilience in an often forgotten part of the First Responder community.

Erin and Chrissy have a wonderful conversation, in what is Chrissy's first ever podcast appearance! She talks how she met her husband Cam 17 yers ago in university and that while he was very upfront about his intentions to join the police force, she really didn't know or understand what it meant at the time to pledge her support and encouragement to his career aspirations.

They talk about what it's like being on the other side of the public First Responder experience, how everything their husband's experience invariably bleeds back into their relationship and family life and the different strategies they use to help maintain a healthy dynamic and relationship balance.

So much is now spoken about in regards to the mental health and wellness of the first responder population, they both think that spouses are an under-utilised resource, as they are the ones that will often notice subtle changes in behaviour and demeanour of their partners. Education on what to look out for in regards to mental and behavioural health conditions could help facilitate some of the proactive approaches and could improve the nature of these important relationships.

Erin and Chrissy mention the fact they are talking/filming during National Police Week in the United States and about how it's never been so challenging to be the spouse of a police officer. They discuss how crucial communication is to ensuring you and your partner are on the same page, that there isn't any one-size-fits-all tool to help each individual couple dynamic, but that if things go left unsaid, it can cause resentment, which poisons a relationship.

They are both firm believers in sharing our stories, so that others don't feel so alone and creating a camaraderie and community, whether it be as a first responder, emergency services member or a spouse, is incredibly important.

Obviously Erin and Chrissy found they have a lot in common and ended up speaking for over two hours about what the life of a First Responder spouse can entail and how important it is, to not only support your partner in the way that they need, but to make yourself a priority as well.

This is Part 1 of their conversation, tune in next week for Part 2! It was an absolute pleasure to speak with Chrissy and we both hope you enjoy listening to this episode!

You can follow Chrissy on Instagram: @police.wifelife and her website is https://www.policewifelife.ca/ to learn more about Chrissy and the kind of coaching she offers.

Please feel free to reach out if you'd like a topic discussed, would like to be a guest or are interested in receiving coaching services from Erin Jane.

Email: ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠

Website: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.erinjanecoaching.com/⁠⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/erinjanecoaching⁠⁠⁠

Call or Text: +1 617 396 4695

You can watch the episodes as video on YouTube here: ⁠⁠https://youtube.com/@Erin-Jane-Coaching?si=XI8q0z3mhmzO_a7_⁠⁠

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