Navigating First Responder Mental Health: The Cabinet, Empathy, and Healing

Firefighter Nation Podcast · Nov 4, 2026 · 1h 1m · transcript

First responders deal with immense pressure daily, often relying on mental "cabinets" to compartmentalize trauma in order to do their jobs. In this episode of Multiple Calls, host Scott Hewlett chats with licensed marriage and family therapist Destiny Morris about the hidden tolls of emergency services work. Morris explains how unaddressed trauma builds up over time, leading to burnout, a lack of empathy, and addiction. She dives deep into the importance of nervous system regulation, the physical reality of trauma stored in the body, and why seeking help through modalities like EMDR can…