You're Not Broken — Richie Landward on PTSD, Shame, and Learning to Love Your Fear

Episode notes

What if fear isn't the problem — it's the answer? In this profound and wide-ranging conversation, therapist, combat vet advocate, and former river guide Richie Landward joins the show to explore one of the most misunderstood forces in human psychology: fear. Richie brings over two decades of experience working with homeless veterans, PTSD survivors, and wounded warriors, and what he shares will completely reframe how you think about anxiety, trauma, and what it means to heal. We open in the rapids of the Grand Canyon — literally — and use river guiding as a metaphor for how we move through life. From there, Richie introduces the ancient concept of Abhaya (non-fear from Thich Nhat Hanh), walks through a live mind-body bridging demonstration, and explains why PTSD is essentially your nervous system stuck in survival mode. We go deep on shame as the "backlight of fear," why people unconsciously choose suffering, how to let your kids struggle successfully, and what a near-death experience in Costa Rica taught Richie about the soul. This episode is for anyone navigating anxiety, unprocessed trauma, emotional avoidance, or spiritual searching.