130: A Warrior through Trauma: Marine, Firefighter, Counselor, Survivor Mike Washington

Blue Grit Radio : the Police Wellness, Leadership, Culture and Mindset podcast

Years ago, I had the privilege of hearing then active firefighter Mike Washington speak at wellness conferences. He talked about his traumas through life- from childhood to his experience in the Marine Corps, at work in his life as a Seattle Firefighter, and losing his adult son in combat.
He talked about his downward spiral, self-destructive warpath, and coming to recognition that such a path, such an ending was not his path and not his ending. He shared about utter resilience, the love and compassion from his wife and circles- and how he allowed himself to feel that love and compassion, and thus embrace and pay it forward.
Years later, as part of a large-scale joint peer support effort (coordinated by Deputy Chief McCurdy (see Ep. 125!)), I came to connect with Mike again. He was now a full-fledged mental health counselor, having retired from Fire and I had the honor to co-facilitate a stress debrief with him in the service of our Pierce County and Edgewood PD brothers and sisters following the death of Deputy Dom Calata.
I remained connected and watched Mike continue to inspire others and crush life with utmost positivity- which didn’t slow one bit when he shared publicly about his cancer diagnosis and updates.
We talk about trauma, stumbles, resilience and serving others in his experiences and for our first responder and military communities at large. Mike is an absolute treasure, and I’m grateful not only for his acquaintance but his sharing time and space on the show.
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Mike’s mission is to assist veterans and First Responders to identify, understand and react to the forces of stress as a means to combating the forces of PTSD and suicide.

Mike is a retired Seattle Firefighter with over 32 years of operational experience. In addition to his ordinary assignment as a firefighter, Mike was a member of the fire departments Peer Support Team as well as a Critical Incident Stress Debriefer, assisting firefighters around the country and now works as a psychotherapist in Seattle specializing in trauma and PTSD issues.

Mike Washington is a retired Marine Corps Master Sergeant with 23 years of service (7 active, 16reserve). Mike served as a Platoon Sgt in Desert Storm and served as a Counterintelligence Officer in Bosnia, Africa, Iraq and Afghanistan as well as numerous other real-world missions. He also spent 18 months at the National Counter terrorism Center in Washington DC.

Mike also provides mental health services to various first responder and military entities around the Seattle and Puget Sound area. Mike is a keynote speaker using his own story presents on the topics of stress, depression, PTSD and suicide, but most importantly PTG or Post Traumatic Growth.

Mikes motivation derives from his own personal experiences with PTSD from childhood to the fire service and war including the death of his son Sgt Michael T Washington while serving with the Marines in Afghanistan in 2008.

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music credit: Drive by AShamaluevMusic