Behind The Shield

Dr Belisa Vranich is a Clinical Psychologist who teaches breath work for both physical and mental wellness. Dr Vranich is also the founder of The Breathing Class. We discuss healthy relationships, sex myths, diaphragmatic breathing, mental health and much more.
A clinical psychologist and a leading expert in mental health and fitness, Dr. Belisa Vranich is the author of Breathe: The Simple, Revolutionary 14-Day Program to Improve your Mental and Physical Health (St. Martin’s Press/Hay House). She is the founder of www.thebreathingclass.com.
Dr. Belisa is a regular guest on national television; e.g., CNN, Fox News, the Today Show, Good Morning America, and Inside Edition, and has been interviewed by Anderson Cooper, Matt Lauer, Meredith Vieira, Bill O’Reilly, and Nancy Grace. Dr. Oz has recognized her as one of the top US doctors in her field. She has appeared as a guest on Cesar Millan’s show, Cesar 911, and has been a guest on podcasts with hosts Robb Wolfe, Ben Greenfield, Joey Diaz, and Dr. Mercola. In addition, Dr. Belisa has been interviewed as an expert in numerous publications, including Crain’s magazine, GQ, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, Vogue, Time Magazine, and Cosmopolitan.
Dr. Belisa has extensive experience working with first responders: firefighters, military and law enforcement for topics related to endurance, stress reduction, precision, pain reduction, and PTSD. A firm believer in the importance of giving back, she volunteers and supports numerous organizations related to veterans and animal rescue organizations in New York City and Los Angeles. Dr. Belisa is an outspoken advocate of organ donation and dedicated her first book to Liamslife.org
Dr. Belisa was the former Director of Breathing Science at The Ash Center for Comprehensive Medicine in New York City, and has served as an advisor for the Fitness Institute for Gold’s Gym. She was previously the Health and Sex Editor at Men’s Fitness Magazine, an expert for Men’s Health, and Shape magazine, an advice columnist for the New York Daily News, and Foxnews.com. She was the Director of Public Education at the Mental Health Association of NYC; taught at New York University, was a consultant at the National Mental Health Association in Washington, DC; director of an outpatient clinic at Jacobi Hospital Center, Bronx, NY; a school psychologist in the South Bronx; and part of the Brooklyn Aids Task Force supporting parolees and their families.

Jay Morgan Hyrons is an author, bodybuilder, grief counselor and a Falklands War widow. We discuss her turbulent childhood, losing her military husband in combat, her powerful grief story, gym therapy, near death experiences, counseling and so much more.
Jay was born in the War Memorial Hospital in Crickhowell, Wales in 1957 unsurprisingly leading her to a life as a War Widow and Military Family Researcher. Grammar School education in the 1960’s meant many like Jay went undiagnosed with ADHD, in short many of her qualifications were obtained during her forties when she had mastered how to study with a less than forgiving brain.
She has had an unusual career path including counselling the terminally ill for the NHS, dancer, personal trainer, champion bodybuilder, podcaster, author, and public speaker. Described by many as an extraordinary woman, Jay herself feels she has had an extraordinary life journey marked by both triumph and tragedy. Her lifelong commitment to fitness enabled her to beat the odds and survive medical emergencies more than once, in 2015 she astonished doctors by making an unlikely full recovery.
Eventually diagnosed with Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder the prognosis was guarded. At times these life experiences have tested her spiritual beliefs until she began to understand the deeper meaning of the journey. Jay found herself on a true ‘Dark Night of the Soul’. The journey eventually led her to acceptance which after all is the last stage of grief…
Jay published her first book ‘And She Danced’ in 2019, her second book ‘The Falklands Widow’ followed in 2021. In 2023 Jay began a new chapter as a Volunteer Speaker for the Commonwealth War Graves Foundation a role which continues to date. Most recently her volunteering encompasses recording the Chelsea Pensioners on the Oral History Project at the Royal Hospital Chelsea. November 2024 saw the publication of ‘The Falklands Fallen’ with Pen & Sword Military, royalties from which are donated to the Royal Hospital.
https://www.jaymorganhyrons.com/

Jason Griffasi and Trip Harlan are body and brain optimization specialists and the founders of The Bio Optimization Institute. We discuss youth athletics, Trip's traumatic brain injuries, his powerful recovery story, altitude training, neurodegenerative diseases, elite performance and so much more.
Jason combines his personal "pain to purpose" wellness experiences along with over 19 years of launching and scaling companies across wellness, education, and nonprofit sectors. Known for building both digital and physical businesses—from online universities to international conferences—Jason brings a strategic, systems-driven approach to human optimization.
At the Institute, he bridges the gap between science, service, and scalability—delivering transformative experiences that integrate physical, cognitive, and emotional optimization. His leadership plays a key role in expanding flagship programs like The Bio Optimization Protocol and immersive retreats, while guiding clients and partners through the evolving landscape of holistic performance and longevity.Driven by a lifelong mission to help people build successful businesses and balanced lives, Jason empowers entrepreneurs and wellness leaders to align purpose, profit, and personal well-being.
Trip is a leading figure in biohacking innovation, renowned for his expertise in Nobel Prize-inspired oxygenation technology and advanced biohacking protocols.As a co-founder of The Bio Optimization Institute, Trip has revolutionized the wellness industry by integrating Eastern medicine with state of the art health technology.His work with professional athletes has set new standards in performance enhancement and recovery, showcasing his ability to blend scientific excellence with practical application.Trip's leadership and pioneering approach have established him as an expert in health optimization, driving forward the boundaries of what's possible in athletic performance and cellular recovery.
https://biooptimizationinstitute.com/

Founded by Patrick Long, a firefighter with over a decade of service in Southeast Georgia, The Decon Project began with a deeply personal mission. In February 2025, Patrick was diagnosed with Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma. After six rounds of chemotherapy, he is now grateful to be cancer free—but his fight didn’t end there.
Unsure whether his cancer was linked to the job, Patrick knew one thing for certain: no firefighter should have to face what he did. His experience ignited a new flame—a drive to help his brothers and sisters in the fire service reduce their cancer risk and stay healthy for years to come.
The Decon Project is dedicated to ensuring that no firefighter has to choose between serving their community and safeguarding their health. Through evidence-based decontamination practices, early detection programs, and essential supplies, they’re helping reduce cancer risks in the fire service—so every firefighter can go home safe and stay healthy for years to come.
https://thedeconproject.com/

Tori Gonzalez was a student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas when a former student murdered 17 school children and staff in 2018, including her boyfriend Joaquin Oliver. Anthony Gonzalez is Tori's father and was one of the responding firefighters to the attack. We discuss their early lives, Tori and Joaquin's romance, the aftermath of the massacre, grief, tactical medicine, the media, mental health and so much more.
Tori Gonzalez is a young artist, transforming pain into purpose, dedicated to pouring her heart into creating pieces that inspire and comfort others on their journey of healing.
Anthony Gonzalez is the Coral Springs–Parkland Fire Department Battalion Chief assigned to the Training Division. Battalion Chief Gonzalez has been with the city since 1995 where he began his career as a volunteer firefighter for the department until 2000 when he became a full-time firefighter for the city.
In addition to serving as one of the chiefs of training, Battalion Chief Gonzalez is also an instructor and is involved in several areas within the organization.
Battalion Chief Gonzalez earned his AS degree in Fire Science and is a State of Florida Certified Live Fire Instructor, Instructor 2, Fire Officer 2, Incident Safety Officer, Fire Safety Inspector 2, Fire Investigator 1 and a FLUSAR Rescue Specialist. Furthermore, he received his Fire Officer Designation from the Center of Public Safety Excellence (CSPE).
Responsible for training members of the team when participating in scheduled training throughout the year, Battalion Chief Gonzalez is a member of the Urban Search and Rescue Team, Florida Task Force II where he is a squad boss and directs crews on varies assignments when deployed. A few of his deployments included Hurricane Michael in 2018 and in Puerto Rico in 2020 for the Earthquakes.
Moreover, Battalion Chief Gonzalez is a Fire Instructor for the Coral Springs Regional Institute of Public Safety and has been teaching programs since 2004. Some of those programs are, minimum standards, Driver Operator, and all the courses related to Special Operations. In addition to the Special Operations curriculum, Battalion Chief Gonzalez is the Lead Instructor for the Trench Rescue course where students learn how to remove individuals trapped in a collapsed trench. This particular program leads the construction industry as being one of the most hazardous type of work in that industry. Battalion Chief Gonzalez also provides all types of training, education, knowledge and skills required to do the job.
Battalion Chief Gonzalez has received several awards and recognitions throughout his career including Administrative, Lifesaving, Unit and Team Citations and Meritorious Awards.