What the Research Tells Us With Dr. Jessenia Ogunade

We talk a lot about breathwork and mindfulness on this show — but what does the actual research say? Dr. Tracie L. Keesee sits down with Dr. Jessenia G. Ogunande, a retired 20-year NYPD officer turned psychologist, to separate the evidence from the anecdotes and dig into what's really working — and what's still missing — in first responder wellness.WHAT WE COVERWhat we know with confidence about first responder physical, mental, and social wellness — and the gaps still missing from the research, including a global south perspective and the officer's own lived experienceThe real reason most officers skip wellness programs — and it isn't the one you'd expectHow leadership can move beyond performative wellness programs to ones that actually get usedWhy "how are you doing?" has to be asked more than once before you get a real answerWhat agencies should be doing differently to support officers from recruitment through retirement — and why check-ins can't stop after the first five yearsInnovative models worth stealing, including Arizona DPS's paid sabbatical programWhat skeptics still get wrong about breathwork and mindfulness — and the neuroscience that explains why the practice worksWhy box breathing doesn't work for everyone, and how to find the self-regulation tool that actually fitsThe one truth about wellness programs that every chief needs to hear: you can't build something for officers without officersABOUT DR. JESSENIA G. OGUNANDE PhD, LMSWDr. Jessenia Ogunande is an international psychologist, licensed social worker, executive coach, and educator, and a retired NYPD officer with 20 years of law enforcement experience. She is the founder of Larimar Counseling Services LMSW PLLC, a trauma-informed practice supporting first responders, particularly women, and serves as faculty and clinical supervisor at the Institute for Contemporary Psychotherapy in New York City. Her work focuses on trauma, recovery, leadership development, and culturally responsive wellness practices.ABOUT THE JUST BREATHE PODCASTJust Breathe with Dr. Tracie L. Keesee is a leadership platform for first responders and public safety professionals. Each episode explores how leadership, judgment, accountability, and wellness are shaped by the internal state of the leader making the decision — on the street, in the command staff meeting, and at home. New episodes drop every other week. Control the breath. Control the moment.