81 Post-Traumatic Growth for Veterans & First Responders with Dr. Nicole McKenna

Military personnel and first responders show up to other people’s worst day, every day. Exposed to workplace experiences the rest of us can’t imagine, some experience post-traumatic stress, and some work through that experience to demonstrate post-traumatic growth.

Can yoga play a part in biasing these populations toward growth? Today’s guest, Dr. Nicole McKenna, is here to share her thoughts on the topic.

Dr. McKenna has a Ph.D. in Forensic Psychology with a concentration in crisis response and is also a Yoga Medicine Therapeutic Specialist. She started her working life in the military as an Army Master Fitness Trainer and now blends her fields of experience and expertise to help military personnel, veterans and first responders manage the physical and psychological impacts of their work.

In this episode, she and host Rachel discuss post-traumatic stress and its symptoms along with tips for working with veterans and first responders.

Listen in as we share what sort of yoga practices can bias these individuals towards post-traumatic growth rather than post-traumatic stress.

Show Notes:

• What sets military veterans and first responders apart [3:05]
• Avoiding processing traumatic experiences can be a form of adaptation [5:43]
• Defining post-traumatic stress and potential symptoms [7:58]
• Building trust with veterans and first responders [15:07]
• Direct communication and instruction are key [20:18]
• It can take time to feel the benefit of more subtle yoga practices [23:18]
• What is post-traumatic growth [29:49]
• Different approaches help different individuals [36:01]
• Tips for starting yoga work with veterans and first response [40:11]
• The comfort of repetition and knowing what to expect [43:37]
• When to incorporate breath work and/or meditation practices [45:48]
• Keep verbal cues and class themes simple and practical [50:48]
• More resources [57:26]
• Polarized opinions on military and first responder organizations [58:18]
• Dr. McKenna’s recommending reading list [1:02:20]

Links Mentioned:

• Watch this episode on YouTube
• Yoga Medicine Podcast Episodes:
  • Episode 30: Trauma-Informed Yoga Dr. Ann Bortz
  • Episode 77: Restorative Yoga Essentials
• Mental Health & Wellness Yoga Teacher Training | Austin, TX
• Yoga Medicine Innovation Conference
• Dr. Nicole McKenna’s recommended reading list:
  • Trauma and Memory: Brain and Body in a Search for the Living Past: A Practical Guide for Understanding and Working with Traumatic Memory, by Peter A. Levine
  • The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma, by Bessel van der Kolk M.D.
  • Transformed by Trauma: Stories of Posttraumatic Growth, by Richard G. Tedeschi Ph.D. and Bret A. Moore PsyD with Ken Falke and Josh Goldberg
  • Be Water, My Friend: The Teachings of Bruce Lee, by Shannon Lee
• Connect with Dr. Nicole McKenna:

Facebook | Instagram | Grateful Warrior Yoga Foundation

You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at YogaMedicine.com/podcast-81.

And you can find out more about insider tips, online classes or information on our teacher trainings at YogaMedicine.com.

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