Healing the Soul: Psychiatry, Trauma and Human Connection

In Episode 97 of Beneath the Helmet, Arjuna George sits down with psychiatrist Dr. Hector Rodriguez, founder of White Butterfly Clinic, for a grounded conversation on healing the soul through psychiatry, trauma awareness, and human connection.

Dr. Rodriguez shares how trauma patterns show up in the brain, why emotional intelligence is neurological and trainable, and how curiosity, lifestyle, and connection support healing. This episode explores Big T, middle T, and little t trauma, somatic symptoms, moral injury, and the challenges first responders face during major transitions like retirement.

This conversation is especially relevant for firefighters, first responders, leaders, and anyone navigating chronic stress, trauma responses, or identity shifts.

Guest Information:
White Butterfly Clinic
Website: whitebutterflyclinic.com
Free digital magazine available on the site.
Dr. Rodriguez works with clients worldwide, providing psychiatry services in Florida and California, and consulting with medical teams globally.

Host Arjuna George - Fire Chief (ret)

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Key Timestamps

00:00 – Welcome and episode introduction
01:40 – Dr. Hector Rodriguez’s path to psychiatry
03:00 – Psychiatry as the medical treatment of the soul
06:00 – Trauma, neuroscience, and emotional intelligence
09:00 – How the brain responds to trauma
11:00 – Assessing trauma through conversation, blood work, and SPECT scans
14:00 – The cerebellum, balance, and trauma patterns
20:00 – Treating the soul and the importance of human connection
24:00 – Moral injury and first responders
29:00 – Big T, middle T, and little t trauma explained
35:00 – Somatic symptoms and misunderstood trauma responses
38:00 – Curiosity as a healing force for the brain
47:00 – Retirement, identity, and dopamine loss
50:00 – Coaching, purpose, and life after the uniform
53:00 – Breaking stigma around psychiatry and seeking support
58:00 – How to connect with Dr. Rodriguez and closing reflections

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