Kitchen Table Talk a Break The Stigma Inc Podcast

Break The Stigma Inc

Join us for real, unfiltered conversations about first responder mental health and wellness. Each episode features voices from firefighters, paramedics, police, medical professionals, and more as we share stories, resources, and strategies for resilience. Together, we break down stigma, build awareness, and create a culture where mental health is just as vital as physical health. Pull up a chair, pour yourself a cup of coffee, and join us at the table. Together, we’ll laugh, reflect, learn, and most importantly, break the stigma around first responder mental health and wellness.

  1. Aug 11

    What First Responder Research Really Tells Us

    What happens when science meets the firehouse? In Episode 14 of Kitchen Table Talk, Michael Long and Nick Robben sit down with Brittany Hollerbach, Associate Scientist and Deputy Director with the Center for Fire, Rescue, and EMS Health Research, to talk about the research shaping what we know about first responder health—and why that research needs to make its way out of academic journals and into the station. Brittany shares her journey from firefighter to researcher and discusses the work being done to better understand firefighter and EMS health, including sleep, cardiovascular health, occupational exposures, reproductive health, and mental wellness. The conversation also tackles a bigger question: How do we get first responders to actually listen to and use the information researchers are discovering? Together, they explore why firefighters often trust lived experience over credentials, the importance of combining firefighter stories with evidence-based research, and how organizations like Science to the Station are working to translate complex research into information that departments and individual first responders can actually understand and apply. The conversation goes beyond research, touching on mental health, family relationships, sleep deprivation, organizational policies, return-to-duty decisions, employee assistance programs, and the need to treat mental injuries with the same seriousness as physical injuries. This episode is a reminder that there isn't always a simple black-and-white answer when it comes to first responder wellness. Better outcomes require research, lived experience, education, supportive policies, families, clinicians, and departments working together. Because the research doesn't matter if it never reaches the people who need it. Grab a cup, take a seat, and join us at the table.

  2. Apr 3

    Resilience or Discipline: Real Talk from the HoM Healing Center

    In this powerful episode of Kitchen Table Talk, host Michael Long is joined by co-host Nick Robben and special guest Tim Husereau, owner of Hom Healing Center in Pacific, Missouri. Recorded on-site at Tim’s studio, this conversation dives deep into what it truly means to struggle, survive, and grow—physically, mentally, and spiritually. Tim shares his raw and unfiltered battle with long COVID, a condition that derailed his life for 828 days. He opens up about collapsing just trying to get out of bed, repeated hospital visits, severe reactions to medications, sleeplessness, and even psychotic episodes. After spending over $30,000 out-of-pocket, he was ultimately told by a major medical institution that his condition was simply “depression.” What followed was a deep sense of abandonment—from both the medical system and people in his life—and a spiritual breaking point where he questioned everything, including his faith. Out of that suffering came purpose. Tim founded Home Healing Center, a space built from his personal journey to recovery. At the center, he now helps others through tools such as breathwork, yoga, meditation, red light therapy, sauna, and PEMF treatments. He also hosts a weekly men’s group where individuals come together, drop their guard, and have honest, often life-changing conversations. Throughout the episode, Mike, Nick, and Tim explore the power of connection—how simply sitting in a room with others who understand can break isolation and create real healing. Mike shares stories from the firehouse, including a powerful moment with a retired Navy SEAL turned firefighter who reminded him that trauma is not a competition—every story matters. The conversation then shifts to discipline and resilience, sparked by a powerful question: “Do I have discipline because I’m resilient, or am I resilient because I have discipline?” From there, they unpack the reality that discipline often comes through failure, and that growth requires trying—again and again—even when things don’t work the first time. Whether it’s therapy, breathwork, cold exposure, or meditation, the message is clear: keep showing up. Sleep and physical health become another key focus. Tim highlights the importance of proper breathing—especially nasal breathing—to regulate the nervous system. Mike shares his personal journey managing sleep apnea and improving recovery, while Nick discusses the impact of sunlight, vitamin D, and even natural rhythms on mood and sleep. The episode also tackles the modern pressures quietly impacting mental health—constant exposure to negativity, social media overload, and the trap of instant gratification. The group emphasizes the importance of doing hard things, earning your wins, and reconnecting with how we’re designed to function as humans. Threaded throughout the conversation is a common struggle: asking for help. The guys open up about the difficulty of reaching out, the cost of trying to handle everything alone, and the importance of letting others support you before your “bucket” overflows. Their message is simple but powerful—there is always someone in your corner, even when it doesn’t feel like it. By the end of this episode, listeners—especially first responders—will walk away with: A real-world example of resilience through long-term strugglePractical tools to support mental and physical healthA challenge to reflect on their own discipline and support systemsA reminder that struggle can be the beginning of growth—not the endIf you’ve ever felt alone, overwhelmed, or on the edge, this episode is for you. You are not alone. There are people in your corner. Sometimes, you just have to open your eyes a little wider to see them.

    Resilience or Discipline: Real Talk from the HoM Healing Center

About

Join us for real, unfiltered conversations about first responder mental health and wellness. Each episode features voices from firefighters, paramedics, police, medical professionals, and more as we share stories, resources, and strategies for resilience. Together, we break down stigma, build awareness, and create a culture where mental health is just as vital as physical health. Pull up a chair, pour yourself a cup of coffee, and join us at the table. Together, we’ll laugh, reflect, learn, and most importantly, break the stigma around first responder mental health and wellness.