The path to healing often begins when we realize we're not alone in our struggles. In this powerful conversation with Mike and Pam, we explore the life-changing impact of trauma retreats specifically designed for first responders at the Haymarket Center in Chicago.

What makes these retreats transformative isn't just the professional support—it's the moment when a room full of hurting people recognize their shared experiences. As Pam beautifully explains, "Everybody who shows up tells their monster... and listening to all these hurt people, just admiring what they do." That vulnerable sharing creates immediate bonds that transcend backgrounds and specific traumas.

The retreat offers a comprehensive approach to healing: comfortable accommodations at the Embassy Suites, nutritious meals shared as a community, and a carefully structured program that includes both large group learning and intimate small group discussions. Participants learn about how trauma affects the body and mind while experiencing specialized treatments like EMDR therapy to disconnect emotions from traumatic memories.

Most remarkably, this potentially life-saving resource is completely free for first responders. Funded entirely through grants and staffed by dedicated volunteers, the Haymarket Center removes the financial barriers that often prevent people from seeking help. With multiple retreats scheduled throughout the year and groups kept intentionally small (15-18 people), the experience feels personal rather than institutional.

Mike and Pam's story exemplifies the retreat's ripple effect—after finding healing themselves, they now volunteer to support others beginning their journey. Their message is clear and compelling: don't minimize your pain, don't compare your trauma to others, and don't punish yourself for struggling. As Mike says, "Breaking that cycle through maybe just trying something new and different can give you the tools you need to get better."

Ready to take that first step toward healing? Reach out to learn more about upcoming retreats or connect with Mike and Pam directly. Healing happens in community—you don't have to walk this path alone.

Register at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeWX535C2dwqd_aOpqWLcgcImyGrDsfGsRTsh6mKWr0lv65Jw/viewform

If you or someone you know is in crisis and at risk of self-harm, please call or text 988, the suicide and crisis lifeline.

To contact us directly send an email to Dan@10-42project.org or call 515-350-6274
Visit our website! 10-42project.org
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What happens when the people we count on to save us are themselves drowning in trauma? Mike and Pam Morrison offer a lifeline through their powerful story of survival, healing, and redemption.

After 28 years in law enforcement, Mike Morrison knows the weight of trauma first-hand. From his early days as a dispatcher and jail officer to his later roles as detective, sergeant, and lieutenant, each traumatic experience slowly transformed him. His wife Pam brings an equally profound perspective as a former RN, death investigator, and forensic autopsy technician who served with DMORT at mass fatality incidents like the devastating Joplin tornado.

Their raw honesty about career stress shatters the silence that often surrounds first responder mental health. "The danger is secrecy and the isolation," Mike explains, describing how the culture of silence becomes "almost cultish" in how it traps those suffering. Meanwhile, Pam reveals how trauma can build quietly until it suddenly emerges: "Cumulative trauma that you don't understand till later affected me."

What makes their story exceptional isn't just their struggles but their journey to healing. From EMDR therapy that helped Pam process traumatic death notifications to their therapy dog Luna, who instinctively identifies officers in crisis at trauma retreats, the Morrisons offer practical paths forward. Their formula for survival—"faith, family, and friends, in that order"—has sustained their 40-year marriage despite challenges that statistically end many first responder relationships.

You can learn about the Haymarket Center's (Intensive Supportive Retreat for First Responders & Essential Emergency Personnel). Mike and Pam have attended the program and fell in love with it so much that they now volunteer their time, talent, and treasure to walk along with other first responders going through the program. Information for the program is linked. https://haymarketcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/1-2025-Haymarket-Retreat-Flyer.pdf

For those currently struggling, their message resonates with urgency and hope: healing is possible, but it requires reaching out. As Mike powerfully states, "One of the biggest lies is that nobody can help you." If you're a first responder or love someone who is, this conversation might be the permission you need to finally seek the help that could save a life, a career, or a family.

Contact 10-42 Project at 10-42project.org, email dan@10-42project.org or call 515-350-6274. Remember No one walks alone.

If you or someone you know is in crisis and at risk of self-harm, please call or text 988, the suicide and crisis lifeline.

To contact us directly send an email to Dan@10-42project.org or call 515-350-6274
Visit our website! 10-42project.org
Check us out on social media!
Youtube: @1042project
Facebook: www.facebook.com/1042project
Instagram: 1042_project

What happens when those who protect our communities struggle to safeguard their own marriages? Aaron Groves, retired Jasper County deputy and director of Impact Iowa's Heroes, returns to the Shared Voices podcast to tackle the unique challenges facing first responder marriages and offer practical paths to restoration.

"Most people go into a first responder marriage assuming it's going to be like any other normal marriage, and that couldn't be further from the truth," Groves shares from personal experience. The conversation dives deep into how the professional requirement to suppress emotions during crisis situations creates unintended consequences at home. "You really can't select which emotions you shut down and which ones you turn back on," he explains, revealing how this impacts not just processing trauma, but experiencing joy and love with family.

The heart of many marital struggles lies in communication breakdowns and unresolved conflict. Groves details how understanding different conflict styles—his wife processes verbally while he tends toward avoidance—transformed their relationship. "Until you close that loop of conflict, you won't be able to connect with each other emotionally, physically, or spiritually," he notes, offering insight into how couples can break destructive patterns and build healthier communication.

Perhaps most powerful is the discussion around vulnerability. Many first responders, particularly men, view asking for help as a weakness rather than a strength. Daniel challenges this mindset: "The uncomfortableness of not doing stuff like this is a heck of a lot worse... let that uncomfortableness be to something that leads to life and not to divorce." Through Impact Iowa's Heroes marriage events, couples find not just tools but community with others who understand their unique lifestyle challenges.

Whether your marriage is in crisis or you simply want to strengthen your connection, this conversation offers hope and practical steps forward. Register for upcoming Impact Iowa's Heroes marriage events at impactiowasheroes.org and discover how intentional investment in your relationship can transform "just roommates" into genuine partners for life.

Register for the one-day marriage event on Saturday, June 28th, with special guests Jeff & Shaunti Feldhahn. Register at https://subsplash.com/theway-ia/lb/ev/+kv7vz4h

Register for the powerful 2025 Marriage Getaway at https://givebutter.com/h1IHcC

Fri, Nov 14 5:00 PM – Sat, Nov 15 4:00 PM CST

If you or someone you know is in crisis and at risk of self-harm, please call or text 988, the suicide and crisis lifeline.

To contact us directly send an email to Dan@10-42project.org or call 515-350-6274
Visit our website! 10-42project.org
Check us out on social media!
Youtube: @1042project
Facebook: www.facebook.com/1042project
Instagram: 1042_project