As an emergency dispatcher for the better part of 15 years, and suffering an unspeakable trauma while on the job, Erin McMicheal changed course and became an equine therapy instructor to help Veterans and military members who struggle with PTSD.

Now, as the Self-directed Harm Prevention Specialist for the Washington National Guard, Erin uses her history and experience to help normalize mental health end encourage help-seeking behavior.

Erin continues to practice empathy and is learning vulnerability as she uses her pain to fuel passion, which includes developing her 33-acre property, at the base of Mount Rainier, into a refuge and a place of healing.