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‘We are anti-fragile’: How firefighters can get stronger through challenges

Dr. Derrick Edwards – a firefighter, professor, counselor and chaplain – details psych concepts that impact firefighter work and home life

Today’s episode digs into a variety of psychological concepts that impact firefighter work and home life, all courtesy of Dr. Derrick Edwards, a nearly 20-year fire service veteran who also serves as a professional counselor and a mental health service provider. Dr. Edwards introduces a lot of new terms and concepts, including anti-fragile, psyche ache, urge-surfing, the end-of-days fallacy, and his favorite, the white bear, all to help us better understand ourselves – our emotions, reactions, stress and coping skills. Edwards – aka “Father ’Stache” – also shares how he became a fire service chaplain and why chaplaincy is so similar to counseling.

  • Don’t miss: The two root causes of anger
  • Episode power quote: “There’s more than one way to help someone, and no one way is for everyone.”
  • Hot seat sneak peek: Edwards’ favorite karaoke song

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Previously on the Better Every Shift Podcast
Dr. Glenn Landry details the science behind good sleep and how firefighters can adapt
Firefighter Paul Duran shares his stellate ganglion block experience, and Dr. Jim Lynch explains the science behind the procedure
Andrew Klein details the commercial fire where light smoke turned violent eruption, plus what saved him and how he’s managing his mental health
The NFFF director of fire programs details the many actions firefighters can take today to improve long-term survivability and quality of life
Bassi, who serves as CEO for the Center for Public Safety Excellence, shares the power of department accreditation and personal credentials, plus ‘AI for newbies’