Endorsements
Jeffrey Mitchell PhD assists in the presentation of an honor from the World Congress on Stress Trauma and Coping, to Josey Visnovske. The author was recognized for his collaborative outreach in the field of crisis response. It was stated ” Josey exemplifies genuine care and concern for others regardless of their uniforms or the types of organizations they serve. He treats people with respect and dignity and has been a beacon of light for some who were confused and feeling lost.”
Reader Reviews
C. Ehlers – September 24, 2019 for the books and the authors ” I’m not a first responder but I am in the helping profession. It started after a high school shooting. Helping the survivors. Then we ended up at the WTC site after 9/11. Helping the responders. I met Josey in 2015. One year after my 9/11 dog died. Josey told me to read a chapter in his book. I said I would. A month later my other canine partner was killed in a car wreck.
I read that chapter and of course I cried. Like I am now. I also smiled, like I am now. As a crisis responder, when someone’s hurting, I run in to help. Helping took it’s toll and today I was told my body can no longer sustain itself if I continue. I couldn’t breathe at first. I couldn’t cry. I just got in my car and drove. I prayed but I still needed to talk. I don’t know why Josey came to mind. He was someone I barely knew but I knew he would have the down to earth, honest answers I needed to hear. And he did. As you look into the heart and soul of the stories in the Baker, the Barber and the Bricklayer, Jeffery Mitchell takes the complexities of trauma and grief and gives you a perspective to see yourself more clearly and the answers you seek unfold. In Transition Man, I am reminded, God isn’t finished with me yet. He sends you the help you need, when you need it.
Just follow the road maps”.
A. Eckman – August 21, 2019 for the series and the authors “
I was fortunate enough to have heard one of Josey’s presentations a few years back. The presentation was entitled “Dealing with Firefighter Fatalities” or something along those lines. I thought it would be the mechanics of planning an LODD funeral…………..It wasn’t. It wan’t even close………….It was something much more useful, not only to those in emergency services, but to anyone who has experienced, or will experience, trauma, especially the death of a loved one or a close co-worker…………Don’t let his appearance fool you. He may come across as a “simple country boy,” almost a Jethro Bodine caricature, at first, but under that country exterior is a mind sharp as a tack, and a heart as big as an ocean…………..Josey uses memories from his life, mixes in his experiences across a range of jobs and careers — there is a difference — leavens them with some common sense and a bit of theology, and serves up a dish that not only makes you think, but *teaches* you to think……………His talk to us was about recognizing impending stressors and channeling them to appropriate outcomes, rather than inappropriate ones. The process is furthered with Dr Mitchell’s insights and professional, reasoned analysis as a trained psychologist…………I’ve read Kubler-Ross and a number if other books on psychology, death, PTSD, and what is today called “Critical Incident Stress Management.” But no one has mastered the art of taking an incredibly complicated field like critical incident stress, mixing in motorcycles, hunting, child-rearing and cross-country travel, and turning out such insightful, readable stories as Josey and Dr Mitchell…………….Josey’s teachings helped me get through two incredibly stressful years. Within 24 months, I lost my wife, my dog, an uncle, and both parents. I also had major surgery that went wrong, and I had to move twice. By myself. At 62 years old, with a bad back and a bad hip……………But because of Josey, I was around to meet another wonderful woman, who has restored my faith in humanity…………..Josey, Dr Mitchell, this former cop/firefighter/EMT/emergency manager/husband/widower/father (and maybe husband again?)……….Thanks you from the bottom of his heart.
S. Varn – August 21, 2019 for Josey Visnovske ” I am neither a first responder nor have any military background. I have great respect for all the men and women who serve us in that capacity and I am proud to say that I am a friend of one such man, Josey Visnovske……..I’ve known Josey for several years. Obviously I knew his background was law enforcement and his current job of fire investigator. Yet while we were friends there was still a part of him I didn’t know well. He never really went in depth into the challenges of his job, other than the fact that he felt hindered in his ability to help people in the way he would have liked to. That’s what always struck me. He wasn’t just doing a job and collecting a pay check. He REALLY wanted to help people……….I never really understood what he did and what he had to deal with until I read his book, “The Transition Man”. It really opened my eyes to the struggles that must take place in Josey’s mind and life. He’s been exposed to things that would send another person running for cover. But he is on a mission to serve others so he confronts, maybe even embraces, his responsibilities like none other. His book revealed to me his various coping mechanisms and how he is able to deal with his conflicts. The woods is his sanctuary. That is clear and obvious. He is able to find a level of inner piece when he retreats to nature. Whether he is hunting or merely observing God’s great creatures, he is one with the beauty that surrounds us. Unlike most he doesn’t take this for granted and relishes his time there……….Josey’s book exposed to me the soul of a man that genuinely wants to make a difference. He is real. He is authentic and he is someone we could use more of today……..I would highly recommend The Transition Man as a collection of stories which readers should come to appreciate. It gives insight into a nasty job and the character of a man that has to work within it’s confines. It shows his inner battles and his attempts at finding peace. It’s very powerful and enlightening.
K. Wells – July 13, 2016 for Crucial Moments “I was recommended this book to help my husband make sense out of a horrific accident he was involved in. I can not express enough the difference the lessons within these pages have made for him. Thank you Josey for all you have done and continue to do for us and others caught in a crucial moment. “
S. Gibbs – May 26, 2015 for Crucial Moments “Excellent read whether your new to CISM or a seasoned provider. Mitchell and Visnovske provide great examples of the positive and negative in human emotion and most importantly hope for recovery. A definite must read!”
Artemis779 – May 5, 2015 for Crucial Moments ” Excellent book! Intriguing narratives and follow up lessons. A must read for CISM providers and public safety personnel alike.”
R. Beach – August 29, 2017 for Sister Mary…. ” Must read pages 126 to 127!! You will cry”
H. Anderson – August 30, 2017 for Sister Mary…. ” Follow up book to “Crucial Moments”. These books were recommended to my family after my husband experienced a near fatal line of duty incident while working as a firefighter. Incredibly insightful. Gives you a view of how the mind processes traumatic events. When you are aware of how your mind responds during and after such experiences, the knowledge helps you negotiate a path to recovery. Entertaining true stories filled with emotion are followed by professional insight. This book has become a valuable asset to our healing. Helpful for anyone dealing with, or caring for someone experiencing loss, PTSD, or any type of emotional trauma.”
Anne R. – May 9, 2019 for Transition Man ” his book is so raw and real, I was fascinated. Both authors are amazing. I know Josey personally and he is all that he says he is and his recap of life and situations hit my heart. This book not only brings wisdom but hope. We look at things differently as the transitions emerge in our lives. Thank you for sharing great heartfelt words.”
Chaplain Bill Leighton – August 14, 2019 for the series ” I am writing to voice my compliments for the books at Crucialmoments.org. As a fire department chaplain who interacts with folks in crisis or those responding to crisis, these books are a value resource. I have read and applied much of the material for myself. In addition, I have used insights from these books to minister to others. I have also encouraged the purchase of these books to law enforcement friends and other first responders. I have received high praises for these books from those folks who have acquired them. These same folks have handed them off to others who’ve gained great benefit from reading the material. Useful and valuable is quite an understatement for their worth. Those of us who work in high stress and crisis situations desperately need the resources contained in these books. “
T. Bridges – August 15, 2019 for the series ” I have been greatly inspired by the three books by Dr. Mitchell and Mr. Visnovske. Being a Catholic school principal, I appreciate the role of God in the lives and stories of these men. Keep on writing! (Reminds me of the writings of Mitch Albom.) “
M. Gonzalez – August 15, 2019 for the series ” As a Chaplain for Miami-Dade Fire Rescue I have experienced the privilege of accompanying many through their personal journey of pain and trauma. I have always found it to be a great honor to be invited into the intimacy of a personal story because you are trusted. It is even more remarkable, when someone allows you in to the raw intimacy of how they process the deep pain in their soul, with the intention of providing some footprints to follow in the journey from wounded-ness to wholeness. My friend “Josey” is such a someone. Thank you for your transparent heart in the service of others. I know your stories will resonate with many. Well done brother. “
M. Wells – August 17, 2019 for the series ” Just wanted to pass along that the books have helped another reader. I was like many others that may have had that secret within that their “bell got rung” but thought it wasn’t normal and they shouldn’t tell anyone. After all you don’t want to be labeled as “that guy.” I got stuck on the hamster wheel. I was sitting in a conference listening to Josie speak and realized that I wasn’t alone and their was a way off the hamster wheel. ……… I read the books and could relate so much to the stories. It made be realize I wasn’t the only one with the hamster wheel problem and it’s ok that it’s hard to process some things……………The books are written by people with experience with those that serve. Not by people from an office who do not have a connection to our world………….Keep it up guys and thanks for what you do!
J. Smith – August 20, 2019 for the series “He writes with authenticity and grit that goes right to the heart of the matter. This book is much needed in today’s world!”
A. Trinchet – August 29, 2019 for the author and the series “Josey is not only a phenomenal storyteller he is also an exceptional human being. His compassion for others is seen in his stories that he weaves. Stories of individual’s struggling through adversity and how hope can be found by the compassion of others. Compassion that I have seen him provide in person he has so eloquently has penned.” Lieutenant/Chaplain Alex Trinchet
S. Cumby – August 22, 2019 “While not a first responder, I am the widow of a Special Agent whose career very closely mirrored Josey’s and I am also the surviving Sister of a fallen officer. I have seen firsthand the devastating effects of this type of work on those that devote their lives to it and the families that support them. These losses occurred before the movement toward recognizing the after effects and providing support for these officers. A movement that Josey has dedicated a good portion of his career to studying, promoting, and participating in. Josey’s stories gave me new insight into the horrors of the work that my family members shielded me from, and I have to say the details “rang my bell”. His personal description of how he has learned to process these events in addition to Dr. Mitchell’s professional validation of what are positive, healthy avenues for doing so, make me ache for those that have yet to find or understand these techniques. Transition Man is a new tool for helping those that are struggling with critical incidents, loss, and grief. The stories speak to first responders as well as to anyone finding themselves with unresolved emotions. You will never forget, but this book will help you get accustomed to the “new normal” and I highly recommend it as part of the journey.”
J. Gainous – September 1, 2019 – “After I read Crucial Moments I went on to finish reading all three books authored jointly by Visnovske and Mitchell. I both learned and enjoyed from the true stories in the books. The authors give you two different perspectives in the books. Visnovske gives you stories and Mitchell gives you insight into the stories. I highly recommend all tree books.”
N. Li Brown – September 10, 2019 – ” As a nurse I have witnessed many people go through the grieving process following the death of a loved one. The stories in the book were very relate-able and I would encourage anyone who is experiencing a lose to read this book.”