Kitchen Table Talk a Break The Stigma Inc Podcast

It's Men's Mental Health Month — and Mike and Nick finally sat down for a morning session to talk about it. Real talk: men are 4x more likely to die by suicide than women, and most of us are still out here pretending everything's fine. In this episode of Kitchen Table Talk, Mike and Nick break down what actually helps — and it's not as complicated as we make it: 🔹 Why having ONE real conversation...

Episode Description In this powerful episode of Kitchen Table Talk , Michael Long and Nick Robben sit down with longtime friend and fellow first responder advocate Mark Hanek for an honest conversation about PTSD, vulnerability, healing, and the reality of mental health in the first responder community. Mark shares his journey through trauma, the lessons he learned through the Warrior’s Ascent pro...

In this powerful episode of Kitchen Table Talk , host Michael Long is joined by co-host Nick Robben and special guest Tim Husereau, owner of Hom Healing Center in Pacific, Missouri. Recorded on-site at Tim’s studio, this conversation dives deep into what it truly means to struggle, survive, and grow—physically, mentally, and spiritually. Tim shares his raw and unfiltered battle with long COVID, a...

This episode of Kitchen Table Talk is a little different than usual. Recorded live at the First Responder Mental Health Summit 2026, hosted by the Aspen Network, this conversation brings you directly into a powerful and personal keynote focused on the realities first responders face every day—both on the job and behind the scenes. In this episode, I share my own story—lessons learned through years...

In this episode of Kitchen Table Talk , Michael Long and co-host Nick Robben reflect on the progress made in breaking the stigma around first responder mental health — and what it really means to keep moving the needle forward. As founder of Break the Stigma Inc. , Michael shares how 2025 became a landmark year, impacting over a thousand first responders through conferences, education, resources,...

In this episode of Kitchen Table Talk, Mike Long and co-host Nick Robben sit down for an honest, deeply relatable conversation about anxiety, near-miss incidents, and how quickly life can change after a single moment. Joined by guests Heather and James Parmley, the discussion explores what happens in the days and weeks after a close call—when isolation, worst-case thinking, and overstimulated anxi...

In this powerful episode of Kitchen Table Talk , Michael Long and Nick Robben sit down with Josh Hildebrand , founder of Breath and Exposure STL , to talk about what happens when traditional coping strategies aren’t enough. Josh shares his raw journey through combat-related PTSD , suicidal ideation, and the unhealthy patterns many first responders and veterans fall into when they don’t have the to...

In this episode of Kitchen Table Talk, we’re joined by Susan and Tim of Missouri Patriot Paws for an honest, eye-opening conversation about the powerful role service dogs play in the lives of veterans and first responders. We go beyond the surface to talk about what service dogs actually do, how they’re trained, and why the relationship between handler and dog is so much more than companionship. S...

What happens when the firehouse stops feeling like home? In this episode of Kitchen Table Talk , the conversation gets real—uncomfortable at times, emotional at others, and honest all the way through. Host Michael Long , firefighter/paramedic and founder of Break The Stigma Inc. , sits down with co-host Nick Robben and fellow firefighters Nate Miller and Mike Robinson to talk about the part of the...

In Episode 4, Michael Long sits down with co-host Nick Robben and special guest Teena Silkwood for one of the most powerful and raw conversations yet. Together, they break down the reality of mental health crises in first responders — from suicidal ideations and repeated attempts, to the life-saving impact of one person speaking up at the right moment. This episode dives deep into: How old-school...

In this episode of Kitchen Table Talk , Michael Long and Nick Robben sit down for a candid conversation about what it really means to lead in the fire service—long before the promotion, long before the badge, and long before you’re officially “in charge.” The guys reflect on their early episodes, the surprising experience of listening back to their own stories, and how much growth comes from simpl...

In this powerful second episode of Kitchen Table Talk, hosts Michael Long and Nick Robben sit down with two exceptional clinicians — Dena DiStefano, LCSW, C-DBT, CCTP, founder of Balanced Therapy & Wellness, and Lindsay Simons, LCSW, founder of The Empowerment Spot. Together, they break down the unique mental health challenges that first responders and their families face, from relationship st...

: 🎙 Episode 1: Welcome to Kitchen Table Talk — A Break The Stigma Inc. Podcast Pull up a chair and join hosts Michael Long , Firefighter/Paramedic, and Nick Robben , Lieutenant/Paramedic, as they kick off Kitchen Table Talk — the official podcast of Break The Stigma Inc. In this first episode, Michael and Nick open up about the founding and mission of Break The Stigma Inc., a nonprofit built by fi...