Forensics Unfiltered with Gap Science

Gap Science
  • 4.9 (9)
  • Science
  • Updated Monthly

Welcome to Forensics Unfiltered, where we uncover real-life stories and challenges of the forensic world. Hosts Ashley Church and Erin West from Gap Science share the highs, lows, and lessons from their careers, offering insights to help you avoid pitfalls, spark meaningful conversations, and drive positive change. With no topic off-limits, a dash of colorful language, and dark humor, this podcast delivers raw honesty and a refreshing take on forensic science. Tune in for relatable advice and unfiltered truth!

  1. 5d ago

    🧠 What We Learned from Mental Health Awareness Month in Forensics

    JOIN THE MENTAL HEALTH IN FORENSICS SUMMIT VIP WAIT LIST We’re closing out our Mental Health Awareness Series with a reflection on everything this month has brought into focus. Over the past several episodes, we’ve revisited conversations around burnout, trauma exposure, leadership pressure, recovery, and the emotional weight of long-term work in forensic science. And while each story is different, a few themes show up again and again: the slow build of stress over time, the normalization of exhaustion, and the moment many professionals start questioning whether they can (or should) keep going the way things are. We also want to take a moment to say thank you to everyone who listened, shared episodes, or opened up about their own experiences this month. These aren’t always easy conversations to have, especially in this field, but they matter more than we can probably measure. A special thank you as well to Matt Davis, Letty Ramirez, Jason Cole, Kat Pope, and Alice White for being willing to share their stories so openly about trauma exposure, burnout, leadership, and recovery in forensic science. Their honesty is what makes conversations like this possible. And while this series is wrapping up, the conversation definitely isn’t. A quick announcement before you go... We’re excited to share that this year’s virtual summit will be the: Mental Health in Forensics Summit This free virtual summit takes place during National Forensic Science Week and continues the conversation we’ve been having all month focused on burnout, trauma exposure, leadership, and what it actually takes to build sustainable careers in forensic science. If you’d like early access and updates as soon as registration opens, you can join the VIP waitlist here: 👉 https://gapscience.com/summit-wait-list/

    6 min

  2. May 22

    68. Case Reopened: When It’s Time to Let Go of Your Forensic Career (MHA Series)

    What happens when the job you built your identity around is no longer sustainable to stay in? As part of our Mental Health Awareness Series, we’re revisiting a deeply honest conversation with forensic supervisor Alice White about one of the hardest decisions in the profession: walking away from a forensic career. In this episode, Alice reflects on years in forensic leadership marked by high responsibility, chronic stress, and the emotional weight of managing both people and performance in high-stakes environments. She discusses the cumulative impact of long-term stress, the pressure to always “hold it together,” and how many professionals begin normalizing stress just to keep up. Alice also shares how major critical incidents, including mass casualty events, shaped her perspective and ultimately contributed to the realization that something had to change. This conversation unpacks burnout, identity, and the emotional complexity of knowing when it’s time to let go. 🎙️ This episode is part of our Mental Health Awareness Series, where we’re revisiting some of the most impactful conversations we’ve had around stress, burnout, trauma, and wellness in forensic science.

    48 min

  3. May 22

    67. Case Reopened: Leaving the Agency Doesn’t Mean You Failed (MHA Series)

    In forensic science, changing agencies or leaving a position can feel strangely personal… almost like admitting failure. As part of our Mental Health Awareness Series, we’re revisiting an honest conversation about career changes in forensics and why so many professionals feel pressured to stay quiet about wanting something different. In this episode, Ashley opens up about the emotional reality of leaving an agency, including the anxiety of telling supervisors, the fear of rumors and backlash, and the guilt that can come with prioritizing your personal life, health, or future goals over loyalty to a job. We're also challenging an outdated expectation that many professionals still feel trapped by: the idea that you should spend your entire career at one agency no matter the cost. 🎙️ This episode is part of our Mental Health Awareness Series, where we’re revisiting some of the most impactful conversations we’ve had around stress, burnout, trauma, career sustainability, and wellness in forensic science.

    24 min

  4. May 15

    66. Case Reopened: The Long Road Out of Burnout and Back to Myself (MHA Series)

    What does it actually look like to come out the other side of burnout in forensic science? In this episode of our Mental Health Awareness Series, Kat Pope shares her deeply personal journey through burnout, PTSD, and the long process of rebuilding herself while still working in the forensic field. Her story isn’t about a single breaking point. It’s about what happens after the system you’ve been operating in for years finally stops working for you. The exhaustion, the coping mechanisms that quietly become habits, and the realization that “pushing through” isn’t a sustainable strategy... it’s a survival response. Kat opens up about: Her experience with PTSD and the slow process of recoveryHow burnout showed up as both emotional and behavioral patternsThe role alcohol and other coping mechanisms played in numbing stressWhat it takes to rebuild routines like sleep, boundaries, and self-careThe shift from survival mode back toward stability and identityWhy healing in this field takes years—not weeks or quick fixesThis conversation also highlights something many forensic professionals quietly experience but rarely say out loud: even after you leave the worst of burnout, your body and mind don’t automatically reset. Recovery is layered, ongoing, and deeply personal. 🎙️ This episode is part of our Mental Health Awareness Series, where we’re revisiting some of the most impactful conversations we’ve had around stress, burnout, trauma, and wellness in forensic science.

    31 min

  5. May 15

    65. Case Reopened: The Burnout Culture We Normalized in Forensics (MHA Series)

    As part of our Mental Health Awareness Series, we’re revisiting a conversation we had about burnout in forensic science (and the workplace culture that quietly normalizes it). In many forensic units, burnout doesn’t happen all at once. It slowly builds through constant overwhelm, understaffing, lack of recognition, limited growth opportunities, toxic environments, and the pressure to always “push through.” This conversation explores: The five major causes of burnout in forensic workWhy so many forensic professionals feel like they can never truly “catch up”The culture of rewarding overwork and self-sacrificeHow burnout impacts both personal life and job performanceThe guilt many professionals feel around taking time offWhy boundaries, rest, and life outside the job actually matterWe also reflect on our own experiences early in our careers... working unpaid hours, constantly being available, learning the hard way that sacrificing every off-duty moment for work doesn’t lead to sustainability. If you’ve ever felt exhausted, overwhelmed, emotionally detached, or stuck in a cycle where work continuously takes priority over your personal life, this episode will probably feel very familiar. 🎙️ This episode is part of our Mental Health Awareness Series, where we’re revisiting some of the most impactful conversations we’ve had around stress, burnout, trauma, and wellness in forensic science.

    45 min

  6. May 8

    64. Case Reopened: What Work/Life Balance? The Job That Follows You Home (MHA Series)

    What really happens when the demands of your forensic career begin to extend beyond the job itself? As part of our Mental Health Awareness Series, we’re revisiting our unfiltered conversation about work/life balance in forensics (and what it actually looks like behind the scenes!). From on-call culture and holiday callouts to court appearances on days off, missed family events, disrupted sleep, and the constant mental load of being “ready at all times,” these conversations highlight what work/life balance actually looks like inside forensic science and crime scene investigation. How do you function for years while being tethered to phones, pagers, and call screens—often developing a level of hypervigilance that doesn’t fully shut off, even when you’re technically off duty? And over time, a difficult truth starts to settle in: there is no such thing as truly “caught up.” There are always more cases, more emails, more reports, and more demands waiting the next day. Over time, many begin to realize a hard truth: there is no true “caught up.” There are always more cases, more emails, and more demands waiting tomorrow. In this conversation, we unpack the emotional weight of that reality—guilt around taking time off, pressure from coworkers and workplace culture, the hesitation to “leave the team short,” and the ongoing internal conflict between personal life and professional responsibility. 🎙️ This episode is part of our Mental Health Awareness Series, where we’re revisiting some of the most impactful conversations we’ve had around stress, burnout, trauma, and wellness in forensic science.

    36 min

  7. May 8

    63. Case Reopened: The Cost of Ignoring the Warning Signs, Part 2 (MHA Series)

    How many warning signs do we miss before our bodies force us to pay attention? As part of our Mental Health Awareness Series, we’re revisiting Part 2 of our powerful conversation with Jason Cole. In Part 1, Jason shared the culture many forensic professionals know all too well: long hours, constant pressure, and the unspoken expectation to push through no matter what. In this episode, we get to the moments that changed everything. Jason opens up about two life-altering experiences that forever shifted how he views work, health, leadership, and what it really means to take care of yourself in this profession. He shares: The traumatic loss of a mentor in the labThe emotional aftermath he felt pressured to carry quietlyHis own unexpected stroke while teaching a forensic classThe difficult reality of recovery and uncertaintyWhat these experiences taught him about boundaries, health, and asking for helpThis conversation is an important reminder that in forensic science, the impact of this work doesn’t always show up immediately. Sometimes it builds slowly until your body forces you to stop and listen. For anyone who has ever believed: “I’ll slow down later.”“I’m fine.”“I just need to push through this season.” If you’ve ever felt like your job was asking for more than you could sustainably give, this episode is one you need to hear. 🎙️ This episode is part of our Mental Health Awareness Series, where we’re revisiting some of the most impactful conversations we’ve had around stress, burnout, trauma, and wellness in forensic science. If Jason’s story resonates with you, or if mental health is something your forensic unit is actively working to address, we’d love to hear from you. We’re continuing to create space for these conversations—and for the people willing to share what they’ve learned along the way.

    39 min

  8. May 8

    62. Case Reopened: The Cost of Ignoring the Warning Signs, Part 1 (MHA Series)

    “I haven’t been to the doctor in 18 years.” As part of our Mental Health Awareness Series, we’re revisiting this powerful two-part conversation with Jason Cole. In this episode, Jason walks through the early stages of his career, from law enforcement to crime scene investigations to latent print work and beyond. Like many in this field, he built his career on hard work, long hours, and a deep passion for the job. But along the way, something else started to take shape. A pattern that’s common in forensic science:✔️ Prioritizing work above everything else✔️ Ignoring personal health✔️ Constantly pushing through without slowing down At the time, it doesn’t feel like a problem. It feels like dedication. Commitment. Doing what the job requires. But over time, those habits can come at a cost. This episode also explores how mental health was (or wasn’t) talked about earlier in the field—and how many professionals were conditioned to “just handle it” without support or space to process what they were experiencing. 🎧 In Part 1, we cover: Jason’s path into forensic scienceThe culture of hard work and overcommitmentEarly perspectives on mental health in the fieldThe subtle ways stress and imbalance start to build🎙️ This is part of our Mental Health Awareness Series, where we’re revisiting impactful conversations around stress, burnout, and the realities of working in forensic science.

    35 min
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About

Welcome to Forensics Unfiltered, where we uncover real-life stories and challenges of the forensic world. Hosts Ashley Church and Erin West from Gap Science share the highs, lows, and lessons from their careers, offering insights to help you avoid pitfalls, spark meaningful conversations, and drive positive change. With no topic off-limits, a dash of colorful language, and dark humor, this podcast delivers raw honesty and a refreshing take on forensic science. Tune in for relatable advice and unfiltered truth!

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