Episode Details

In this powerful and deeply human episode of The Elisha Show, Amb. Elisha welcomes pediatric emergency medicine physician assistant, U.S. Navy combat medic veteran, and author Johnnie Gilpen for an unforgettable conversation on resilience, mental health, and being a good human 🧠❤️.

Johnnie opens up about life on the front lines of medicine and military service, sharing raw truths about trauma, loss, burnout, and the silent battles faced by healthcare workers, first responders, and veterans 🚑⚔️. With wisdom shaped by decades in emergency medicine, he introduces the life saving concept of the “foxhole buddy” and explains why resilience is not a feeling but a skill built through connection, purpose, and practice.

This episode dives deep into why so many first responders struggle in silence, how identity tied only to a job can become dangerous, and why healing often begins when stories are finally told 📖✨. Johnnie also shares the heart behind his book Tales from the Green Side and how writing became a path not just for his own healing but for many others who had never felt seen or understood.

✨ In this episode you will discover

🧠💪 How healthcare workers and first responders build real, lasting resilience

🚨❤️ Why isolation is one of the greatest threats to mental health and healing

🪖🤝 The life saving power of foxhole friendships and shared burdens

🎭❌ Why your job is not your identity and how purpose keeps you grounded

📖🌱 How storytelling, truth telling, and writing can heal trauma across generations

This conversation is honest, grounding, and deeply hopeful. It is a reminder that strength is found in community, healing is possible, and being a good human still matters 🌱💪.

Reach Johnnie here: https://www.johnniegilpen.com/

🎧 Now streaming on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube

📌 Subscribe to The Elisha Show for more life changing conversations that heal, empower, and awaken purpose