Brave Beyond Service: Part 3 | Home, But Not Whole Yet

She came home to family—but is in a fight to find herself.

She hung up the uniform and returned to the life she left behind… but nothing feels the same.
Not her routine. Not her relationships. Not even herself.

In this episode of Brave Beyond Service, we’re talking about what really happens when a woman comes home from military service—and realizes she’s not the same, and neither is the world she came back to.

From the unspoken pressure to “snap back,” to the guilt of not feeling grateful enough, we explore the quiet unraveling of reintegration—and why it takes more grace than grit to find your footing in a life that’s moved on without you.

In this episode, we explore:

• Why reintegration feels more like a collision than a return
• How invisible shifts in identity can leave you feeling out of place in your own life
• Real stories from women who came home and felt like strangers in their own homes
• What horses have taught us about softening, grounding, and healing without pretending
• Four small but powerful steps to start honoring who you are now

Guided Reflection:
Take a few deep breaths, get still, and ask yourself:
• What version of me are people expecting to see?
• What version of me feels most real right now?
• Where do those two selves collide—and how can I begin to honor both?

This episode won’t hand you neat answers.
 But it will give you space to start seeing yourself more clearly.

Special Invitation
Join us June 6–7 at Trinity Equestrian Center for the WDVA Women Veterans Retreat.
No cost. No pressure. Just soul-filling connection, truth-telling, and sisterhood.
Toni will be speaking on Who Am I Now?—and you’ll be surrounded by women who get it.

Resources for the Road
Support for navigating life after service and deep identity shifts:

• Toni’s Website & Free Tools — Tools, podcast episodes, retreat info, and more:
  🔗 www.tonimattson.com
• WDVA Women Veterans Retreat — June 6–7 at Trinity Equestrian Center:
  🔗 http://bit.ly/4c8xjuE
• Trinity Equestrian Center — Equine-assisted services for veterans and families:
  🔗 www.trinity-ec.com | ☎️ (715) 835-4530
• VA Vet Center — Confidential readjustment counseling:
  🔗 www.vetcenter.va.gov | ☎️ 1-877-WAR-VETS
• Cohen Veterans Network — Mental health support for post-9/11 veterans and families:
  🔗 www.cohenveteransnetwork.org
• Service Women’s Action Network (SWAN) — Advocacy and support:
  🔗 www.servicewomen.org
• Women Veterans Network (WoVeN) — Peer support and connection:
  🔗 www.wovenwomenvets.org
• Military OneSource Transition Support — Help with employment, family, and transitions:
  🔗 www.militaryonesource.mil
• Blue Star Families — Community programs for military-connected families:
  🔗 www.bluestarfam.org
• The Headstrong Project — Free mental health care for veterans:
  🔗 www.theheadstrongproject.org

Recommended Reading:

• The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk
• Homefront 911 by Stacy Bannerman
• Unlikely Recruits by Toni Mattson — 20 real stories of veterans finding healing through horses and faith