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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
The firefighter-counselor explains the problem with avoidant coping and how to help your brain finally deal with the ‘leftover stuff’
The Mesa fire chief spotlights the department’s forward-thinking approach to health, safety, social services and more
Understanding our physiological stress response is key to managing chronic stress
The Lehi (Utah) fire chief was recently named the IAFC’s Career Fire Chief of the Year
The PPE standards expert explains why all protection comes at a price