Two aspects of the discussion during Tactical Fitness Report 246 that resonated with me were his focus on the spiritual side of the Four Pillars of Wellness for the Tactical Service: Physical, Mental, Emotional, and Spiritual, and his discussion of Eye Movement Desensitizing and Reprocessing EMDR Therapy for Post-Traumatic Stress (PTS).

My first question to Dan: “What exactly does the spiritual wellness pillar mean?”

Dan:  Spiritual wellness/resilience and the daily practice are the foundation for this. It's a foundation for tactical professional service. The practice of spiritual wellness is your capacity to love to be helpful, to be useful, to be driven by your heart with compassion, to make a meaningful difference. You can consistently do as much good as possible in every moment with every mission or call for service. You can consistently affirm the good that's within you through your decisions. You can have a higher purpose in these noble professions that is beyond your self-interest. You can selflessly serve with heart-centered, compassionate service to be connected to the noble purpose of protecting life, serving people, alleviating suffering, and being the good amidst all the bad that happens around and to us every day.

We serve with and depend upon for our own life and well-being, connected to the community in positive and meaningful ways.  And you can also consistently self-improve. So, all of that involves spiritual wellness.  Now, some people may have a faith practice that adds to that. My faith practice has brought me tremendous inner peace, purpose, and service, but that doesn't have to be it.  It's serving with your heart. The number one lesson I learned more than anything else in 30 years in law enforcement, and it's true with any tactical profession, is that this truly is a vocation of the heart. When you think about what we do, we're serving our country/community, protecting life, and helping people who can't help themselves. That's the vocation of the heart. If you're not putting your heart into this job every day to do as much good as possible, the job will likely eat you alive.  And it is the absolute truth, and that serving in that way with that purpose that higher purpose beyond self does more for us to understand the nature of the traumas we deal with and make sense out of things to maintain our inspiration and our motivation and purpose to do this job and to be fully vested.  So it becomes a profession that gives our lives fulfillment, meaning, peace, and purpose.

What is Your Why?

Stew: I often tell people preparing to serve that they must figure out their WHY. Why are you doing this? And you have that nailed down very well, not only with why you chose to serve but also with why you continue to serve. That last statement you made answered a great question of why people do this.  You need to know WHY. 

Dan: Absolutely. I always like to “say compassion is the DNA of service” because it empowers the good you can do. If you're serving without compassion, you're just serving yourself. That leads to frustration, helplessness, a lot of stress, disappointment, and on and on, and adverse outcomes.. However, selfless giving of yourself is the secret to living and serving, and it is in our giving, and how you can give of yourself of your heart in a meaningful way to make a difference in your agency, with your colleagues, and to help people in need.

You can find out more about Dan Willis at https://www.firstponderwwellness.com.

Dan: My email is also available for anyone who has a question and wants to contact me. The best way is for those in charge who want to bring me to their agency for training is to use my email as well. You can get a copy of Bulletproof Spirit through my site or Amazon.

About EMDR Therapy - If you have or have not experienced trauma, you should know about this form of treatment. 

Dan: EMDR is quite helpful for single event trauma that helps unwrap tied emotions to the event. I noticed a difference in three sessions, and after six sessions, I felt like a different person; I felt like a weight had been removed from my chest.” He continues, “I do EMDR sessions now like I do dental and medical check-up visits (1-2 times a year).”

How Does EMDR Work?

EMDR is designed to help individuals process and heal from distressing memories and experiences. There are eight phases: 1) History and Treatment Planning, 2) Preparation, 3) Assessment, 4) Desensitization, 5) Installation, 6) Body Scan, 7) Closure, and 8) Reevaluation. For those with severe trauma, EMDR may involve ongoing treatment, including weekly sessions that can last for months or even years.

EMDR employs distinct eye movements designed to help process traumatic memories. The aim is to support recovery from specific traumas or distressing life experiences. These eye movements assist in trauma processing by engaging both hemispheres of the brain. This bilateral activation is believed to aid the brain in reprocessing and integrating traumatic memories within the broader memory network, potentially reducing their emotional intensity. Study on the Validity of EMDR.

Veterans seeking an EMDR therapist can visit their local VA medical center or clinic. Many of these facilities employ trained mental health specialists who offer EMDR therapy for PTSD and trauma-related issues. Additionally, the EMDR International Association provides a list of certified therapists. 

If you are a civilian and have never served, you can easily find EMDR-certified therapists nearby using Google. Additionally, Psychology Today has a therapist locator on its website that narrows your search to your zip code.

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