From Firefighter to Trauma Healer | Ashlea Dillard on Recovery & Purpose
About this episode
Ashlea Dillard shares her journey from being a firefighter to a trauma healer, discussing the hidden struggles of first responders and veterans.
Some wounds leave scars. Others stay hidden. They live inside first responders, veterans, military families, and the people who spent years running toward emergencies while quietly carrying their own pain. In this powerful episode of The MisFitNation, Army Veteran Rich LaMonica sits down with Ashlea Dillard — former firefighter, paramedic, licensed professional counselor, clinical and transpersonal hypnotherapist, and host of Sit Around the Fire. Ashlea spent nearly a decade answering emergency calls, walking into crisis, and helping people through some of the worst moments of their lives. But eventually, she had to face a difficult truth: The rescuer needed healing too. This conversation dives deep into the invisible weight carried by first responders and veterans: 🔥 Burnout and compassion fatigue 🔥 Losing a crewmate to suicide 🔥 Trauma stored in the body and nervous system 🔥 Why first responders suffer in silence 🔥 Identity loss after service 🔥 Veteran transition struggles 🔥 Hypnotherapy and alternative healing methods 🔥 Building connection, tribe, and purpose again Ashlea shares her journey from emergency scenes to emotional healing and explains how she now helps…
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