I was born at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton’s Naval Hospital and raised in North Coastal San Diego County. As the son of a World War II and Korean War veteran, my parents were from the same small town in Ohio. When the USMC transferred my dad to Camp Pendleton, the moment he experienced the glorious weather of Southern California, he took leave to Ohio and brought my mom back to Oceanside with him—where they lived for the rest of their 60+ year marriage!
I grew up enjoying the outdoor recreation and aquatic opportunities that were available for military families. With a strong swimming and athletic background—and a passion to be of service to those in need—I became a career Ocean Lifeguard Supervisor/EMT—and—Police Officer in Orange County. As a result of both public safety professions, I found a way to help others even more profoundly—as a member of the Police Department’s Crisis Response Team (a predecessor to our current PERT teams).
During that time in the 1990’s, many of my police teammates were reserves in the military and were called to duty for the post-911 wars in the Middle East. Some died serving our country. Others returned home and were mere shells of their former selves. I watched the negative impacts of PTSD, anxiety, depression, panic attacks, trauma, suicidal thoughts, pain medication addictions, and divorces take their toll on our department. My coworkers were encouraged to attend counseling sessions and I heard these common complaints: “None of the therapists have familiarity in being a police officer. They don’t understand the military. Nobody has street experience.”
These complaints were not just occurring within the police department—I heard similar stories at our fire departments—and in our military. So, I decided to bridge this gap and be the therapist who has actual hands on, street credibility and who specializes in proving world class counseling to emergency responders and military.
