Warrior Path to Healing: A Conversation with David Nathanson, Former Marine and Executive Director of Eagle Oak Retreat
Rejuvenaging with Dr. Ron Kaiser
Dr. Ron Kaiser
5.0 • 1.4K Ratings
🗓️ 17 October 2023
⏱️ 48 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
This week’s podcast features an interview with David Nathanson. David is a former enlisted Marine and officer, served in various command roles throughout his 30-year career in the Marine Corps. Despite being twice nominated for general officer promotions, political reasons led to his sudden retirement, leaving him grappling with the loss of purpose, identity, and mission. Now, as the Executive Director of Eagle Oak Retreat, a Texas-based nonprofit, David is focused on providing combat veterans and first responders with the skills needed to overcome posttraumatic stress and lead fulfilling lives.
Eagle Oak Retreat offers a program called Warrior Path, a peer-led initiative designed to help trauma survivors rediscover their identity and purpose beyond their military or first responder experiences. The program emphasizes reconciliation of past trauma, identification of triggers for post-traumatic stress, and training individuals to respond positively to stressors. Meditation, reflection, journaling, and metaphorical exercises play significant roles in the program. David emphasizes the unique nature of trauma experienced by veterans and first responders, making peer-led programs particularly effective.
The podcast delves into the importance of the Warrior Path program, encouraging veterans and first responders suffering from trauma to explore the available resources for healing. The focus is on helping individuals reconnect with their pre-trauma selves, regain enthusiasm for life, and move forward positively. The conversation underscores the critical role of peer support in the healing process. Many principles that are discussed can also apply to civilians who have experienced other types of stressors.
Check out David
https://www.eagleoakretreat.org
https://twitter.com/eagleoakretreat
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathansondavid/
https://www.instagram.com/eagleoakretreat/
https://www.facebook.com/EagleOakRetreat/
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Great, thank you. So we're new. We're about a year into operation. We're getting ready to |
| 0:05.0 | convene our 10th class. And what we offer at Eagle Oak retreat is a program called War Your Path. |
| 0:11.4 | Path is progressive alternative treatment for helping heroes. And what that basically is, |
| 0:17.4 | in layman's term, is it is a peer-led program where we help victims of trauma through their |
| 0:23.7 | service of others, whether it be first responders or military veterans, discover who they are. |
| 0:30.0 | And what they want to be for the rest of their life. |
| 0:32.5 | Welcome to Rejuvenaging with Dr. Ron Kaiser. This is a podcast designed to help you lead your life |
| 0:38.8 | enthusiastically today, tomorrow, and every other day. I am your host, Ron Kaiser, |
| 0:45.3 | positive health psychologist and coach, also keynote and TEDx weaker and author of Rejuvenaging, |
| 0:52.4 | the art and science of growing older with enthusiasm. As listeners to the podcast, no |
| 1:00.2 | my goal is to always bring you guests who lead their lives, their own lives with enthusiasm, |
| 1:06.5 | and can help us in various ways from their own perspectives to become better versions of ourselves. |
| 1:13.4 | And it's with that as a background that I bring you today's guest who is not only a person who |
| 1:20.4 | leads his life with enthusiasm and helps others to do so, but it is a real hero in many ways. |
| 1:26.9 | David Nathanson served as an enlisted marine and officer in the Marines. |
| 1:35.2 | He has commanded at every level from plateau, tune to regiment, including the combat logistics |
| 1:42.7 | battalion during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Additionally, he participated in many campaigns, |
| 1:49.5 | operations, and humanitarian assistance missions during his more than 30-year |
| 1:57.7 | career in the Marine Corps. David received his bachelor's degree from Rutgers University, |
| 2:03.4 | two masters degrees from the Marine Corps University, and one from the Naval War College. |
| 2:09.5 | So, lots of degrees there. He was twice selected and nominated for general officer. |
| 2:16.8 | The promotion was denied for political reasons, and he was thus forced into retirement suddenly |
... |
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