Resilience Development in Action: First Responder Mental Health

Steve Bisson
  • 5.0 (19)
  • Mental Health
  • Updated Weekly

Discover practical resilience strategies that transform lives. Join Steve Bisson, licensed mental health counselor, as he guides first responders, leaders, and trauma survivors through actionable insights for mental wellness and professional growth.Each week, dive deep into real conversations about grief processing, trauma recovery, and leadership development. Whether you're a first responder facing daily challenges, a leader navigating high-pressure situations, or someone on their healing journey, this podcast delivers the tools and strategies you need to build lasting resilience.With over 20 years of mental health counseling experience, Steve brings authentic, professional expertise to every episode, making complex mental health concepts accessible and applicable to real-world situations. Featured topics include:• Practical resilience building strategies• First responder mental wellness• Trauma recovery and healing• Leadership development• Grief processing• Professional growth• Mental health insights • Help you on your healing journey Each week, join our community towards better mental health and turn your challenges into opportunities for growth with Resilience Development in Action.

  1. 3d ago ·  Video

    When Work Becomes The Trauma

    Send us Fan Mail A career can end without a single bad call. Sometimes it’s the station politics, the paper trail, and the quiet retaliation that do the damage and it can hit your mental health just as hard as anything on the street. I sit down with Bridget Truxillo, an attorney, former deputy sheriff, and former SWAT team member, to talk about what happens when the workplace becomes the stressor you can’t escape. Her story runs from patrol to undercover narcotics to SWAT, and then straight into the kind of employment problems most first responders hope they’ll never face. We get specific about what it’s like being the only woman in a specialty unit, how “equal standards” can turn into unequal scrutiny, and how a culture of write-ups and rumors can push someone out of a job they once saw as a lifelong calling. Bridget shares why she built Lady Law Shield, and why she treats career protection as part of a larger first responder wellness plan. We also talk about trust and confidentiality, and why privileged communication matters when you’re afraid that speaking up will come back to you. Then we dig into the practical side: unions versus employment lawyers, what unions usually handle well, and where they typically cannot help with discrimination, harassment, or retaliation claims. Bridget breaks down why reporting in writing matters, how strict EEOC and state deadlines can be, and why waiting too long can permanently limit your options. If you’re in law enforcement, fire, EMS, corrections, or dispatch and work is starting to feel consuming, this conversation gives you a clear next step and a way to breathe again. Find Bridget at LadyLawShield.com, and if this helps, subscribe, share the episode with a teammate, and leave a review so more first responders can find it. You can find Bridget at https://ladylawshield.com/about-us Support the show YouTube Channel For The Podcast

    When Work Becomes The Trauma

  2. Aug 5 ·  Video

    Stop Saying Suck It Up Buttercup

    Send us Fan Mail The fastest way to miss someone in pain is to only believe the “approved” version of distress. We sit down with Liana Lucine, a former UK London Met police officer and trainer, to unpack how stereotypes shape everything from mental health calls to workplace culture and even how we label victims. When anxiety, depression, grief, or trauma don’t match the mental picture we expect, the response can turn into dismissal, jokes, or silence and that’s where risk grows for first responders and the people we serve.  We talk about how depression can look different across genders, why anger and outbursts can be a red flag, and why trauma sometimes shows up as numbness or a blank face rather than tears. Liana shares insight from seeing victims navigate high-pressure environments, and we connect that to common coping tools like dissociation and memory gaps. We also get into the hard truth about recovery: timing matters. Mandatory debriefs or forced “early therapy” may feel supportive on paper, but they can remove choice and backfire when someone isn’t ready.  From EMDR to peer support to flexible options that respect autonomy, we make the case for systems that protect organizations without sacrificing the individual. We also spotlight Liana’s work on male victims of sexual assault and harassment, the stigma that keeps men quiet, and how gendered language in training can harm everyone by boxing people into roles they never chose. If you care about first responder mental health, PTSD prevention, and better leadership, this conversation offers a clear next step: slow down, challenge the assumption, and ask one more honest question.  Subscribe, share this with a coworker, and leave a review so more first responders can find practical, human support when it counts. Buy her book at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GZDWFTG8?lv=shuf&channelId=500&plpRedirect=mhFallback You can find her on her website at https://lucinetraining.co.uk or  YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@LucineTraining  and on Instagram at  https://www.instagram.com/lucinetraining/ Support the show YouTube Channel For The Podcast

    Stop Saying Suck It Up Buttercup

  3. Jul 29 ·  Video

    Resilience Grows When We Stop Treating People Like Problems

    Send us Fan Mail If you’ve ever wondered why some calls escalate fast while others calm down in minutes, the answer usually isn’t “more force” or “better scripts.” It’s the human skill that gets trained the least and judged the most: how we talk to people when they’re at their worst. I’m joined by Liana Lucine, a former Metropolitan Police officer in London with 18 years on the job and deep experience as a police trainer. We get honest about what frontline policing looks like beyond the clichés, including her time working vice and dealing with street prostitution tied to crack and heroin addiction. That opens a bigger conversation about harm reduction, diversion, and why rehab can’t be a standalone fix if someone goes back to the same environment without housing, support, or safe relationships. From there, we dig into the internal pressures that wear officers down: constant criticism, endless paperwork, lack of resources, and the quiet damage of feeling unsupported by leadership. Liana shares why she sees this in the training rooms and why many officers are so guarded they expect to be told off before they’re taught anything. We also break down de-escalation and why listening often works better than dominating, especially when someone is in crisis and you need compliance without a fight. We close with a reset on resilience. It isn’t a badge you earn once. It’s situational, learnable, and easier to build when we don’t turn our job or our diagnosis into our entire identity. If you want practical ideas for first responder mental health, police communication skills, and resilience training that actually fits real life, hit play, subscribe, share this with a teammate, and leave a review so more people can find the show. Buy her book at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GZDWFTG8?lv=shuf&channelId=500&plpRedirect=mhFallback You can find her on her website at https://lucinetraining.co.uk or  YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@LucineTraining  and on Instagram at  https://www.instagram.com/lucinetraining/ Support the show YouTube Channel For The Podcast

    Resilience Grows When We Stop Treating People Like Problems

  4. Jul 22 ·  Video

    You Can Survive The Moment Without Living In The What If

    Send us Fan Mail Your body can hit full panic speeds while your brain has to make courtroom-clean decisions. That tension sits at the center of my conversation with Eric Robinson, a former pastor turned FBI agent who spent 24 years in the Bureau and served on SWAT. We get real about what it means to approach a door knowing you might meet violence, and why true calm is not bravado, it is competence built through training, repetition, and trust in your teammates. Eric walks us through a deadly force encounter that includes the grim reality of suicide by cop, the adrenaline surge that can slam your heart rate into the 170s, and the strange way time can feel stretched while everything happens fast. We talk about the “fog” that can follow, the mental replay that steals sleep, and why the what if loop feels so sticky even when the shoot is justified. If you work in policing, fire, EMS, dispatch, corrections, or any high-risk role, you’ll recognize the mix of duty, humanity, and aftermath. We also dig into what actually supports first responder mental health after critical incidents: solid leadership, a smart after-action review, optional support that people can choose, and a team culture that stays close instead of ostracizing shooters out of legal fear. Along the way we hit the odd corners of FBI work, interagency cooperation, and the dark humor that helps people survive what the public never sees. Eric also shares his “why” and previews his memoir, Irreverend: From Saving Souls to Chasing Sinners in the FBI. If this conversation helps you, share it with someone on your shift, then subscribe and leave a review so more first responders can find it. What part of the job do you wish more people understood? Please reach Eric through his website at http://www.preachertobreacher.com DeemedFit: First Responder OwnedWe are a first responder owned company looking to get first responders in the best mental shape.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show YouTube Channel For The Podcast

    You Can Survive The Moment Without Living In The What If

  5. Jul 15 ·  Video

    How A Retired FBI Agent Stays Human In A Hard Job

    Send us Fan Mail He walked away from the pulpit because the stress would not let his body rest, then spent the next two decades staring straight at humanity’s darkest corners. I’m joined by Eric Robinson, newly retired after 24 years in the FBI, to talk about resilience that’s earned, not posted. Eric shares how carrying other people’s pain as a solo pastor led to daily headaches, and why choosing a new path was a mental health decision as much as a career move. From there, we trace his unusual transition into federal law enforcement, including how the post 9-11 environment and his background shaped the Bureau’s interest. We also get real about maturity and judgment in high-stakes work: what experience gives you, why authenticity matters with first responders, and how a “mask” culture can quietly grind people down. Then we go deeper into the cases that leave a mark: sex trafficking, exploitation, gangs, and the challenge of staying compassionate without being naive. Eric explains why justice can’t depend on a “perfect victim,” and he tells a moment from Chicago that re-centered him fast when a kid he judged as a nuisance asked for help getting home. We close with a look at how he approaches interviews and interrogations by building connection and psychological safety to get the truth, not to perform anger. If you care about first responder mental health, trauma-informed leadership, and real-world resilience skills, hit play, then subscribe, share this with a teammate, and leave a review so more people can find the show. Please reach Eric through his website at http://www.preachertobreacher.com DeemedFit: First Responder OwnedWe are a first responder owned company looking to get first responders in the best mental shape.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show YouTube Channel For The Podcast

    How A Retired FBI Agent Stays Human In A Hard Job

  6. Jul 8 ·  Video

    Peer Support Without Gossip

    Send us Fan Mail If peer support is supposed to be a safe place, why do so many first responders avoid it because they’re afraid their story will end up in the station, the briefing room, or the chief’s office? Stephanie Conn get blunt about the real problem behind “peer support doesn’t work” and it’s usually not the idea, it’s trust, confidentiality, and what happens when one person treats private conversations like gossip. We walk through what strong peer support programs do differently: clear boundaries, transparent language about the narrow exceptions to confidentiality, and the courage to name the elephant in the room when a team’s reputation has been damaged. We also dig into something that doesn’t get said enough in police, fire, EMS, and dispatch culture: sometimes the healthiest move for a peer supporter is to hit pause. Stepping back because your capacity is shot isn’t weakness, it’s integrity, and pretending you’re fine while telling others to “take care of yourself” is the fastest way to lose credibility. From there, we shift into resilience that actually fits first responder life. We talk about writing and teaching in plain language, translating research into tools people will use on shift, and why understanding the “why” behind strategies matters. Nutrition, stress hormones, sleep, and the messy reality of progress all come up, including the reminder that growth looks more like a squiggly line than a straight climb. We also preview a new peer support book and where to find it, plus a simple question we think every guest should answer: What is your why? If this helped you think differently about peer support and first responder mental health, subscribe, share the episode with a coworker, and leave a review so more people can find it. You can find everything about Stephanie, including her books at her website at https://firstresponderpsychology.com Her LinkedIn account is https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-stephanie-conn/ DeemedFit: First Responder OwnedWe are a first responder owned company looking to get first responders in the best mental shape.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show YouTube Channel For The Podcast

    Peer Support Without Gossip

  7. Jul 1 ·  Video

    Making Wellness Practical For Police Fire And EMS

    Send us Fan Mail The job trains you to scan for danger, move fast, and stay ready, but nobody hands you a clean off-switch when you walk back through your front door. We sit down with Dr Stephanie Conn, a former dispatcher and police officer turned first responder psychologist, to get real about what actually helps police, fire, EMS, dispatch, and corrections stay steady over the long haul. We talk about resilience as a practice, not a personality trait. That means sleep discipline, boundaries, and recovery routines that fit real schedules, plus “performance” framing that makes wellness feel credible to skeptical crews. We also get into the so-called woo-woo tools like yoga, mindfulness, breathing, and how biofeedback can prove what your nervous system is doing even when you swear nothing is changing. If you want first responder mental health strategies you can apply tomorrow, this conversation stays grounded in the day-to-day reality of the work. Family comes up in a big way. Hypervigilance can be an occupational adaptation on scene, but it can strain relationships when it follows you home. We break down how to “dial the hyper down” without losing your edge, why informed family support can be the strongest protective factor against secondary trauma, and how the slow grind of “death by a thousand cuts” can lead to compassion fatigue if you never pause to process. We also dig into peer support: what it looks like when it is only reactive, what changes when it becomes responsive and progressive, and why training, boundaries, and clinical guidance matter so a peer team builds trust instead of breaking it. Subscribe, share this with someone on shift, and leave a review so more first responders can find practical resilience training that works. Stephanie can be reached via her website https://firstresponderpsychology.com Her LinkedIn account is https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-stephanie-conn/ Support the show YouTube Channel For The Podcast

    Making Wellness Practical For Police Fire And EMS

  8. Jun 24 ·  Video

    What Happens After The Save

    Send us Fan Mail One small action can change a whole community, and sometimes even rewrite what the next generation learns in school. We sit down with Brad and Kira Newberry to unpack the idea behind their book, The Saved Effect, and why a single rescue rarely ends when the ambulance doors close. Using the butterfly effect as a guide, we explore how “micro moments” of courage and care can ripple outward into families, careers, and public policy. We dig into a story that’s hard to forget: an eight-year-old girl choking at a restaurant, a nurse stepping in with the Heimlich maneuver, and the long tail of that save. Years later, that same kid is training hundreds of people in CPR and pushing for a bill that would make CPR certification a high school graduation requirement. We connect that to a bigger first responder and public health question: why do we teach fire safety so well, but still treat CPR as optional life knowledge in so many places? We also get real about first responder mental health and the culture shift around PTSD support, peer help, chaplains, and modern critical incident resources. Then we go straight into the generational friction point, with a father-daughter perspective on what Gen X and Gen Z each need to hear, and how EMS education can adapt to the way people actually learn today without lowering standards. If you care about EMS, firefighter and police mental health, CPR training, or better leadership across generations, you’ll get a lot from this conversation. Subscribe, share this with someone in the service, and leave a review so more people can find it. Find Brad and Kiera at the following links:  Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thesavedeffect/ https://www.instagram.com/bradnewbury/ https://www.instagram.com/kieranewbury/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/brad.newbury https://www.facebook.com/kiera.newbury.1 Tiktok https://www.tiktok.com/@thesavedeffect https://www.tiktok.com/@bradnewbury1 https://www.tiktok.com/@kieranewbury Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@BradNewbury https://www.youtube.com/@TheSavedEffect Linkedin www.linkedin.com/in/brad-newbury https://www.linkedin.com/in/kiera-newbury/ Support the show YouTube Channel For The Podcast

    What Happens After The Save
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About

Discover practical resilience strategies that transform lives. Join Steve Bisson, licensed mental health counselor, as he guides first responders, leaders, and trauma survivors through actionable insights for mental wellness and professional growth.Each week, dive deep into real conversations about grief processing, trauma recovery, and leadership development. Whether you're a first responder facing daily challenges, a leader navigating high-pressure situations, or someone on their healing journey, this podcast delivers the tools and strategies you need to build lasting resilience.With over 20 years of mental health counseling experience, Steve brings authentic, professional expertise to every episode, making complex mental health concepts accessible and applicable to real-world situations. Featured topics include:• Practical resilience building strategies• First responder mental wellness• Trauma recovery and healing• Leadership development• Grief processing• Professional growth• Mental health insights • Help you on your healing journey Each week, join our community towards better mental health and turn your challenges into opportunities for growth with Resilience Development in Action.

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