The Other Side Of
Welcome to The Other Side Of — a podcast hosted by two trauma-focused psychotherapists and a former 911 dispatcher-journalist. We go beyond the headlines to explore what really happens behind the uniform, behind closed doors, and inside the mind. Expect powerful clips, survivor stories, and expert insight on recognizing, processing, and living with trauma while rebuilding your life.
Our first season features current and former first responders sharing what helped, what hurt, what pulled them…
25
May 19, 2026
Ep 25: What Stayed With Us – A look at trauma, suicide, and mental health in first responder work
Episode 25 marks the end of Season 1 of The Other Side of the Call. In this episode, Amelia sits down with Rebecca and Kathy Ann to revisit the moments that stayed with them most— pulling together powerful clips and themes that emerged across the season. This isn’t a highlight reel. It’s a deeper look […]
24
May 12, 2026
Ep 24: Badge, Burden & Breaking: Andrew McLean on the Cost of Policing
Andrew McLean is a former police officer, author of Beaten Black and Blue, and mental health advocate. This conversation is not about a single traumatic call. It is about accumulation. The slow, often invisible impact of repeated exposure to trauma, and how that exposure changes the way first responders think, trust, and function over time. […]
23
May 5, 2026
Ep 23: Flames, Fallout, and Finding Himself: Firefighter Rob Leathen on Service, Survival, & Starting Over
In this episode of The Other Side of the Call, In this episode of The Other Side of the Call, we sit down with retired firefighter Rob Leathen for a direct and unfiltered conversation about what the job gives, what it takes, and what it can quietly erode over time. Rob reflects on his path […]
22
April 28, 2026
Ep 22: Private, Practical, Proven: Accessible Mental Health for First Responders (PSPNet Explained)
Where do first responders actually go for support when they’re not ready, or not willing, to sit across from a therapist? In this resource-focused episode, we sit down with Dr. Heather Hadjistavropoulos, Executive Director of PSPNet, to explore a different approach to mental health care for public safety personnel. PSPNet is a Canadian program offering […]
21
April 17, 2026
Ep 21: The Weight of the Work: Dispatch, Distress & Recovery (Part 2 of 2)
In part two of this National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week roundtable, the conversation shifts from what dispatch is to what it can do to the people doing it. Featuring dispatchers from police, fire, and paramedic services across Canada and the United States, this episode explores the cumulative impact of repeated exposure to crisis, the realities […]
20
April 14, 2026
Ep 20: The Toll of the Tones: Truths of 911 Dispatch (Part 1 of 2)
In recognition of National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, this special roundtable brings together dispatchers from police, fire, and paramedic services across Canada and the United States. With decades of combined experience, this conversation breaks down what 911 dispatch actually is, what it requires in real time, and why it’s often misunderstood. From cognitive overload and […]
April 7, 2026
Ep 19: First Responder Families: Separation, Healing & Life After Crisis (part 2 with Parul Shah)
First responder work does not stay at the station, the hall, the hospital, the prison, or the dispatch centre. It comes home. In Part Two of this conversation, psychotherapist and doctoral candidate Parul Shah returns to explore what happens when the pressure inside first responder families becomes too much to carry. Drawing from both clinical experience and […]
March 31, 2026
Ep 18: First Responder Families: Stress, Warning Signs & Life at Home (Part 1 with Parul Shah)
First responder work does not stay at the station, the hospital, or the dispatch center. It comes home. In this first part of a two-part conversation, trauma therapist and doctoral candidate Parul Shah joins The Other Side of the Call to talk about the often-unseen impact of first responder work on families. Parul brings more […]
March 24, 2026
#17 – North of Normal: Fighting Fire in the Far North (Part 2)
What does it mean to fight fire in a place where everyone knows everyone, resources are stretched, and you may be on call any time you are in town? In Episode 17 of The Other Side of the Call, we return to Fort Smith, Northwest Territories, for Part 2 of our conversation with longtime volunteer […]
March 17, 2026
#16 – North of Normal: Becoming A Northern Firefighting Family
What does firefighting look like in a town where everyone is a volunteer? In Episode 16 of The Other Side of the Call, we travel to Fort Smith in Canada’s Northwest Territories to speak with longtime volunteer firefighter Jason and his wife Helen about life and emergency response in a northern community of just over 2,000 […]
March 10, 2026
#15 – Hidden in Plain Sight: The Research Behind Military & First Responder Families in Canada
Families connected to military, Veteran, and public safety service carry responsibilities that often go unseen. Shift work, mobility, operational stress, caregiving demands, and identity strain shape family life long before crisis ever occurs. In this episode, we sit down in studio at CFRC with Dr. Heidi Cramm and Lisa Delaney of Garnet Families, a national […]
March 3, 2026
#14 – The Personal Price: Progress, Prevention, and the OPP
In this episode, we sit down with Jason MacKenzie, the husband of OPP Constable Cindy MacKenzie, who died by suicide while serving. Rather than revisiting institutional failures of the past, this conversation focuses on institutional learning and progress. Jason reflects on the personal realities of loss, parenting, and survival, while also discussing recent outreach from […]