In this episode we welcome 97 year old World War II Veteran Mel Jenner, who for 70+ years has carried the trauma of war and coped in the only way he knew how: by weekly attendance at a PTSD support group for World War II Veterans. ...until he found himself as the only one remaining. Mel's story, "Flying Fortress," is an Emmy Award winning documenta…

First Responder, veteran and mental health therapist, Ed Maerkl shares about the training and therapy he worked with a psychiatrist to develop and how people are gaining mental resilience with this simple technique. This is Part 1 of 2

Each week the Life After PTSD Podcast shares stories about creating a Life After PTSD. FirstOrlandoCounseling.comThe show is intended to provide encouragement for the listener but is for entertainment purposes and NOT a substitute for treatment or to be used in any legal capacity whatsoever. Please seek help from a qualified mental health provider.…

Life After PTSD has a chat with siblings Mohammed and Maria, who they met through missionary work in the Tyre (Lebanon) Counseling Center and were trained in the "Quick Protocol" the Arabic version of Managing Emotional States Effectively.

Join the Life After PTSD Team as we catch up with Chris who hosted us in Lebanon. Chris is a missionary living in Tyre, Lebanon serving primarily refugees of the Syrian War. Chris's ministry there serves educating children as well as their newly opened community counseling center. Chris and his mission hope to spread this model and state of the art…

Veteran and Counselor shares his journey to help heal his comrades

Hear from Jeff, Kari and Ed and learn more about Managing Emotional States Effectively (MESE) and how you can feel a new sense of meaning and provide MESE to others. --- For more info on Managing Emotional States Effectively, visit www.lifeafterPTSD.org or text MESE 4074300100. --- Each week the Life After PTSD Podcast shares stories of about creat…

In March of 2021, at the age of 41, co-host Ed experienced an unexpected stroke. Join us as he shares the experience of his stroke for Stroke Awareness Month 2023. If you believe you or someone you know are exhibiting stroke symptoms, call 911 or emergency medical services in your area and seek medical advice immediately, remember time is tissue!F.…

In this episode we welcome Jesse Simpson, Marine Corp Veteran and former fire fighter who battled thoughts of ending it all. Jesse details his childhood years and how he battled these thoughts even then but how he enlisted in the service out of high school and numbered himself among our finest and bravest, though the struggles still remained, event…

Each week the Life After PTSD Podcast shares stories of about creating a Life After PTSD. FirstOrlandoCounseling.com The show is intended to provide encouragement for the listener but is for entertainment purposes and NOT a substitute for treatment or to be used in any legal capacity whatsoever. Please seek help from a qualified mental health provi…

Join the Life After PTSD Team as we speak with Tracie and Lindsey about Darkhorse Benefits and their upcoming Golf Tournament Fundraiser, as well as the mission of Darkhorse Benefits in assisting veterans heal and giving them purpose through the challenge of combatting domestic human trafficking. To Learn more about Darkhorse Benefits: https://www.…

Valentine's Day or Singles Awareness Day

In this episode we welcome Brian Anderson, who retired from the United States Army after 14 years of service as both a journalist and a Green Beret. Brian served 33 months in combat zones and earned 3 bronze stars, one with Valor, for his actions deployed as a Green Beret. As a citizen-Soldier, Brian started to identify the gaps in services for man…

In this episode we welcome Dr. Anna Lembke, Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Stanford University Medical Center. Anna contributed to the hit Netflix documentary "The Social Dilemma" and joins us today to talk about what tech is doing to us, our kids and our futures and how we can responsibly and realistically detox a…

This week, we have a guest hostess Megan, Ed's wife, joining us. We are discussing our successful trip to Lebanon, to train local peers to use the MESE protocol (referred to as the Quick or Fast Protocol in Arabic) with refugees. Each week the Life After PTSD Podcast shares stories about creating a Life After PTSD. FirstOrlandoCounseling.com The sh…

Part 2

The PTSD diagnosis was created when our guest served on the board of the APA alongside Dr. Bessel van der Kolk. Dr. Frank Ochberg's valuable and practical insights on improving emotional resolution. Part 1 of 2 In this episode we welcome Dr. Frank Ochberg, a founding board member of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies and recipie…

Each week the Life After PTSD Podcast shares stories about creating a Life After PTSD. FirstOrlandoCounseling.com The show is intended to provide encouragement for the listener but is for entertainment purposes and NOT a substitute for treatment or to be used in any legal capacity whatsoever. Please seek help from a qualified mental health provider…

Michael Gier, producer of Wounded Heroes Documentary shares that there is help for PTSD

In this episode, we hear from veteran Jose Belen, Mayor Scott Brook (Mental Wellness Networking Alliance) and Vida, who was in Iran as a young child when she remembers learning to pray that an American soldier would be able to stop the war! They connected at the Mental Wellness Networking Alliance and this is their first full conversation after tha…

Fairways for Warriors founder, Tom Underdown is a new guest with a well established method of helping combat veterans to heal from the impact of their service by connecting these warriors through golf! ---- Support this excellent nonprofit and further their mission! --- https://fairwaysforwarriors.org/contact/ ----Additionally, Tom was able to atte…

High School Students Who Experienced Tragedy Want To Make Our Schools Safe (ft. Alexa, Luke & Stephanie) In this episode we welcome three high school seniors directly impacted by the tragedy that rocked South Florida on February 14, 2018 when 17 were killed in the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Working with Lori Alhadeff, a previ…

In this episode we welcome Lori Alhadeff who’s life was forever changed on February 14, 2018 when her daughter Alyssa was one of 17 killed in the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. She has dedicated herself to the mission of making schools safe and shares some of the initiatives of her organization Make Our Schools Safe. Visit: https…

Life After PTSD Podcast shares stories to inspire and encourage what is possible! PTSD is not a disorder or an illness, it is an injury that can heal! LifeAfterPTSD.org FirstOrlandoCounseling.com The show is intended to provide encouragement for the listener but is for entertainment purposes and NOT a substitute for treatment or to be used in any l…

Ed and Kari have a candid conversation about mental wellness and the importance of caring for yourself emotionally.

Kari and David on the perceived cost of being calm.

This episode... Coralee’s is one story in the ongoing saga of sports authorities who sexually predate on the athletes who trust them. This is a must listen if your children – girls and boys – are pursuing high level athletics, the signs and signals of potential problems and the immense courage it takes to confront the system. Each week the Life Aft…

Hear Brian Fay, Engagement Director at Concerned Veterans for America Florida, discuss his passion for helping veterans. Gain insight about current veteran concerns and learn how to get involved! More Information: www.cv4a.org The show is intended to provide encouragement for the listener but is for entertainment purposes only and NOT a substitute …

Kurt Geis (American Legion Post Commander of Winter Garden) Ian Garcia (High School Senior discussing Boy's State) Kurt and Ian discuss American Legion, Boys State and ways you can be involved with the upcoming Ruck Walk in Winter Garden with American Legion to promote suicide risk and awareness! Join us and register for the upcoming walk: https://…

This episode is brought back by popular demand; originally aired in 2019; new updates included. Send us an email at info@lifeafterptsd.org; we want to hear from you. FirstOrlandoCounseling.com This show is not intended as medical advice. Please consult a health practitioner with concerns. Call 800273TALK if you have any immediate emotional concerns…

10 million people will consider suicide in the next 12 months; what is the difference between those who attempt and those who make the choice to live? Author Matthew Sleeth discusses his new book that will be out May 4: Hope Always For appointments: FirstOrlandoCounseling.com This show is not intended as medical advice. Please consult a health prac…

In this episode, Alan Mednick's life has been impacted by suicide. He shares how education and advocacy can save lives and that is just what Alan is doing in his work with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention or ASFP.org Are you in crisis? Call: 8002738255 or TEXT: Talk to 741741 For Counseling help: www.FirstOrlandoCounseling.com The sho…

In this episode we welcome Dr. Montse Casado, a marriage and family therapist, and a certified play therapist of over 20 years. Dr. Casado shares the changing world our children are living in and how play habits as well as diet are having a direct impact on our kids that we cannot ignore. For Counseling help: www.FirstOrlandoCounseling.com The show…

Friend of the show, Doc Diego, joins us in giving more expert knowledge in trauma treatment. As always, this show is not a substitute for mental health treatment from a professional. If you want to contact Dr. Diego, visit: https://www.balancedlivingpsychology.com/ Please subscribe so you will be notified when we have a new episode.…

In this episode we welcome Andrea, a new mom who wasn’t able to receive her family support structure as they were stuck both out of state and out of country due to the travel lockdowns implemented as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. For Counseling help: www.FirstOrlandoCounseling.com The show is intended to provide encouragement for the listener …

In this episode Kari and CJ Varghese, LMFT, discuss a variety of issues surrounding connection and attachment including the online connection trap. FirstOrlandoCounseling.com The show is intended to provide encouragement for the listener but is for entertainment purposes only and NOT a substitute for proper treatment or to be used in any legal capa…

In this episode we welcome back Beverly Engel, a licensed marriage and family therapist of 35 years. Beverly Engel is an internationally recognized psychotherapist and an acclaimed advocate for victims of sexual, physical, and emotional abuse. She joins us to discuss how shame can be a trauma and how we often project shame on others in ways we're u…

In this episode we welcome Gabrielle, a Howard University student who was the first in her family to go to college. Whereas college isn't an option in some families, it's everything but an option in others and when first generation college students leave home to pursue higher education, they often do so without the support structures of college-ori…

In this episode we welcome Craig Scott, the brother of Rachel Joy Scott, one of 12 students and 1 teacher murdered at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado on April 20, 1999 in the first prominent mass school shooting that rocked our country. Out of respect for any that may be triggered by this sensitive content, we would like to issue a war…

In this episode we welcome Dr. Frank Ochberg, a founding board member of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies and recipient of their highest honor, the Lifetime Achievement Award. He edited the first text on treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and served on the committee that essentially defined PTSD. In an article…

In this episode we welcome Paula, a marriage and family therapist, to discuss the reasons why the vast majority of rape, sexual assault and sexual abuse goes unreported. From the perspective of many outsiders this is perplexing but the mindset of the victim with assistance from culture often comes very much into play. - The show is intended to prov…

In this episode we welcome Linda Kay Klein, founder and president of the nonprofit, Break Free Together, dedicated to helping people release shame and claim their whole selves. After 15 years of research on religious trauma around sex and gender, she documented her work in the award-winning book, Pure: Inside the Evangelical Movement that Shamed a …

Dr. David Schonfeld is a developmental-behavioral pediatrician and Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. He has provided consultation and training on school crisis and pediatric bereavement for over 30 years in the aftermath of numerous school crisis…

In this episode we welcome Beverly Engel, a licensed marriage and family therapist of 35 years. Beverly Engel is an internationally recognized psychotherapist and an acclaimed advocate for victims of sexual, physical, and emotional abuse. On the show we identify what emotional abuse actually is, what is normal in a world that has such a skewed unde…

In this episode we welcome Guy, a military chaplain who began his military career at West Point and as an officer. A unique journey with some interesting experiences led him to shift his focus to the care of our finest, a calling he continues to follow today. Guy shares some of the ways we can best care for our service men and women. - The show is …

In this episode we welcome Darren, a lifelong painter who's freak accident in falling off a ladder nearly cost him his legs and left him panicking when he had to climb the very same ladders he'd mindlessly ascended throughout his career. With the help of Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) and a well trained therapist, Darren has gained an incredi…

In this episode we welcome Zeke Vanderpool and Mary Millsaps of Operation Angel Wing, an organization raising awareness and fighting for our Nation’s Veterans and First Responders, and their families that suffer from the devastating effects of PTS. Connect with Operation Angel Wing at: https://www.operationangelwing.com Get Zeke's music at https://…

In this episode we welcome back veteran Mark who experienced multiple traumas while serving in our Armed Forces in both the Army and Navy, but had a major heart trauma believed to be the result of his mandated smallpox vaccines, part of his required medical regiment. The culmination of all he experienced led his wife to press him to get help and th…

Morgan was a student from the Coral-Springs Parkland community rocked by the tragic shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on February 14, 2018. A student in a magnet program, she was not on the school's campus the day of the shooting but knew 6 of the victims lost and was getting code yellow and code red updates as that day progressed. I…