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Episode Overview

What happens when trauma remains unresolved for years?

Todd Maguire joins Coach Liz Blanding for a powerful conversation about traumatic loss, avoidance, self-destructive behavior, and recovery. After his partner died by suicide in 2000, Todd entered a nearly 20-year period marked by alcohol misuse, emotional avoidance, and extreme risk-taking during his career as an undercover police officer.

Todd shares how writing his memoir, Donny: An Undercover Cop with a Deathwish, became an unexpected turning point that allowed him to begin processing experiences and emotions he had carried for decades.

Content Notice: This episode discusses suicide loss, alcohol misuse, self-destructive behavior, and trauma.

What You Will Learn

In this episode, you will learn:

• How unresolved trauma can influence behavior and decision-making.

• Why numbing and avoidance may provide temporary relief without addressing the underlying trauma.

• How Todd now connects some of his extreme risk-taking with unresolved grief.

• Why writing became an important part of his recovery process.

• How sharing his story has encouraged other men to talk about their own trauma.

Key Takeaways

Todd compares trauma to a physical injury. If someone breaks an ankle, we expect them to receive care rather than ignore the injury and continue walking on it.

Trauma deserves attention too.

Todd's story also reminds us that unresolved trauma does not always look the way we expect. Sometimes the behaviors visible on the outside may be connected to experiences that have never been processed.

Recovery can begin when we are willing to acknowledge what happened and develop healthier ways to respond to what we have carried.

Reflection Question

Are there behaviors, coping patterns, or responses in your life that may deserve a deeper look at what happened beneath them?

Continue Your Learning Journey

Explore trauma recovery education, community support, and the Level 1 Pathway to Trauma Recovery through Oasis Wellness Centers.

Connect With Todd

Learn more about Todd Maguire and his memoir, Donny: An Undercover Cop with a Deathwish, at toddmaguire.com.au.

Instagram: @todd_author_donny_

Closing Thought

Trauma was not your fault. Recovery is your responsibility.

We are recovering one breath at a time. Give yourself grace and stay fearless. Bye for now.

If you or someone you know in the United States is experiencing a suicidal crisis or emotional distress, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

We are dedicated to providing support, education, and resources to individuals recovering from various forms of trauma.

With a dedicated listener base, our podcast offers a unique opportunity for sponsors to connect with a deeply engaged and supportive community.

Partnering with us will provide crucial support to many who need it on their recovery journey.

Support the show

Remember, Trauma was not your fault, your were collateral damage on someone else's warpath. Trauma was not your fault, however Recovery is your Responsibility. I am your host, Wellness Coach Liz Blanding, and this is The Get Trauma Informed Podcast.

Contact us at:

info@oasiswellnessctrs.com

https://www.skool.com/oasis-wellness-academy-3841/about

Disclaimer:
This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not therapy or clinical treatment. Please seek licensed support where appropriate.

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Episode Overview

Welcome back to the Get Trauma Informed Podcast.

I am your host, Peer-to-Peer Wellness Coach Liz Blanding.

In Part 5 of our Trauma-Informed Leadership Series, we explore one of the most powerful shifts a leader can make: moving from fear-based leadership to empowerment-focused leadership. Trauma often teaches people to seek safety through control, perfectionism, hypervigilance, or rigid expectations. While these patterns may have served a purpose during difficult seasons, they can become barriers to healthy leadership and meaningful connection.

Trauma-informed leadership invites us to lead differently. It encourages leaders to build trust instead of fear, cultivate resilience instead of dependency, and create environments where people feel equipped to grow, contribute, and succeed.

In this episode, we discuss how reclaiming personal power, fostering autonomy, and empowering others can transform individuals, teams, and organizational culture.

What You Will Learn

• How trauma can influence control-based leadership behaviors

• The difference between leading through fear and leading through purpose

• Why empowerment is essential for personal and professional growth

• How trauma-informed leaders cultivate accountability without intimidation

• The importance of equipping rather than enabling

• How leadership transformation influences organizational culture

Key Takeaways

• Recovery often begins when individuals reclaim their voice, choices, and sense of agency.

• Control may create compliance, but empowerment creates commitment and growth.

• Trauma-informed leaders understand that trust is built through consistency, support, and clear expectations.

• Accountability and compassion can exist together.

• Empowered leaders help others develop confidence, competence, and resilience.

• When leadership evolves, the culture surrounding it often begins to heal as well.

Reflection Question

Are there areas in your leadership, relationships, or daily life where you are holding tightly to control when empowerment may create greater growth and trust?

Continue Your Learning Journey

If you are ready to strengthen your leadership, build healthier relationships, and create lasting impact through trauma-informed practices, we invite you to continue learning with us inside the Oasis Wellness Academy.

Inside the Academy, you will find:

• Trauma Recovery Foundations

• Trauma-Informed Podcast Foundations

• Leadership Development Opportunities

• Wellness Awareness Education

• Community Support and Live Learning Experiences

• Professional Growth and Trauma-Informed Leadership Pathways

Connect With Us

Oasis Wellness Academy

Get Trauma Informed Podcast

Oasis Wellness Centers

Closing Thought

Leadership is not about controlling outcomes or people. It is about creating opportunities for growth, trust, and transformation. The strongest leaders are not those who hold power over others, but those who help others discover the power within themselves.

Trauma was not your fault. Recovery is your responsibility.

We are recovering one breath at a time.

Give yourself grace and stay fearless.

Bye for now.

Support the show

Remember, Trauma was not your fault, your were collateral damage on someone else's warpath. Trauma was not your fault, however Recovery is your Responsibility. I am your host, Wellness Coach Liz Blanding, and this is The Get Trauma Informed Podcast.

Contact us at:

info@oasiswellnessctrs.com

https://www.skool.com/oasis-wellness-academy-3841/about

Disclaimer:
This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not therapy or clinical treatment. Please seek licensed support where appropriate.

Send us Fan Mail

Episode Overview

Welcome back to the Get Trauma Informed Podcast.

I am your host, Peer-to-Peer Wellness Coach Liz Blanding.

In Part 4 of our Trauma-Informed Leadership Series, we explore a topic that is often overlooked in leadership conversations: organizational trauma. While trauma is commonly viewed as an individual experience, it can also exist within teams, workplaces, ministries, organizations, and communities.

When fear, inconsistency, poor communication, high turnover, chronic stress, or unresolved conflict become part of the culture, the effects can spread throughout an entire organization. Leaders may find themselves addressing symptoms without recognizing the deeper issues driving them.

In this episode, we examine how organizational trauma develops, how it impacts workplace culture, and how trauma-informed leadership can create environments where healing, trust, and growth become possible.

What You Will Learn

• What organizational trauma is and how it develops

• The difference between individual trauma and systemic workplace trauma

• Common warning signs of a traumatized organizational culture

• How unresolved trauma can influence communication, trust, and performance

• Why emotional reactions are often misunderstood in workplace settings

• Practical leadership principles that support recovery and stability

Key Takeaways

• Trauma can impact entire systems, not just individual people.

• High turnover, disengagement, silence, burnout, and micromanagement may be symptoms of deeper organizational challenges.

• Employees often respond to workplace experiences based on both present circumstances and past experiences.

• Trauma-informed leaders seek understanding before assigning blame.

• Asking "What happened here?" creates opportunities for insight, growth, and recovery.

• Consistency, transparency, empathy, and predictable leadership help rebuild trust over time.

Reflection Question

If someone experienced your organization's culture for the first time today, would they feel safe, supported, and valued—or simply expected to perform?

Continue Your Learning Journey

If you are interested in creating healthier teams, stronger communities, and more trauma-informed environments, we invite you to continue learning with us inside the Oasis Wellness Academy.

Inside the Academy you will find:

• Trauma Recovery Foundations

• Trauma-Informed Podcast Foundations

• Leadership Development Opportunities

• Wellness Awareness Education

• Community Support and Live Learning Experiences

• Professional Growth and Trauma-Informed Leadership Pathways

Connect With Us

Oasis Wellness Academy

Get Trauma Informed Podcast

Oasis Wellness Centers

Closing Thought

Healthy organizations do not happen by accident. They are built through intentional leadership, consistent care, and a commitment to creating environments where people can grow, contribute, and thrive.

Trauma was not your fault. Recovery is your responsibility.

We are recovering one breath at a time.

Give yourself grace and stay fearless.

Bye for now.

Support the show

Remember, Trauma was not your fault, your were collateral damage on someone else's warpath. Trauma was not your fault, however Recovery is your Responsibility. I am your host, Wellness Coach Liz Blanding, and this is The Get Trauma Informed Podcast.

Contact us at:

info@oasiswellnessctrs.com

https://www.skool.com/oasis-wellness-academy-3841/about

Disclaimer:
This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not therapy or clinical treatment. Please seek licensed support where appropriate.