Emily is the guest on Mind Beyond the Mission - the Atlas Institute of Veterans and Families podcast hosted by members of the lived experience team, Laryssa Lamrock and Brain McKenna. In this episode of Mind Beyond the Mission, Laryssa Lamrock is joined by guest co-host Andrew Gough — a Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) Veteran, serving Reservist and medically retired police officer — and guest Emily Zufelt. Emily is a former police dispatcher, advocate for first responders, military members and Veterans, and host and creator of "What's Your Twenty?", a podcast featuring stories from first responders, CAF members and Veterans, and other trauma-exposed professionals. Along with Laryssa, Emily and Andrew explore the parallels between the experiences and mental health journeys of first responders, military members and Veterans, and the unique nature of their work which puts them at high risk for exposure to trauma. Emily shares her personal journey of recovering from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression, and how these experiences have shaped her advocacy work. They discuss the concept of posttraumatic growth and turning pain into purpose. They emphasize the need for supportive communities and structures to aid in recovery, highlighting the significant role of Family in the healing process. Key topics: - The links between the mental health and well-being journeys of Veterans and first responders - The power and challenge of overcoming stigma related to posttraumatic stress injuries (PTSIs) - Strategies for finding purpose and healing in creativity - The role of Family in recovering from PTSI - The importance of self-advocacy in mental health treatment - Navigating identity beyond professional roles in uniformed services Resources - V-eh! Veterans and Everyday Heroes: A not-for-profit organization providing wellness initiatives for Veterans and first responders, with the goal of reducing the stigma associated with mental health injuries: https://v-eh.ca/ "What's Your Twenty?": Emily Zufelt’s podcast featuring stories from first responders, CAF members and Veterans, and other trauma-exposed professionals: https://www.whatsyourtwenty.com/ Boots on the Ground: Anonymous peer support by first responders, for first responders: https://www.bootsontheground.ca/ Public safety personnel and posttraumatic stress injuries: Find resources, fact sheets and videos about PTSIs designed specifically for public safety personnel: https://atlasveterans.ca/psp/ Your own brand of courage: A Mind Beyond the Mission episode featuring Andrew and Elizabeth Gough: https://atlasveterans.ca/community/podcast/episode-14-your-own-brand-of-courage-with-elizabeth-and-andrew-gough/ The Mind's the Matter - Understanding a Family member's operational stress injury: A free, module-based educational resource for Family members and friends of people living with operational stress injuries: https://cfmwsmfs.com/mtm-en/story_html5.html Wounded Warriors Canada: A national mental health service provider specializing in providing culturally informed services that utilize a combination of education, counselling, and training approaches to support resiliency and recovery from post-trauma injuries: https://woundedwarriors.ca/ Operation LOBE: Watch a video about the CAF operation to evacuate the Canadian Embassy in Tripoli, Libya during a near civil war and then to provide protection for it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u09JPu8ouNQ