Skip to content The Jesus Approach to Trauma Recovery with David Tharp & Scott Meador Dec 4 · 1 hr 1 min ...more
The Jesus Approach to Trauma Recovery with David Tharp & Scott Meador
December 4, 2025 · 1 hr 1 min
Join Hope Talks as guests share their transformative journey from despair to hope in Christ.
Series Hope Talks Podcast Videos December 4, 2025 · 1 hr 1 min · Hope Talks Podcast Videos
Join Hope Talks as guests share their transformative journey from despair to hope in Christ. ...more Show the full description Show less Join Hope Talks as guests share their transformative journey from despair to hope in Christ.
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Hope for the Heart is a worldwide biblical counseling, coaching, and caregiving ministry founded by June Hunt in 1986. We’re passionate about helping people
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From Despair to Divine Intervention: Personal Hope Stories 0:00 There are men and women who have been traumatized through childhood, through experiences, relationships0:06 Illness, everything.0:07 Everything you can possibly imagine. But the key thing is is that I think that God used us in this process to create take biblical principles and apply it to practical things0:18 Yeah.0:18 And that people can relate to them. And then they're like, if you can get through that because of what you've been through in war Mhmm. Maybe that gives me hope. Yeah. That I can get through this.0:28 Welcome to Hope Talks. We're your hosts. I'm Haley Scully along with Dustin Anderson, and we wanna give you every reason for hope for every challenge in life because hope means everything.0:44 Coming to you live. I I wanted to start it that way. I don't know if I've always wanted, but coming to you live from Hope Together 20 25. That's right. And I'm rhyming. I really think that that intro was great. But,0:55 Dustin, we are doing Hope Talks still here at Hope Together, and we have guests with us. Tell us tell our Hope Talks audience who we have sitting here.1:04 Yes. We have 2 friends with us from the ministry. We have, David Tharp and, Scott Meader. So just a quick introduction. I'm gonna take a deep breath for this 1 because you guys are doing a lot here.1:16 Yeah. It's awesome.1:16 But, David Tharp, lieutenant colonel of United States Air Force Reserve, served as a NATO medical adviser in Afghanistan. Is that right?1:25 Mhmm.1:25 Getting that right so1:26 far. Yep.1:27 Previously a program manager of the third largest PTSD program of in the Department of Veterans Affairs. So we're probably gonna get into some PTSD, trauma and recovery. That's what these guys do. But also1:39 clinical psychologist for combat veterans, former first responder, founded Project Healing Heroes. We're gonna get into that a little bit of that ministry and training you guys do.1:49 It's actually doctor David Tharpe. Doc.1:51 I like that part. Yep.1:52 Yep. And then, Scott Meador serves as the COO and board member for Project Healing Heroes. And also, we were just talking about you were an EOD tech, as well in the army. And so you guys have2:05 been with us. You've developed these training courses called Up Armor, that kinda walks through trauma and recovery coaching, with us in our coaching arm of the ministry at ICCI. And so2:16 we're gonna get into that and a little bit today, but just so grateful for you guys and the training that you provide, especially for veterans and first responders. Thank you for being here today, and we're looking2:27 forward to hearing your hope story.2:29 Yeah. And thanks for confessing that you were gonna play a trick on us and how we didn't have time to do that because I think that was was wise. But, no, we're so excited. We do I mean, you guys have been doing Up Armor2:41 and your books and just helping veterans for so long and getting to just hopefully kinda come alongside you in that. But, you know, on Hope Talks, we do like to hear some hope stories. We like to talk about practical,2:53 tangible stories of hope and what that has looked like for people. Scott, you're closest to me. What's a hope story? A time that you kinda learned to put your hope in Christ and what that meant.3:02 Mine is really easy.3:04 It was3:04 13 years ago. At the time, I had 2 best selling books on Amazon. I had made partner at my company at the youngest age ever. I was married. I had 2 beautiful little girls at home.3:17 Everything sounds great. Right? Mhmm. That's when I decided I wanted to kill myself.3:22 Oh,3:22 god. And thought that I was worthless and that my family would be better off with the life insurance money than they were with me.3:31 Wow.3:32 And I knew if I ate a bullet, they wouldn't get the check. So my wife sent me to the grocery store 1 night. And in my hometown, there's a major 4 lane highway right in front of the grocery store. And I pulled out of the3:43 grocery store, stopped at the stop sign, and waited on the next 18 wheeler so I could pull out in front of it. And for 45 minutes, I sat there. Not only3:55 did not a single 18 wheeler come by, not a single car come down highway 69 for 45 minutes. And you're so messed up in4:07 the head when you're at that point. The the reason I went home and I give up was I was like, well, my wife sent me to the grocery store. She's gonna be worried about what's taking so long. Mhmm. It it makes no4:19 sense.4:20 Yeah.4:21 And then that was on a Friday night. Sunday, I walk into the church and a guy hits me just soon as I come in the door. They have this men's boot camp, a very intense4:33 meeting or weekend that they have for guys. Mhmm. I had paid for it 2 years earlier, thinking that if I gave them their money, they would leave me alone.4:42 Right.4:42 And I could get out of having to go. And he hit me as soon as I walked in the door and he's like, there's boot camp next weekend, you're going. Don't wanna hear excuses, don't wanna hear about work, don't wanna hear4:52 about nothing, you're going. Mhmm. And went that weekend and learned that there were some things from my past, I'm sure the stuff will come up as we talk, that I had5:04 not dealt with and learned to bring my value from what God saw in me and not what others saw in me. Yeah. And then about 2 weeks later, a friend5:16 of mine come up and said, hey. There's this guy coming to speak at this lone star church. He deals with PTSD and stuff. I think you need to go with me. And, this knucklehead5:28 was talking, and he said 1 thing while he was speaking. I still had the PTSD part. I was working on everything. Knew to find my value in Christ and in in who5:40 I was through him, but I still had that stuff, this feeling that I was broken, that there was something wrong with me. Mhmm. And David talked about 1 thing during his talk and the light bulb come on. And I5:51 realized I'm not broken. I'm normal. It's normal to be here.5:58 Mhmm.5:58 And ever since then, I have done everything that I can do, not only volunteering and leading boot camps and helping other guys, but not only doing that, but then it ain't a lot that I can6:10 do. You read through his bio Mhmm. And you could've ended mine with not a doctor. I'm not a psychiatrist. I'm not that guy. But, like to do what I can6:22 to try to help, the ministry in any way that I can. So then I got involved and it has grown from there.6:29 When Scott says that, let me just tell you, we he made me a we had to have a promise made between us. And he said, I will help you in this ministry, but under no circumstances will you put me6:41 in front of people or in front of a microphone or speak at any conference. And I said, okay, we got a deal. I promise. And did I keep my promise?6:49 David kept his promise, but I've always heard, if you wanna hear God laugh, tell him your plans.6:54 Lord. Yeah.6:55 He was belly rolling the day that I said that, I guarantee, because we had no idea what was coming. Yeah. But I can honestly say, wouldn't change a thing.7:05 We talk about hope together and bringing hope together, but the the the thought of you sitting there waiting for a truck to come by and thinking about where you were in that7:17 moment, that is just incredibly painful. And thinking of that's where hope is the the most real, that the god of the universe shut down traffic.7:29 Yeah. The highway was closed. He could not explain.7:32 He shut it down, and then the the positions that he put you in to get you to where you are. I mean, if that's not knowing how to put our hope in Christ, God moves.7:44 He moves, and I'm really glad that you're here.7:46 You know, in the military, we talk about somebody having your 6. Right?7:49 Mhmm.7:50 It it doesn't work, by the way, when you work with, with kids that are used to digital clocks because they're like, what?7:56 And I was7:57 telling my kids, I'm like, you know, when when somebody's got your 6, and they're like, looking at me like I've totally lost my mind. And I'm like, oh, you don't have a clue what I'm8:05 talking about. And I'm8:07 telling you, Scott has been there in every capacity for the past. How many years have we been doing this? It's almost been like 9?8:14 9? At this point.8:15 Yeah. It's a yeah. So since 20 16, we started the organization and it wasn't long after that, that I did the talk in Tyler. And we've got a story for you on that 1 too about how how the Lord really brought, brought8:27 Up Armor together and everything else. But I think you said you wanted to hear my hope stories.8:31 Yeah. I would love that.8:32 I'm gonna try to do my best to get through this without tears. When I was in the Kandahar, Afghanistan, so it was my job to identify anybody that got killed in the air. So I probably,8:44 I I write in the books of 100 people that I probably saw, die, but it was closer to 300. I never want somebody to challenge my integrity to say, you know, I'm overstating something.8:54 Yeah.8:55 And it was bad. I mean, it was tough. I'm not gonna kid you. And I went to seminary as well. Mhmm. Northern Baptist Seminary, and I worked in hospice. I worked on trauma level 1 centers. I, you know, I graduated number 19:06 in my doctoral program out of 77. I was top it was the top 2 percent at the federal law enforcement training center with secret service and the FBI and all these other agencies. And all of that, I only say that9:18 because I felt like I was in a really good position. I'm like, if anybody can do this, I'll be fine. Yeah. Yeah. Well, I wasn't. I'm gonna tell you.9:30 There's actually 2 things that we found out in that whole process. So in Kandahar, when there's a rocket that comes in, an alarm system that we would have that you would hear this 19 fifties British sound that would go9:41 off half the time9:43 Oh, gosh.9:44 That the, that the rocket would come in9:46 Mhmm.9:46 Which means the other half, it didn't work.9:48 Right.9:49 But the whole idea was to, hit the ground when you hear the sound because you pair psychologically sound, ground, sound, ground, sound, ground. Mhmm. So you've got conditioning that's happening. After I came back, came9:59 out of Afghanistan, I was at a Texas roadhouse and, somebody had that sound on on their phone. And so I go, I I go to grab my kids and my wife and I don't don't judge10:11 me. I don't know why I didn't, but I just dove on the ground and covered up because that's what you did in a war zone. Yeah. My brain did not recognize the fact that I'm no longer there. I was responding10:24 just like a paired, like, thing on your watch, like an Apple Watch or something up. I had been paired up through conditioning that that's exactly what you did. Mhmm. And I realized, I'm like, oh my gosh. I'm that guy10:36 now. Like, how did this happen? Yeah. So I flip over and, of course, you gotta make light of it because what do you do? Right. So my wife is like, what are you doing? And I'm like, I'm checking out the peanuts.10:45 I wanna make sure they're okay.10:47 And she's like, what? And so I sit up in the chair, and she's like, do you wanna talk about it? And I said, not on your life.10:53 Yeah.10:53 And she's like, why? I said, because if I do, I'm gonna start crying, and I'm not gonna be able to stop. Right.10:58 It it10:59 it's just those kinds of things that hit you. So my hope story was in Kandahar. And let's just say that there's, there's a lot of stress that happens. So we would work 16 hour days. That was11:11 not unusual. It it's intense. I remember 1 time that there was, a rocket that came in and I said I was talking to my wife and I said, I've gotta go, but I didn't call her back for 3 days. Well, you can imagine how that11:22 went because she was just, like, faking the worst. While I was in Kandahar, I had a situation where I started I couldn't feel my legs. Like, all of a sudden, things are not going well. And then it started moving up11:34 higher and higher and higher. So because I was good friends with the neurologist and stuff, I said, hey, I've got a troop. You know, that whole, hey, I got a friend? Asking for a friend. And I said, yeah. Asking for a11:44 friend. I said, hey, what do you think's going on with somebody who, you know, has no feeling, you know, and and it's moving upward. And he's like, what? I'm like, yeah, it's kind of like, you know, it started in my11:56 started in their feet. You know, and, and, and, and I, and I said, and it's got a right they're telling me it goes right about here to their chest. And he's like, David, they've had a spinal12:08 cord injury. I'm like, how's that even possible? When there's nothing happened, he goes, I have no idea. But do you wanna talk about it? And I'm like, yeah. I think I probably ought to. And he goes, what's going on? I12:19 said, I don't know. I said, I can't feel anything. So I took my fist and I punched myself in the chest. I go, I can't feel that at all. And he's like, are you serious? I'm like, yeah. So we started treatment for me at12:30 that point to reduce the swelling that we had found in my spinal cord. Long story short, I come back through the medical system that I was actually commanding.12:37 Mhmm.12:38 And I finally get to SAMHSA or BAMHSA, what they call BAMHSA now in San Antonio military medical center. The neurologist sees me and they had done an MRI, but they couldn't find anything. So12:50 when when you have a person who has symptoms reported symptoms, but nothing is showing up on any of their tests, they just come out of a war zone. I get the13:01 conclusion that he drew. And his answer was, I think this is in your head. Mhmm. I e, it's a conversion disorder. Well, I know what that means. And and I'm because I'm a psychologist, I'm tracking. I'm like, this13:13 is no conversion disorder. And he's like, no, I think it is. And I'm like, well, I think you're wrong. So we're having this dialogue. And so long story short, he actually he actually has 2 of his residents come in13:25 and see me. And I'm like, yeah, you never go against an attending. So the first doctor comes in and does a few tests and says, yeah, I agree with the attending. And I'm like, yeah, of course you do.13:36 Mhmm.13:36 The second 1 comes in and says, do you mind if I do some tests? I'm like, fine. Do you guys know what a patellar tendon reflex is? That's when you hit your knee right right below the knee and you can see13:45 Funny bone or whatever. Yeah.13:47 Yeah. On your knee. Yeah. Funny bone on your knee. There you go. And so he hits me there and he go and there's no reflex. Nothing. Wow. And he said, you have no patellar tendon reflexes. And13:58 I said, I know. He goes, well, you know? And I said, yeah. I said, I'm not good. He's like, what? I said, I'm so good, I can fake a non reflex. And he's like, what? I said, yeah. I can control my body so14:10 well, I can make it stop reflexing. Asked me if I'm in pain, and he said, why? I said, because I don't want you to lose your career over me. Yeah. So I end up leaving there. We go to Waco, Texas where I'm from. It's14:22 4 AM, and I wake my wife up, and I say, we have to go to the hospital now. And she goes, why? I said, I am in so much pain. I can't stand it. And so we're driving it. I said, is the truck locked? And she goes, yeah. Why?14:33 I said, I'm gonna jump out. And she's like, do not jump out of this truck. I said, I can't take the pain anymore. So we get to the hospital and, they do you know what Demerol is?14:45 Yeah. Very strong powerful med. So they give me Demerol. No effect. Nothing. They give me more Demerol. No effect. And so finally, after all of this, they, my church family, she texts them and says, please pray for14:56 David. So my doctor is on there, and he says, what's going on with David? And he's like, I don't know. I think he's a drug user because he's not reacting to the medicine. I'm like, he goes, he is not a drug user. I can15:08 assure you.15:09 Yeah.15:09 And so he's like, treat him. And so I what ended up happening was I asked for a muscle relaxer, and all of a sudden, it completely changed everything. But I was literally begging God to let me die. I wanted him to take15:21 my life because it was so painful. And at that moment, 1 of the doctors came and said, I need to talk to you. And I said, okay. What's going on? He said, on behalf of all neurology, I need to apologize. And I said,15:32 why? And he said, you have a spinal cord lesion in your spine at that's 3 centimeters long at c 2 c 3. By the way, how's your breathing? I said, I'm having difficulty. He goes, you're very lucky that you15:44 can breathe at all.15:46 Wow. So when did you realize you were in pain? Was the knee thing like a trigger for feeling the pain or had you been feeling that pain all along?15:56 The the the reality is I couldn't feel anything.15:58 You couldn't feel anything.15:59 I had no ability what had happened was that the swelling from the spinal cord lesion had gotten so bad that it blocked the ability for me to feel any pain at all until16:11 I had muscle spasticity. And then it went So16:15 the muscle relaxer16:17 muscle spasticity. Okay. And so and and the funny part was is that I after that happened, my pain went from, like, a 10 out of 10 to, like, a 2 in 30 seconds. And so the doctor's16:29 like, what in the world just happened? And I said, no disrespect, doc, but you're the doctor, not me.16:34 What do16:34 you think happened? And he goes, I've never seen anything like this. And that's when they found the spinal cord lesion in my spine. But, of course, then my request my response is, is there anything you can do about it?16:44 And they're like, no. Mhmm. And I'm like, so am I gonna be like this for the rest of my life? He's like, I hope not. Oh, my word. So when you have things like that happen, it really brings you to your knees.16:56 Mhmm. And16:57 so I'll just share the last part of it. There was a period of time right after that when I went home, And I told my wife, Catherine, I said, whatever happens, you cannot let me fall asleep. And she's like,17:09 why? And I said, because if I do, I'm not gonna wake up. And it was tough.17:15 Yeah.17:15 It was so hard because you get to a point where where you feel such incredible pain that we we tell people it's not that you want to die, it's that you want the pain to stop. Yeah. And17:27 that's the issue is so many people that we deal with are in so much pain that they would just they're just to the point that they they just want the pain to stop. Right. And I was so, to my to a point in my life where17:39 I was just I'm like, please do not let me fall asleep. Please do not let me fall asleep. I was totally convinced that if I fall asleep that night, I was never gonna wake up again.17:48 Oh my goodness. How did they treat that?17:51 So long story short, I have MS.17:54 Okay.17:55 So we found out over time and things that I had more of these lesions happen. So I I take medicine for it and things of that nature, and thank the lord I'm doing really well, with all the medicine and everything else.18:06 But, it's been a long haul. I'm not gonna get you.18:09 So it was part of the stress in your body Yeah. That had tightened you up, that you weren't feeling the symptoms of a major lesion on your spinal cord.18:18 Mhmm.18:19 So you're actually dealing with 2 life threatening issues, the stress that you were feeling and the physical diagnosis. Yeah. I mean, how did you begin to process the18:31 stress after finding that?18:33 Well, again, you know, when all of my background, all of my training, everything, you know, when I'm going through all this stuff. And what was hard was when we were going through this and they couldn't find the answer,18:43 my wife is like David, but because she was a she was going to medical school. Mhmm. And she's like, there's nothing there. Are you sure you're not making this up? And I'm like, I can assure you I'm not. I don't18:54 know how I'm gonna prove it to you, but I'm telling you there's something wrong. And that's when it's the hardest is when the people that are the closest to you, when you're trying to explain, like, you know, I'm I don't19:05 know how to prove it, but I'm telling you there's something wrong.19:08 Yeah.19:08 And, and then when the neurologist, you know, intervened and stuff and told us what was going on, that's when it changed.19:14 How did that change the trajectory of where you were? Obviously, you came off of the field. What where did that lead you to?19:23 My wife and I needed to get away. Mhmm. So we went to Hawaii to take a break. For 4 months, I couldn't eat by myself. I had to have a physical therapist help me to use those little things that are spongy on forks because19:35 I'd hit my mouth and miss. And so my mother-in-law moved in with us, because I couldn't tell take care of the kids. As a matter of fact, 1 of the hardest things psychologically was I was so looking forward to coming home19:44 and playing with my son with football. And I grabbed the football, and I had no muscle strength really, and it fell right out of my hand on the on the ground. And he at 5, he runs up, grabs the ball, puts it in my hands,19:55 and says, daddy, it's okay. 1 day we'll play again.19:58 Oh, gosh.19:59 David. It's tough. Being yeah. We're trying hard to make you cry today.20:04 I know. Doctor. But it it it's crying.20:08 It's terrible. I mean, it's I mean, everybody believes that their spouse, you know, is oh, I you know, their spouse is beautiful and smart. Yeah. Mine really is. She graduated in the top20:20 3 of psychiatrists in the country. Oh. Off the charts. Really smart.20:25 Mhmm.20:25 And so when we were in Hawaii, this is how PHH come about. And so what happened was she said, David, I think I finally have an answer to help you. Good. Because I hadn't gotten an answer from anybody.20:38 The VA wasn't working out. Nothing was going well. And I said, great. I finally have an answer that I can use. I said, what is it? And she said, David, the answer lies within you. And I was like, are you kidding me?20:49 I had lost it. And I and what did guys do? They get mad. So I stormed off and walked off. And I'm like, lord Yeah. This woman you gave me.20:59 You know? That's that's right.21:01 And so after I calmed down, I came back and I'm like, why would you say that to me? And she's like, because of all the things that God has given you. Think about everything that he has given you. If anybody can figure it21:13 out, you can. So my question is, what would you do to help somebody in your position? And I said, let me tell you what I wouldn't do. And she said, that wasn't my question.21:21 Right.21:22 I wanna know what you would do.21:23 Yeah.21:24 And so she's like, write it down. So I started writing it down, and she goes, good. Keep writing. And that's how the first book for PHH came about.21:31 Wow.21:32 So she really is. Okay.21:35 Yeah. So we can blame her. Yeah. And your wife. Yeah. When we21:40 get to the Up Armor program, we can blame my wife.21:42 I get you. Yeah. So, like, how does like,21:45 what's I'm trying to just kinda connect this calling and development of Sure. Of of these courses. And so, obviously, you've both come out of just the the PTSD, very traumatic situations,Show more In this video 0:00 From Despair to Divine Intervention: Personal Hope Stories21:46 Overcoming Trauma: David's Battle and the Birth of a Ministry44:16 The Jesus Approach to Trauma Recovery and Hope for All
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