Episodes

Michael Laughlin had already fought his way back more than once, but then, a motorcycle accident changed everything again. In Part II of Mind Over Fire, Michael speaks candidly about the aftermath of losing his leg, the physical and emotional realities of starting over, and the slow work of redefining strength when the old measures […]

Early in his career, Kingston firefighter Michael Laughlin was seriously injured in a snowmobile accident that threatened not just his physical recovery, but his place in the fire service itself. In Part I of Mind Over Fire, Michael walks us through his younger years, the realities of recovering from a major injury in a profession […]

In Part II of this deep and honest conversation, psychotherapist Brittnee Stewart takes us further inside the world of EMDR, low-dose ketamine work, and trauma integration. If you’ve ever wondered why certain therapies work when others don’t, or why first responders often hit a wall in traditional talk therapy, this episode pulls back the curtain. […]

When the nervous system holds the story, healing has to start deeper than words. In this episode of The Other Side of the Call, our hosts sit down in studio with Brittnee Stewart, psychotherapist and co-founder of Spear Wellness in Kingston, Ontario – a multi-disciplinary clinic offering trauma-focused therapy, EMDR, and emerging psychedelic-assisted treatments. Together, […]

Career paramedic Jessica Vanderhoek has lived both sides of the job: the pride of service and the private cost. After years of high-acuity calls, insomnia, migraines, anger, alcohol misuse, and a brutal relapse, she hit the wall and looked for what actually heals. Her path led through equine therapy and carefully screened psychedelic work, then […]

Decorated tactical paramedic Steve Urszenyi turned decades of frontline trauma into award-nominated thrillers. In this conversation, he reflects on a lifetime of crisis leadership – from commanding Ontario’s Emergency Response Team to managing the 2015 Pan Am Games – and how creativity became his path to healing.

When retired Master Warrant Officer John Blaine finally looked in the mirror and decided to ask for help, it wasn’t a sign of weakness — it was the turning point of a lifetime spent in service. In this Remembrance Day special, John reflects on four decades in uniform: from Cyprus and Germany to Afghanistan’s Operation […]

This week, The Other Side of the Call sits down with Don E. Devine, one of Canada’s earliest paramedics and a pioneer of ambulance service in British Columbia. From the early days when funeral homes doubled as ambulances to the 1996 Vernon mass-casualty call that scarred an entire responder community, Don’s career charts both the rise of […]

After more than 30 years with Peel Regional Police, Constable Dave McLennan retired but wasn’t done service. He founded Boots On The Ground, a 24/7 volunteer-powered peer support line for first responders. What began as ten to twenty calls a month has grown to more than 150 monthly, with over 4,700 calls answered and 51 […]

Coming November 4, 2025 – Stories of trauma, resilience, and recovery from Canada’s first responders, frontline members, and military personnel. Hosted by former 911 dispatcher Amelia Thornton and psychotherapists Rebecca Rafuse and Kathy Ann Laman.