Behind The Shield - podcast cover

Behind The Shield

James Geeringrss.com

Bringing the greatest minds in mental and physical wellness to the men and women who serve our communities.

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Episodes

Dr Jena Casas (Mental Health in First Responders, School Psychology and Retirees) - Episode 967

Dr. Casas is a Clinical and Police and Public Safety Psychologist in the State of Nevada. She also holds a PSYPACT Authority to Practice Interjurisdictional Psychology license that allows for the practice of virtual practice in 32 additional states. We discuss her experience in EMT school, clinical psychology, first responder mental health, entrance testing, dispatchers, retirees and so much more. Dr. Jena Casas, Ph.D. is a Licensed Clinical and Police and Public Safety Psychologist who owns and...

Aug 16, 20242 hr 1 minEp. 967

Ryan Munsey and Hassan Kamel (Emotional Resilience, First Responders and Feelings) - Episode 966

Ryan Munsey is the author of best selling book F*ck Your Feelings and co-founder of The Better Human Project, Ryan Munsey is a sought-after thought leader who specializes in high performance and the development of both individuals and organizations. An athlete and avid outdoorsman, Ryan personally coaches Olympic and professional athletes, Special Forces Operators, Hollywood celebrities, and leading entrepreneurs and C-Level executives while speaking and hosting leadership workshops around the w...

Aug 14, 20241 hr 58 minEp. 966

Rob Cefoli (FDNY, Trauma Release Exercises and Firefighter Fitness) - Episode 965

Rob Cefoli is a 20 year veteran of FDNY, their Director of Health and Fitness and the Co-Founder of FYR Tribe. We discuss his journey into the fire service, training the tactical athlete, sleep deprivation, some notable calls, his powerful mental health story, releasing trauma from the body, his non-profit and so much more. Robert Cefoli Director of Health and Fitness FDNY I’m a married father of 4. I have 3 boys (4-9months) and 1 daughter (12). I am currently a 20-year member with the FDNY and ...

Aug 12, 20242 hrEp. 965

Pete DePrez - (Search and Rescue, Policing and Mental Health) - Episode 964

Pete began his career in Search and Rescue for San Miguel County in 2009. He joined San Miguel County Sheriff’s Office in Corrections and Communications/Dispatch in 2013, then Patrol in 2014. He transferred to Garfield County Sheriff’s Office in 2016 where he worked in Patrol, Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT), Field Training Officer and Firearms Instructor. Pete left law enforcement in 2020, after receiving a post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) diagnosis. Pete utilized the methods he teaches...

Aug 09, 20242 hr 6 minEp. 964

Sonya McVay (Injury Rehab, Trauma and Performance) - Episode 963

Sonya McVay is a movement therapist and the woman behind The Six. We discuss childhood trauma, her journey into pilates, trauma release, woking with Formula 1 Drivers, performance vs pain, injury rehabilitation, manual therapy in the first responder communites and so much more. Sonya McVay-Straub, MP, is a certified ART (Active Release Techniques), NKT (NeuroKinetic Therapy), AiM (Anatomy in Motion), PMT (Performance Movement Taping by RockTape), KABUKI integrated Power Lifting, and ICT (Integra...

Aug 05, 20242 hr 13 minEp. 963

Frank Larkin ( Tactical Medicine, Navy SEALs and Traumatic Brain Injuries) - Episode 962

Frank Larkin is a former Navy SEAL, police officer, flight medic, Secret Service Agent and current firefighter. Frank lost his son, Ryan to suicide and has been a powerful voice in the military and first responders mental health and TBI conversation. We discuss his journey into the military, pre 9/11 SEAL training, some career calls, CTE and suicide, working though grief, sleep deprivation, institutional bretrayal and so much more. Frank Larkin is a national advocate for veteran suicide preventi...

Aug 04, 20242 hr 39 minEp. 962

Don Campbell (USAR, The Smoke Diver Program and the 24/72 Firefighter Schedule) - Episode 961

Don Campbell is a District Chief, 23 year veteran of Gainesville Fire Rescue and a member of Florida Task Force 8. He has instructed at the Florida State Fire College for 18 years and is a Florida Smoke Diver. We discuss growing up with a firefighter father, his own journey into the fire service, the Smoke Diver Program, firefighter fitness, leadership, Gainesville's pioneering switch to the 24/72, USAR deployments, his deep faith and so much more.

Aug 01, 20242 hr 28 minEp. 961

Greg Yacoubian (Policing, Vaccine Mandates and Law) - Episode 960

Greg Yacoubian is a 26 year veteran of LAPD and a Litigation Attorney who has become a champion for first responders still being terminated over vaccine mandates. We discuss his family's immigration story, his journey into policing, the Rampart Scandal, the LA Riots, drug prohibition, government overreach, cowardice in leadership and so much more. Greg Yacoubian and his wife, Sue, have three grown daughters. Greg has worked in law enforcement since 1985. Before retiring as a police lieutenant, G...

Jul 31, 20242 hr 1 minEp. 960

Dr Sean Rockett II (Aging, Crossfit and Tactical Athlete Rehab) - Episode 959

Dr Sean Rockett is the Head Orthopedic Surgeon for the Crossfit Games and a lifelong athlete. In this second conversation, we discuss the impact of the pandemic on gyms, firefighter cancer, saving Emily Rolfe's arm, aging and exercise, Workman's Comp, rehabiliting the injured tactical athlete and so much more. Dr. Rockett has been with Orthopedics New England since 1999 and is the senior partner. A native of Brookline, Dr. Rockett received his bachelor of arts degree in biology from Harvard Univ...

Jul 28, 20241 hr 3 minEp. 959

Surinder Goode (Military Family Poverty, Entrepreneurship and Humanity) - Episode 958

The Goode Show is hosted by Surinder Goode, a military spouse who has experienced 14 deployments over 25 years. Her husband served 30 years as a Navy SEAL in Coronado before retiring as a CMC. We discuss her childhood in England, her journey to the airline industry, opening coffee shops on Coronado, how some military families are living below the poverty line, racism, rugby and much more. Surinder is an entrepreneur with work experience in the U.K., the Middle East and the United States. Born in...

Jul 27, 20242 hr 8 minEp. 958

Ethan Suplee (Weight loss, Recovery and Hollywood) - Episode 332

Ethan Suplee has starred in a spectrum of film and television roles including "My name is Earl", "American History X" and "Remember the Titans". We discuss childhood obesity, eating disorders, the Tour de France, his weight loss journey, self experimentation, weight training, racism and much more.

Jul 25, 20241 hr 34 min

Tina Guiler (Inspiring the Next Generation of Female Firefighters) - Episode 957

Tina Guiler is a veteran firefighter, head of the FFF page and creator of the Female Firefighter Plush Dolls. We discuss her journey into the fire service, diversity through mentorship, her cancer recovery story, mental health, inspiring young women, entrepreneurship and so much more. "I am a Lieutenant for Miami-Dade Fire Rescue (MDFR) in Miami, Florida, in the US.I started my career in 1999 as a Firefighter and became a Paramedic within 3 years. I later earned Driver engineer and for the past ...

Jul 23, 20241 hr 46 minEp. 957

Christina Dent (Christianity, Conservatism and Addiction) - Episode 956

Christina is an author, TEDx speaker, and perpetual question-asker. She grew up in a conservative, Christian home and earned a degree in Biblical Studies with an emphasis in Christian Ministry from Belhaven University. As a young adult, Christina assumed she had a solid understanding of how the world works. That changed when she and her husband became foster parents in 2014. The neat bow she had tied around her mental box of how the world works began to unravel. What had previously been a catego...

Jul 21, 20241 hr 54 minEp. 956

Daniel Corbett (Special Operations, Pirates and Serbian Prisons) - Episode 955

Daniel Corbett III served as an elite Navy SEAL operator, part of SEAL Teams 5, 6, and 17. He’s now an ex-military operator for hire. He joined the navy shortly after graduating high school in 2002 and was deployed to Iraq in the summer of 2005 with SEAL Team 5. He joined SEAL Team 6 in 2007, deploying to various locations around the world. In 2010, Daniel returned to the West Coast and began instructing at the Naval Special Warfare Basic Training Command (NSWBTC). Daniel ended his active-duty c...

Jul 18, 20241 hr 21 minEp. 955

Marcus Waugh (Strongman, Firefighting and Faith) - Episode 954

Marcus Waugh is the World's Strongest Firefighter and Ohio's Strongest Man. We discuss college football, his journey into law enforcement, his experience in the jails, powerlifting, his path into the fire service, strongman competition, training the tactical athlete, fitness standards, the firefighter marriage, the powerful spiritual experience that bolstered his faith and so much more.

Jul 17, 20241 hr 19 minEp. 954

Alex Douglass (Surviving an Ambush, Adaptive Athletes and Post Traumatic Growth) - Episode 953

Alex Douglass was an 11 year veteran of the Pennsylvania State Police when his station was ambushed by a psychotic gunman. His brother trooper Bryon DIckson was murdered and Alex suffered near fatal wounds. We discuss his journey into law enforcement, the horrendous attack, the manhunt that followed, his mental health journey, the decision to amputate his leg, Operation Enduring Warrior, the healing power of community and so much more.

Jul 14, 20241 hr 28 minEp. 953

Josh Brolin II (Writing, Fame and Firefighting) - Episode 385

Josh Brolin is a former wildland firefighter, actor and the author of his upcoming book "From Under the Truck" . In this second interview, we discuss social media, fame, family, kindness, trolls, adventure, writing and so much more.

Jul 13, 20242 hr 1 min

Amanda Testa (Deep Love, Passionate Sex and a Healthy Marriage) - Episode 952

Amanda Testa is a Sex, Love and Relationship Coach and the founder of Find Your Feminine Fire. We discuss the impact of childhood on sexuality, how open conversation improves your childrens' safety, body dysmorphia, tantric sex, the negative impact of porn, sex and marriage and so much more. "Something I often see in working with busy women as a Sex and Relationship Coach is that on the outside it may appear they are thriving, but inside they really struggle with balancing the passion they have ...

Jul 11, 20241 hr 22 minEp. 952

Chuck DeSmith (EMS, The Recruitment Crisis and Peer Support) - Episode 951

Chuck DeSmith is a 35 year veteran of the fire service and the Deputy Fire Chief at Renton Regional Fire Authority. We discuss his early life, his journey into the fire service, the evolution of Fire/EMS, 911 abuse, the recruitment crisis, sleep deprivation, peer support and much more.

Jul 10, 20242 hrEp. 951

David Vaux II (Strength Training and Longevity) - Episode 950

David Vaux began his career working as a London Firefighter, serving for 15 years on fire rescue operations and as physical education officer until he suffered a career ending injury. He subsequently retrained as an Osteopath and threw himself into the world of academia. He successfully applied strength and movement research to his own rehabilitation from long-term pain and disability. As one of the UK’s leading Osteopaths, David uses his lived and clinical experience to provide injury preventio...

Jul 07, 20241 hr 41 minEp. 950

Clint Malarchuk (Near Death on the Ice and Post Traumatic Growth) - Episode 277

Clint Malarchuk is an NHL veteran as both a goalie and coach, author and mental health advocate. Clint cheated death three times, one notoriously when he almost bled out on the ice after taking a skate to the neck. We discuss his childhood mental health challenges, outworking the competition, OCD, addiction, suicide, EMDR, recovery, post traumatic growth and much more. Hockey is notorious for its rough play even among a long list of contact sports, and the life of a professional athlete is deman...

Jul 06, 20241 hr 44 min

Peter Forcelli (Domestic Terrorism, Cartels and the ATF) - Episode 949

Peter J. Forcelli is a recently retired Deputy Assistant Director of the Department of Justice’s Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), where he served as head of training. Before becoming a Special Agent for the ATF in 2001, Forcelli was a NYPD homicide detective and survivor of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. Forcelli became widely known as a whistleblower for the highly publicized Operation Fast and Furious scandal. He suffered retaliation at the hand...

Jul 04, 20241 hr 49 minEp. 949

Dr Thaer Ahmad II (Gaza, War and Trauma) - Episode 948

Thaer Ahmad, MD is a board certified emergency medicine physician in Chicago. Dr. Ahmad is the assistant program director for the emergency medicine residency program at Advocate Christ Medical Center. He also serves as the global health director and medical ethics director for the emergency department at Advocate Christ. Dr. Ahmad is a clinical assistant professor at the university of Illinois at Chicago and a board member for MedGlobal, a medical humanitarian NGO that works at building healthc...

Jul 02, 20241 hr 56 minEp. 948

Anthony Droz and Brandon Harding (Chaplaincy, Wilderness Healing and War) - Episode 947

Brandon Harding is the man behind the incredibly successful “Veterans in the Wild”, a wilderness program that has been embraced by the US Military. Anthony Droz is a Marine Veteran, Spartan Instructor, and wilderness guide. He aided Brandon in his quest to bring this wilderness program to life, as it was also his goal to provide wellness to Marines and Sailors. We discuss their journeys into uniform, the tragedy that shook Brandon's faith, the motorcycle accident that almost claimed Anthony's li...

Jun 30, 20242 hr 3 minEp. 947

Angela Graham-Houweling (Firefighting, Ayahuasca and The SIREN Project) - Episode 946

Angela Graham-Houweling is a former firefighter and co-founder of the SIREN Project. We discuss her early life, her journey into the fire service, some career calls, her powerful mental health story, the psychedelic journey that saved her life, the creation of her non-profit to help first responders find healing with entheogenics and so much more. My name is Angela Graham. I’m a Co-Founder of The S.I.R.E.N. Project. I was a Firefighter/Engineer/HAZMAT Spec. for almost 20 years with Santa Clara C...

Jun 27, 20241 hr 37 minEp. 946

Shawn Coss (Mental Health, Art and Nursing) - Episode 945

Shawn Coss is an ER Nurse and the artist behind Any Means Necessary. We discuss his early life in Ohio, his journey into medicine, the opioid epidemic, his love of art, Cyanide and Happiness, working on a Stephen King movie, mental health art, music and so much more. Shawn was born in England whilst his Father was stationed there during his time in the Army, but moved back to America with his family when the base closed down. They ended up in West Virginia where money was tight, but eventually m...

Jun 25, 20241 hr 39 minEp. 945

Ruari Fairbairns (Changing Your Relationship With Alcohol) - Episode 944

Ruari Fairbairns is a former Oil Broker and the man behind "One Year, No Beer". We discuss his childhood mental health struggles, the letter that changed his life, alcohol and business, introversion, the health impact of alcohol, its impact on sleep, the predatory actions of marketing, the power of peer support, healthy downregulation and so much more. Born on the Isle of Mull, Scotland, from an early age Ruari harboured a deep-seated determination to make an impactful mark on the world. He left...

Jun 23, 20241 hr 26 minEp. 944

Robert Burke (Acting, Firefighting and Service) - Episode 529

Robert Burke is an actor and veteran volunteer firefighter. We discuss his early life, his journey into acting, the tragedy that inspired his fire service, portraying General Mattis in Generation Kill, working on Rescue Me, martial arts, altruism, his powerful sobriety story, becoming Robocop and so much more.

Jun 22, 20242 hr 35 min

Eric Reynolds (Surviving a Shooting, The Carnivore Diet and Post Traumatic Growth) - Episode 943

Eric Reynolds is a former police officer and the man behind Cops and Campers and Keto Five O. We discuss his mother's capture of Griselda Blanco, his own path into law enforcement, being wounded in an officer involved shooting, his rehabilitation journey, his powerful mental health story, the power of ketosis, creating a non-profit and so much more. As a 54-year-old retired wounded police veteran suffering from PTSD, I have made it my mission to help other first responders who are struggling as ...

Jun 20, 20241 hr 53 minEp. 943
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