Mind Beyond the Mission

In this episode of Mind Beyond the Mission , hosts Brian McKenna and Laryssa Lamrock are joined by Nick McCarthy, historian and Director of Marketing, Communications and Community Outreach at Beechwood Cemetery, the home of Canada’s National Military Cemetery, located in Ottawa, ON. They discuss the importance of military cemeteries, how they connect Canadians to their military history and the evo...

In this episode of Mind Beyond the Mission , hosts Brian and Laryssa have an open and personal conversation about posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and its unique impacts among Veterans and their Families.  They discuss how PTSD is often the “elephant in the room” for Veterans and their loved ones, highlighting the stigma that can come with receiving a diagnosis and pursuing treatment.  Brian s...

Hosts Laryssa Lamrock and Brian McKenna are joined by John Dugas, a Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) Veteran who has dedicated his life to service both in uniform and beyond. John is a certified service dog trainer who pairs Veterans and first responders with specially trained, certified service dogs through his work with Courageous Companions. John also shares about how service dogs have played a role...

In this episode of Mind Beyond the Mission , hosts Laryssa Lamrock and Brian McKenna explore the role of creativity and the arts in healing, identity and meaning-making in life after military service. They are joined by Ryan Hawkyard, a Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) Veteran with 20 years of service, who shares how acting and improv became an unexpected but critical part of his recovery following a p...

In this episode of Mind Beyond the Mission , hosts Brian and Laryssa dive into the topic of “biting off more than you can chew” as it relates to Veterans, their Families and those who serve in caregiving roles.   Sharing candid stories and personal experiences, they explore how easy it is to become overwhelmed when supporting others while managing your own mental health and the day-to-day challeng...

In this episode of Mind Beyond the Mission , hosts Brian McKenna and Laryssa Lamrock welcome returning guest Ryan Carey — a Canadian Armed Forces Veteran, former Canadian Football League (CFL) player, musician and football coach — for a candid conversation about brain health, traumatic brain injury and life after service.   Ryan shares insights from both his military and professional athletic expe...

In this episode of Mind Beyond the Mission , hosts Laryssa Lamrock and Brian McKenna explore the prevalence of sleep issues in the Veteran and Family population and discuss how posttraumatic stress injuries (PTSIs) can impact sleep. They are joined by special guest Dr. Craig Stewart, a psychiatrist and certified sleep specialist at St. Joseph’s Health Care London’s Operational Stress Injury (OSI)...

Host Laryssa Lamrock and guest co-host Justin Woodcock look at prolonged exposure (PE) therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with special guest Dr. David Paul, a registered psychologist specializing in trauma treatment for military and public safety personnel. They unpack the basics of PE, how it specifically helps those living with PTSD and the vital role Families play in supporting a...

In this episode of Mind Beyond the Mission , host Laryssa Lamrock is joined by guest co-host Tarik Kadri and special guest Guy Dallaire for a conversation about the impacts and complexities of vicarious trauma and intergenerational trauma among military and Veteran Families. Guy Dallaire was born into a multigenerational military Family — both his father and grandfather served in the Canadian Arme...

Laryssa Lamrock and guest co-host Staff Sergeant (Ret’d) Gary Hollender are joined by Sheri Lux. Sheri opens up about losing her husband Mike, a Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officer, who died by suicide in 2017. Sheri shares her journey of healing and self-discovery, providing insights into the unique challenges faced by RCMP Families, the power found in community support, and the importan...

In this episode of Mind Beyond the Mission, Laryssa Lamrock is joined by guest co-host Andrew Gough — a Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) Veteran, serving Reservist and medically retired police officer — and guest Emily Zufelt. Emily is a former police dispatcher, advocate for first responders, military members and Veterans, and host and creator of What’s Your Twenty? , a podcast featuring stories from...

This special compilation episode of Mind Beyond the Mission brings together the most valuable insights from two conversations with Dr. Lyn Turkstra and Veteran and CFL player Ryan Carey, who each joined Brian and Laryssa on Mind Beyond the Mission previously to share their perspectives as a clinician specializing in traumatic brain injury and a person with lived experience of TBI. Dr. Turkstra is...

“If I'm forming a consultation group, I'm not going to bring someone there that I know whose role in life is to flip the applecart over. There's no value there. But if I look around the room at a grouping of people I've gathered and there's no one there that's ever showed me dissent to an idea before, I have not formed a consultation group. I have formed an applause c...

Corporal (Ret’d) Josh Muir joined Brian and Laryssa to talk about his experiences with the complex and deep-rooted relationship between alcohol and military culture. Josh shared how his journey to sobriety grew from external pressures from loved ones into a deep, personal commitment and discusses the value of openness and vulnerability in his recovery. The episode explores Josh’s transition to a s...

Corporal (Ret’d) Shauna Mulligan, a Métis Veteran of the Canadian Army Reserve, joined Brian and Laryssa to reflect on her experiences and insight on how Indigenous culture and military service can intersect and interact with each other. Shauna shares her personal journey of understanding her identity and cultural heritage and the challenges of integrating them into her military career. From the v...

Colonel Telah Morrison, OMM, CD, retired from the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) in 2022 after 35 years of service in both the Regular and Reserve Forces. Telah joined the CAF in 1986 and went to Royal Military College (RMC) Saint-Jean, six years after the RMC began allowing women to attend in 1980. She is the first woman Logistics Officer in the Royal 22nd 3rd Battalion, and the first woman and firs...

When Jim Davis saw on the news that a Canadian soldier had been killed in Afghanistan, he thought to himself, “My son is serving there… but so are 2,000 other Canadian soldiers. The odds are that it isn’t him.” Jim faced a parent’s worst nightmare later that day upon learning that his son Paul was the person killed in the line of duty. In the 18 years since, Jim continues to cope with this loss by...

An overwhelming number of Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Veterans and their Families are directly and profoundly impacted by suicide loss. Yet, few know where, how or when to talk about it — or if it should even be discussed at all. Canadian Armed Forced (CAF) Veteran Dennis Mackenzie joined Brian and Laryssa on Combating the silence around suicide to discuss...

“When I’m talking about hypervigilance in the Veteran community, I’m actually talking about the perfect amount of vigilance, but for somewhere other than when you walk inside your home or when you go on vacation with your Family.” Hypervigilance — being constantly on high alert and keenly aware of your surroundings — is a critical skill for soldiers that can be the difference between life and deat...

In this episode of Mind Beyond the Mission , Brian and Laryssa are joined by Tabitha Beynen, a former Air Force medic and single parent navigating the complexities of balancing personal well-being and parenting while living with a posttraumatic stress injury (PTSI). They discuss: Managing personal well-being while caring for a child Finding balance as a single parent Healthy coping mechanisms for...

An overwhelming number of Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Veterans and their Families are directly and profoundly impacted by suicide loss. Yet, few know where, how or when to talk about it — or if it should even be discussed at all.   How soon is too soon? What happens when it's too late? What should one even say?   Dennis Mackenzie lost 10 friends while...

Peer support can be described as having someone meet you where you are and walk alongside you in your journey. It can look different for everyone, but it boils down to a supportive relationship between people who share a common lived and living experience. In this episode, hosts Brian McKenna and Laryssa Lamrock discuss the profound impacts of peer support within the Veteran and Family community,...

“Am I burnt out or just tired?” “Am I sick or am I just fatigued?” “How can I be someone’s caregiver and their spouse at the same time?” These are questions that are often asked by Veteran Family members supporting a loved one with a health concern. Family members may sometimes find themselves shifting from “spouse mode” to “caregiver mode” and back again several times a day, which can be exhausti...

Anger is a natural human emotion. Anger can motivate you, give you a sense of strength and help you react quickly to threats. Although many people think that being angry is wrong or inappropriate, anger itself is not a problem. For many Veterans, it was often integral to their missions and survival. However, the behaviours that stem from this emotion have the potential to become problematic.   For...

Andrew and Elizabeth Gough join Brian and Laryssa on this episode of Mind Beyond the Mission to speak about the distinctive experiences of Reservist Families, including around community, connection and accessing care. The Reserve Force is an integral component of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), with Reserve Force units existing in hundreds of communities across Canada and the world.   They joined...