Grablives

grablives
  • 4.9 (23)
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Grablives is a mental health podcast designed to bring a greater awareness to first responders struggling with injury, depression, suicidal ideation, and burn out. Jonathan Vargas is a firefighter/paramedic in Los Angeles determined to find solution for the epidemic of mental health crisis. Grablives ideologies are rooted in unlearning patterns, finding spirituality, and discovering higher consciousness in an effort to create a more sustainable career for first responders, cops, firefighters, and military personnel.

  1. FEB 9

    82 When the Body Holds Trauma | Eileen McKusick on Frequency and Recovery

    Episode 82 of the GrabLives Podcast features Eileen Day McKusick, researcher, author, and pioneer in the modern use of tuning forks for therapeutic sound work. Known for her books Tuning the Human Biofield and Electric Body, Electric Health, Eileen has helped reshape how people think about the body, energy, and healing by exploring the human biofield and the role vibration plays in our physical and emotional health. In this conversation, Eileen breaks down her work in a way that’s approachable even if you’ve never heard of vibrational medicine. She explains how stress, trauma, and unresolved experiences can show up as patterns of tension or “dissonance” in the body’s energetic field, and how carefully applied sound frequencies may help the nervous system reorganize and settle. Rather than framing healing as something mystical or abstract, she connects vibration to everyday physiology, showing how sound can influence the body’s electrical and sensory systems. For first responders and anyone living with high stress or PTSD, this episode offers a new lens for understanding how trauma lives in the body and how non-invasive tools like sound therapy may support regulation, recovery, and resilience. It’s an eye-opening discussion about the intersection of science, sensation, and healing, and how tuning into the body’s signals can open doors to deeper self-awareness and restoration. Whether you’re curious about energy medicine, looking for new recovery tools, or simply want to understand your nervous system better, this episode translates complex ideas into practical insights you can relate to real life.

    1h 32m

  2. FEB 2

    81 The Energy You Carry with Lisa Mercier

    In this episode of the GrabLives Podcast, I sit down with Lisa Mercier, a medium who works closely with firefighters and police officers to help them understand something most people are never taught to look at: their energetic health. We talk about energetic hygiene, emotional residue, and why so many first responders feel exhausted, disconnected, or heavy even when their physical body seems “fine.” Lisa breaks down how energy is constantly being exchanged on calls, scenes, and in everyday interactions and how ignoring this invisible layer quietly erodes mental, emotional, and physical well-being over time. This conversation explores why people resist acknowledging energy as real, how unprocessed experiences stay stored in the body and nervous system, and what it means to actually clear yourself after witnessing trauma, death, and human suffering. Not a spiritual bypass. Not a self-help cliché. A grounded look at the part of health most of us were never trained to see.

    2h 4m

  3. JAN 26

    80 Badge to Being – LAPD Detective Bob Smey on Life Behind the Mask

    In Episode 80 of the GrabLives Podcast, Jon sits down with LAPD Detective Robert Smey, a 23-year veteran who has spent years working sex crimes, hunting predators, and standing face-to-face with humanity at its darkest edges. This is not a sensational conversation about catching bad guys. It’s a sober, introspective look at what that work does to the person behind the badge. Bob speaks with rare maturity about the internal discipline required to survive long-term police work. He shares how he checks in with himself daily, not only in his interactions with victims and criminals, but with coworkers, systems, and his own evolving worldview. At the center of the conversation is hypervigilance—not the firefighter’s readiness for chaos, but the police officer’s constant, quiet scanning of threat, intent, and deception… even off duty. We explore how Bob manages his internal narrative, how he prevents cynicism from calcifying his humanity, and how self-awareness becomes a form of armor when you can never fully turn your back on the world. This episode pulls the mask back on law enforcement culture, responsibility, and the psychological cost of always looking over your shoulder—and choosing, consciously, who you become because of it. Topics include: Life after decades in sex crimes investigations Police hypervigilance vs. firefighter hypervigilance Managing internal dialogue under chronic threat awareness Daily self-checks as a survival strategy Staying human while confronting inhuman behavior Identity beyond the badge This is a conversation about responsibility, awareness, and the quiet work of keeping your inner world intact when your outer world demands constant vigilance. Grab Life. Stay aware. Stay human.

    1h 17m

  4. JAN 17

    79 What No One Taught Us About Sex Dr. Kristy on Healing Attachment, Trauma, and Desire

    In this powerful and refreshingly real conversation, Jon sits down with Dr. Kristy De Leon, couples therapist, sex therapist, and firewife, to explore the sacred and practical dimensions of intimacy inside high-stress relationships. Dr. Kristy brings a rare blend of clinical mastery and lived experience, speaking directly to the realities firefighters, first responders, and their partners face when the nervous system lives in survival mode. We go far beyond the basics of sex therapy and into the heart of what actually heals. We talk about the sanctity of sex through union, why presence matters more than technique, and how intimacy becomes medicine when the nervous system feels safe enough to receive it. Dr. Kristy breaks down porn, desire, arousal, and libido through a trauma-informed lens, helping both men and women understand what’s really happening inside their bodies and relationships. We unpack the invisible tension that lives between shift change and home life, how couples unknowingly collide in different nervous system states, and why conflict isn’t a failure but a doorway to deeper connection when approached with skill and compassion. This episode is a masterclass in: Conscious intimacy Male and female libido Attachment, arousal, and relational safety Learning the language of a woman’s body Understanding masculine desire without shame Healing sexual disconnection after trauma Turning conflict into connection Dr. Kristy’s voice is both clinical and deeply human, bridging science, somatics, and sacred union in a way that feels grounded, relatable, and profoundly hopeful. If you are a first responder, a partner of one, or anyone who wants a relationship that doesn’t slowly fade under stress, this episode will change how you see sex, intimacy, and the nervous system forever. This isn’t about better sex. It’s about coming home to each other. Contacting Dr. Kristy De Leon: https://linktr.ee/kristydel

    1h 55m

  5. 12/15/2025

    78 Healing Beyond the Diagnosis: Amanie’s Journey with MS, Holistic Recovery & the Power of Sea Moss

    What do you do when the diagnosis says “lifelong,” but your intuition says “there’s another way”? In Episode 78, we sit down with Amanie, whose life was interrupted by a series of hospital visits, neurological symptoms, and ultimately a diagnosis that would change everything: Multiple Sclerosis — an autoimmune disease the medical system said she’d be managing forever. But instead of accepting a lifetime of pharmaceuticals, injections, and uncertainty, Amanie and her partner made a radical decision: They stepped away from the conventional treatment path and chose to rebuild her health from the ground up. What followed was a complete transformation of: Diet Environment Lifestyle Stress load Relationship to healing Driven by the belief that the human body is designed to heal, they began searching globally for the most nutrient-dense superfoods on the planet. That journey led them to one of the most powerful natural remedies in the world: Sea Moss. What started as research turned into a lifestyle — and eventually into a mission. In this episode, we explore: The emotional and spiritual shock of an MS diagnosis Why they rejected the conventional treatment plan and what risks, fears, and doubts came with that choice The holistic system they rebuilt — from nutrition to nervous system regulation How Sea Moss became a cornerstone of Amanie’s recovery, providing 92 of the 102 minerals the human body needs The evolution from sourcing raw sea moss from Saint Lucia → to creating their own concentrated, single-ingredient gels How this healing journey became a calling, not just a solution Amanie’s story is a reminder that healing isn’t always found in a prescription — sometimes it’s found in the courage to listen to your body, trust your intuition, and rebuild your life one choice at a time. This episode is for anyone facing chronic illness, autoimmune conditions, or the overwhelming sense that the system doesn’t have all the answers. It’s also for the warriors who choose the path of self-healing, resilience, and radical responsibility. Connect With Survival Moss Website: https://survivalmoss.com/pages/about-us Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/survivalmoss

    1h 21m

  6. 12/10/2025

    77 Rebuilding Identity After the Job Ends: Matt Thierfelder on Retirement

    What happens when the uniform comes off… and never goes back on? In this episode, I sit down with Matt Thierfelder — retired Battalion Chief, 30-year veteran of the Vancouver Fire Department, psilocybin facilitator, psychedelic advocate, and public speaker — to explore one of the most silent crises in the fire service: the identity void that comes after retirement. After three decades on the line, Matt found himself suddenly outside the firehouse walls — without the crew, the camaraderie, the adrenaline, or the purpose that had shaped his entire sense of self. What followed was a strange, disorienting unraveling of identity. Who was he without the calls? Without the station? Without the title? Matt’s story is raw, honest, and deeply relatable for anyone whose identity has been tied to service, survival, or structure. His experience shows that retirement isn’t the end — it’s the beginning of the mirror. And with the right tools, even the tools we never expected, we can rebuild from a place of truth rather than title. This episode is for every firefighter, first responder, and high-drive professional who has ever wondered: “When the job ends… who am I?”

    1h 52m

  7. 12/04/2025

    76 Crossing the Line: Police–Fire Collaboration for Real Mental Health Change

    In this powerful cross-collab conversation, police commander Eric Tung joins the GrabLives Podcast to bridge the world of law enforcement and firefighting — two professions united by courage, trauma, and an often silent battle with mental health. Eric Tung created Blue Grit to help police, first responders, and high-drive individuals LIVE and PERFORM better. Eric is an active police commander in Washington State who oversees patrol operations and his department’s wellness and peer support programs.  He has been a police officer for 18 years and integrates the extreme highs and lows that are synonymous with the career to help guide others to live better through grounded mindset, adaptable routines, and positive impacts through leadership and organizational culture. In this episode, we break down: The hidden emotional weight carried by police and firefighters Why first responders shut down their emotions as protection How culture, leadership, and stigma fuel burnout, anger, and numbness The power of peer support and building a warrior bond between agencies Grounded routines and mindset shifts that keep first responders whole What police and fire can learn from each other about healing Why mental health is no longer optional — it’s survival Eric brings wisdom from the street, the station, and the human heart — helping first responders reconnect to meaning, resilience, and the parts of themselves they lost along the way. This is a conversation about unity. About the evolution of the warrior. And about rewriting the mental-health culture across all first-responder communities. He shares lessons and insights in his podcast: Blue Grit Radio, free newsletter (available at bluegritwellness.com) and can be found on LinkedIn, at bluegritwellness@gmail.com and @bluegritwellness on Instagram

    1h 23m

  8. 11/22/2025

    75 Medicine for the Mind: Psychedelic Therapy as a Workplace Benefit

    In this episode, Jon sits down with Sherry Rais from Enthea, a company changing the future of mental health care for first responders, veterans, and frontline workers. We dive into Ketamine-Assisted Therapy, psilocybin therapy, and Stellate Ganglion Block (SGB) — three powerful, evidence-based treatments offering real relief from PTSD, trauma, anxiety, and chronic stress. Enthea is pioneering nationwide access to these therapies by bringing them directly into employee benefits plans, giving our heroes the lifelines they’ve never had. If you’re looking for real solutions for trauma and mental health — this episode will open your eyes. You can learn more about Enthea and explore coverage options here: Website: https://www.enthea.com Find Providers / Benefits Info: https://www.enthea.com/for-individuals

    1h 31m
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Ratings & Reviews

4.9
out of 5
23 Ratings

About

Grablives is a mental health podcast designed to bring a greater awareness to first responders struggling with injury, depression, suicidal ideation, and burn out. Jonathan Vargas is a firefighter/paramedic in Los Angeles determined to find solution for the epidemic of mental health crisis. Grablives ideologies are rooted in unlearning patterns, finding spirituality, and discovering higher consciousness in an effort to create a more sustainable career for first responders, cops, firefighters, and military personnel.

Information

  • Creator
    grablives
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    86
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2023
  • Show Website
    Grablives