Marine turned counselor for veterans, first responders, and their families.

Brandon Spangler is a former USMC Sergeant who served from 1998-2003 and now works as a counselor for veterans, first responders, and their families through his private practice, Warrior’s Mindset. Before that, he spent six years working at the VA as a marriage and family therapist and as a counselor dealing with combat trauma, military sexual trauma, and childhood trauma. He has an Associate’s Degree, a Bachelor's in Social Work, and a Master’s in Clinical Social Work from Walla Walla University. You can find him via his website, on Instagram @warriorsmindsetllc, or you can email him at warriorsmindsetllc@gmail.com.

During our conversation, we discussed the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) quiz, using drugs to cope, the moment you know, letting your heart release, NSDR and Yoga Nidra, connecting your mind and body, the location of neurons and where you feel things, not identifying with your past, emotional regulation, your “bucket,” the Jenga analogy, therapists as people, journaling, being social, mental health in law enforcement and first responders, moral injury, trauma and storytelling, not watching the news, internalizing messages not directed at us, anger addiction, pushing for self-discovery, and other topics.

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