The Stories We Carry: Conversations on Healing, Growth, and Life

Hard Truths Few Admit

🎙️ In episode 14 I’m joined by Alex, a Ranger Battalion veteran, who opens up about surviving a life-threatening incident in Iraq and the unbreakable bonds formed in combat. We also discuss the culture shock of transitioning from military life into law enforcement, and the lessons he’s learned about leadership, resilience, accountability, and staying true to yourself.🎧 From the battlefield to the badge, what really changes? #MilitaryLife [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/militarylife] #LawEnforcement [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/lawenforcement] #VeteranStories [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/veteranstories] #RangerBattalion [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/rangerbattalion] #LifeAfterService [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/lifeafterservice] #Resilience [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/resilience] #Leadership [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/leadership] #TheStoriesWeCarry [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/thestorieswecarry]

Healing Under Pressure: Navigating Trauma

In episode 13 of The Stories We Carry, I sit down with Kylie from Lionheart Counseling Services, a licensed marriage and family therapist specializing in PTSD, trauma recovery, relationship stress, birth trauma, and the mental health needs of veterans and first responders. We talk about her journey into therapy, the many ways trauma and PTSD can show up, and why building trust in the healing process takes time. Kylie also sheds light on maternal mental health, a topic often overlooked in the healthcare system, and shares why it’s so important to ask people what support truly looks like for them. This conversation is a reminder that healing isn’t linear. If you’ve ever felt the weight of trauma or love someone who has, this episode is for you. Watch to learn: ✨ Why trust is essential in the healing process ✨ How support systems can make all the difference in trauma recovery ✨ Why maternal mental health deserves more attention ✨ How understanding trauma and PTSD can lead to meaningful change Subscribe for more conversations that carry weight and hope and as always: do good, be good. 🫶 💻 Connect with Kylie 💻 💭 If you have questions, want to schedule an intake, or need help finding a provider in your area, Kylie is more than happy to help in any way she can. 📍 Alabama Practice Frontline Therapy 📧 Kylie@frontlinetherapyauburn.com 📍 Georgia Practice Lionheart Counseling Services 📧 Kylie@lionheartcounselingservices.com 🌐 Website: www.lionheartcounselingservices.com #TraumaRecovery #ptsd #mentalhealthsupport #maternalhealth #stress #therapyjourney #veterans #firstresponders #healingjourney #support #mentalwellness #conversations

Strengthen Your Memory and Shield It From Stress

In episode 12 of The Stories We Carry, I had the honor of sitting down with Dr. Rhyisa, Ph.D. a biochemist with substantial laboratory experience who is currently conducting groundbreaking research on neurodegenerative diseases and also serves as an adjunct professor of chemistry at Miami Dade College. Dr. Rhyisa is deeply passionate about making science both understandable and accessible to all. Be sure to follow her page on instagram: dr.rhy_talksscience 🧪🧫🧬 Together, we explore: 🧠 How stress impacts memory and brain function 🔬 The science behind memory loss and stress responses 💡 Ways we can “exercise” our brain for better cognitive health ❓If you've felt forgetful or overwhelmed lately, this conversation offers clarity and practical insights rooted in science. 🎧 Tune in and learn how stress truly affects our memory and what we can do about it. 📌 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more conversations. #brainhealth #neuroscience #stress #memory #cognitivehealth #sciencecommunication #biochemistry #womeninstem #mentalhealth #podcastinterview #thestorieswecarry ⤵ Social Media 😌 Tiktok: @thestorieswecarry / Instagram: thestorieswecarry.pod 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐫: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐖𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡, 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐮𝐦𝐚, 𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐟, 𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬. 𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐈 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐚 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞, 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐳𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥-𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐚 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝, 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐬𝐭, 𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞. 𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐢𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐨𝐫 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐬, 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐚 𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐚.

Behind The Badge: When The Marriage Fell Apart

🚔 Episode 11 is the final episode for Police Week in the Behind the Badge series, where my husband and I sit down to share a story we've never fully told. From life in emergency communications to the demands of being a police officer, we open up about the toll the job took on our marriage, the breaking point we faced, and the choice that changed everything. 🫶 This is a conversation about duty, love, faith, and starting over when everything feels like it's fallen apart. If you've ever felt the weight of the job, struggled in silence, or wondered if it’s too late to rebuild, this one’s for you. 🥳 If you enjoyed this episode, leave a comment, give it a thumbs up, and don’t forget to subscribe to The Stories We Carry so you don’t miss out on a new episode.#policeofficer #firstresponders #thinblueline #marriagestruggles #faithjourney #podcaststories #podcastinterview ⤵ Social Media 😌 Tiktok: @thestorieswecarry / Instagram: thestorieswecarry.pod 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐫: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐖𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡, 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐮𝐦𝐚, 𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐟, 𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬. 𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐈 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐚 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞, 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐳𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥-𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐚 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝, 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐬𝐭, 𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞. 𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐢𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐨𝐫 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐬, 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐚 𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐚.

Behind the Badge: Failure Isn't Final

🚔 In Episode 10, we continue with the Behind the Badge series where I sit down with a fellow officer who shares a powerful story on perseverance. After facing failure during a major stepping stone in her career, she could’ve walked away but she didn’t. 💪🏻 Instead, she found the strength to keep going, regroup, and pursue her dream anyway. This conversation is a reminder that failure isn’t the end, it’s often just the beginning of a stronger, more determined version of ourselves. If you’ve ever faced a setback, this one’s for you. #policeofficer #firstresponders #thestorieswecarry #podcastepisode #dreambig #failuretosuccess #believeinyourself ⤵ Social Media 😌 tiktok: @thestorieswecarry / instagram: thestorieswecarry.pod 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐫: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐖𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡, 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐮𝐦𝐚, 𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐟, 𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬. 𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐈 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐚 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞, 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐳𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥-𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐚 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝, 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐬𝐭, 𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞. 𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐢𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐨𝐫 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐬, 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐚 𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐚.