NOT THE SHAMAN
See clearly.
Think Freely.
Live Deliberately.
Serve something beyond yourself.
Need Someone to Talk To?
You don't have to be suicidal to ask for help.
Whether you're a veteran or civilian, if you're struggling, overwhelmed, or simply need someone to talk to, free and confidential support is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
You matter. Your story isn't over.
VETERAN CRISIS LINE
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
Free Resources. No Gatekeeping
Take what is useful.
Ignore what isn't.
Leave when you're done.
You have to choose to open them.
If you want to purchase any of my work, work with me directly, or support the mission, those doors are open.
The Mission: We Still Lose Too Many
I was a combat medic in Iraq. I came home on a stretcher. What followed was another kind of battlefield, trauma, medication, institutional failure, and watching too many veterans disappear after they made it home.
The war didn’t come even close to killing me. It was returning to a society I had pledged my life to that saw me as simply a line item on a budget review.
This display was built from my own uniform, my medals, and the prescription bottles I saved from years of care. It isn't decoration. It's part of the reason this mission exists.
Writing to Make Sense of the Mess
I write to question the stories we're handed, examine the ones we tell ourselves, and say out loud some of the things we're apparently not “allowed” to say.
Trauma, healing, institutions, plant medicine, spirituality, veterans, relationships, culture, and occasionally my own bullshit.
Actually, it’s ALWAYS my own bullshit.
But if you think it’s about you, it is.
Books
Want Something You Can Hold?
Everything in the Resources section is free because access to useful information shouldn't depend on whether you can afford it.
The books are different. If you'd rather have something physical on your shelf, and you'd like to support the work while getting something in return, you can find the books here.
Work With Me
Sometimes information is enough. Sometimes a conversation helps.
I work with veterans, individuals navigating major life transitions, and people exploring healing, personal growth, plant medicine, preparation and integration, spirituality, trauma, and the messy process of figuring out what comes next. My approach draws from lived experience, years of trauma work, and a belief that good support should ultimately help you trust yourself more—not make you dependent on the person helping you.
If you’d like to work with me professionally, you can view my services at Heal.me/Steadfast
Support the Mission
If you can't contribute financially, don't.
Download something that helps you. Send a resource to someone who needs it. Share an article that made you think. Check on a veteran. Have a difficult conversation. Help somebody in your own community.
The mission was never to raise money. The mission is to make a difference.
Support helps keep the website and free resources available, fund veteran outreach and advocacy, develop new educational materials, and move the larger mission forward. As that mission grows, I'll continue showing you what we're building and where the support is going.
Ways to Support
Want to Help Build This?
If you're a 100% P&T combat-disabled veteran, you've got your shit together, and you've got skills you'd like to put to use, I'd like to hear from you.
I'm looking for help behind the scenes, website development, research, administration, outreach, organization, and whatever else this mission grows into.
There's no paycheck, no fancy title, and probably not much recognition.
Just a chance to put some useful skills toward keeping other combat veterans alive.
Share Your Story
“Sometimes you have to tell your story a thousand times to finally hear the echo.” — Not The Shaman
Everyone has a story. Some are filled with joy, others with heartbreak, and most are a little of both.
Sometimes we tell our stories because we want someone to understand what we've experienced. And sometimes, in the telling, we begin to understand ourselves.
I've long believed in the power of simply listening. And I want to give credit to Theo Von, whose willingness to sit with everyday people, hear their experiences, and give them a voice helped inspire me to create this space. His Hotline inspired my open line, and maybe created a lifeline where YOU can finally hear the echo.
We’re listening…
You don't need to be famous, have all the answers, or have a happy ending. You just need a story you're willing to share.
Your story matters. And sometimes, the person who most needs to hear it is you.
Want to reach out?
Questions, ideas, collaboration, veteran support, something I wrote that pissed you off, or something entirely different. Send me a message.
I read what comes in. I can't promise I'll have an answer for everything, and you don't need a polished reason to reach out.
And I also can’t guarantee I won’t piss you off even more with my response. Accountability is a bitch that way.