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In this episode of After the Tones Drop, Cinnamon sits down with AK Dozanti, former deputy sheriff, victim advocate, wellness coach, and author of The Responder Reset: 99 Real-Time Tactics for Frontline Regulation.

This conversation is for the people who do not have the luxury of slowing down when stress hits. The ones who need something that works in the moment, not after a weekend retreat or a six week program. AK breaks down how regulation actually works in the body, why most responders are taught to override it instead of support it, and how simple, science backed tools can help you reset without changing the facts of what you are facing.

Together, Cinnamon and AK talk about burnout, skepticism, muscle memory, nervous system regulation, and why these tools are not “woo” but basic human biology. They also explore how these skills translate beyond the job into parenting, relationships, and breaking generational cycles.

If you are burned out, running on fumes, or tired of being told to “just breathe” without being shown how, this episode will give you language, permission, and tools you can actually use.

DISCLAIMER:
After the Tones Drop has been presented and sponsored by Whole House Counseling. After the Tones Drop is for informational purposes only and does not constitute for medical or psychological advice. It is not a substitute for professional health care advice diagnosis or treatment. Please contact a local mental health professional in your area if you are in need of assistance. You can also visit our shows resources page for an abundance of helpful information.

ATTD Music Credits (Music from #Uppbeat):

• https://uppbeat.io/t/vens-adams/adventure-is-calling License code: ANJCYVHRMULSNKQR
• https://uppbeat.io/t/vens-adams/rise-of-the-hero License code: H4WTAGJZIXZCM8DM
• https://uppbeat.io/t/yeti-music/homewardLicense code: KO7FZAIJBAEAJLKE
• https://uppbeat.io/t/sonda/the-heart-grows License code: KAID0ITO96GJZAPS
• https://uppbeat.io/t/philip-anderson/achievement License code: XZ4PMCKHW94GUR74
• https://uppbeat.io/t/tobias-voigt/nexus
  License code: MVMDRGHKHTJRABVR
• https://uppbeat.io/t/paul-yudin/breakthrough
  License code: FYPM3OJF0NQ4OGTE

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Episode 143: Healing Language That Hurts

Some of the most damaging things we say about healing are said with the best intentions.

In this short solocast, Cinnamon takes a hard look at the phrases we casually throw around when someone is hurting. Let it go. Move on. Put it behind you. You should be over this by now.

She explains why this kind of language doesn’t heal. It shames. It implies erasure. And it quietly tells people they’re doing recovery wrong if the past still shows up.

Drawing from her work as a therapist and her own lived losses, Cinnamon breaks down why healing isn’t about forgetting, cutting cords, or turning pages like nothing happened. Trauma doesn’t disappear on command. It doesn’t come with scissors. And it doesn’t stay politely behind you.

Instead, she offers a reframe that actually fits how nervous systems work. Healing is when the memory drops from face level to ankle level. It’s still there. You’re aware of it. But it no longer blocks your breath, your vision, or your ability to live.

This episode is for anyone who still has waves. For anyone who remembers. For anyone who’s been told they should be further along by now.

You’re not broken. You’re not failing at healing. And you don’t need better metaphors that ask you to disappear parts of yourself.

You need language that tells the truth.

DISCLAIMER:
After the Tones Drop has been presented and sponsored by Whole House Counseling. After the Tones Drop is for informational purposes only and does not constitute for medical or psychological advice. It is not a substitute for professional health care advice diagnosis or treatment. Please contact a local mental health professional in your area if you are in need of assistance. You can also visit our shows resources page for an abundance of helpful information.

ATTD Music Credits (Music from #Uppbeat):

• https://uppbeat.io/t/vens-adams/adventure-is-calling License code: ANJCYVHRMULSNKQR
• https://uppbeat.io/t/vens-adams/rise-of-the-hero License code: H4WTAGJZIXZCM8DM
• https://uppbeat.io/t/yeti-music/homewardLicense code: KO7FZAIJBAEAJLKE
• https://uppbeat.io/t/sonda/the-heart-grows License code: KAID0ITO96GJZAPS
• https://uppbeat.io/t/philip-anderson/achievement License code: XZ4PMCKHW94GUR74
• https://uppbeat.io/t/tobias-voigt/nexus
  License code: MVMDRGHKHTJRABVR
• https://uppbeat.io/t/paul-yudin/breakthrough
  License code: FYPM3OJF0NQ4OGTE

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Episode 142: Frontline Strong Together – When Support Actually Shows Up

In this episode, I sit down with Mike Mattern and Scott Taylor from Frontline Strong Together, a Michigan-based mental health program built by first responders for first responders.

Here’s why this matters.
It’s free.
It’s state-funded.
And it works.

Mike and Scott are retired first responders who didn’t find this work through theory or policy. They found it through lived experience. Years of normalizing stress. Years of unhealthy coping getting brushed off as “just part of the job.” Years of not realizing how much damage was piling up until something finally cracked.

We talk about what changes when help comes from people who actually get it. Peer support that feels like a real conversation. Crisis lines answered by first responders. Training that happens before someone hits rock bottom, not after.

Mike shares how teaching suicide prevention later saved a life he never expected to reach. Scott talks about the moment he realized slowing down was not weakness, it was survival.

This episode is about breaking stigma, building support that lasts, and proving that taking care of first responders doesn’t have to be complicated. It just has to be human.

If you’ve ever wondered what real mental health support could look like in this profession, this episode shows you.

DISCLAIMER:
After the Tones Drop has been presented and sponsored by Whole House Counseling. After the Tones Drop is for informational purposes only and does not constitute for medical or psychological advice. It is not a substitute for professional health care advice diagnosis or treatment. Please contact a local mental health professional in your area if you are in need of assistance. You can also visit our shows resources page for an abundance of helpful information.

ATTD Music Credits (Music from #Uppbeat):

• https://uppbeat.io/t/vens-adams/adventure-is-calling License code: ANJCYVHRMULSNKQR
• https://uppbeat.io/t/vens-adams/rise-of-the-hero License code: H4WTAGJZIXZCM8DM
• https://uppbeat.io/t/yeti-music/homewardLicense code: KO7FZAIJBAEAJLKE
• https://uppbeat.io/t/sonda/the-heart-grows License code: KAID0ITO96GJZAPS
• https://uppbeat.io/t/philip-anderson/achievement License code: XZ4PMCKHW94GUR74
• https://uppbeat.io/t/tobias-voigt/nexus
  License code: MVMDRGHKHTJRABVR
• https://uppbeat.io/t/paul-yudin/breakthrough
  License code: FYPM3OJF0NQ4OGTE