M.E. Heald graduated 2006 with a double major in Criminal Justice and Psychology, and in 2010 with a masters in Criminal Justice specific to gangs and youth offenders. She has worked all over the place, including food service, sales, a few years as a promotional and advertising model, a year as a Miller Light Gal, she has also been an advocate at a sexual assault center and has spent the last 7 years as a corrections officer, the last 9 as a case manager. She trains new staff in self-defense, control tactics, crisis intervention, motivational interviewing, scenario-based trainings, conflict management, negotiations and more.

In this episode, M.E. Heald and I discuss:

Practicing situational awareness
Understanding the criminal mind
Crisis intervention and negotiations
Safety tips to use when travelling

Key Takeaways:

Be aware and listen to your gut - it will save you from a lot of trouble.
Understanding the criminal mind will help you keep yourself safe and be one step ahead of predators.
People are complicated, there are a lot of things that happen that make people who they are - choices they made and choices that were made upon them.
Give people a way out, if it's an option, when intervening in a crisis and you might get to them more effectively.

"Know your surroundings, know your go-to places, let the people you trust know where you're going, know who you're with" — M.E. Heald

Connect with M.E. Heald:

Website: https://500rising.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mheald10/?hl=en

CONNECT WITH CYNTHIA:

If you'd like to chat with Cynthia, sign up for your Personal Safety Preparedness Consultation with her today!

Remember to subscribe to "Born to Be A Badass" so that you don't miss a single episode, and join us in the "Born to Be A Badass Collective" group on Facebook. While you're at it, won't you take a moment to write a short review and rate our show? It would be greatly appreciated!

If you work in the self-defense world, are a survivor, a healer or otherwise BADASS woman and you would like to be interviewed by Cynthia, reach out at cynthia@jolicoeur.com

To learn more about previous guests, listen to past episodes, and get to know your host, go to Apple Podcasts or here.

Connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Linkedin

073 - INTERVIEW: Practicing Situational Awareness with M.E. Heald