Welcome to Season 1 of Brave Compassion.

In this opening episode, Kate introduces Holding on to H.A.P.P.Y. – A Framework for Resilience and Thriving in Life — a practical, evidence-based process developed through decades of clinical work and lived experience.

Resilience isn’t something we stumble into by accident. It’s built — through habits, mindset, perspective, self-compassion, and clarity about who we want to be.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why resilience must be intentional
• The five pillars of the H.A.P.P.Y. framework
• How habits, attitude, perspective, permission, and purpose work together
• How to use this season to build skills that support both surviving hard seasons and truly thriving in life

Whether you’re a first responder, frontline worker, helping professional, or simply navigating a difficult chapter, this framework is designed to be your operational guide for showing up with courage, clarity, and compassion.

Be sure to download the Holding on to H.A.P.P.Y. guide linked in the show notes so you can follow along and personalize the framework for your life.

You don’t get resilient by accident.
But you can learn how.

Welcome to Brave Compassion

Welcome to Brave Compassion — a podcast about real-life resilience for real people.

Hosted by Kate Pieper, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist specializing in trauma and resilience, this podcast draws on more than 30 years of clinical experience working with individuals, couples, families, and frontline agencies — along with the hard-earned lessons of lived experience.

Resilience isn’t about “bouncing back.” We don’t bounce back from trauma or life-altering seasons. Instead, we learn to weave those experiences — and the meaning we make of them — into the fabric of our lives. We grow stronger. Wiser. Kinder. Clearer about what truly matters.

In this introductory episode, Kate shares the heart behind Brave Compassion and gives an overview of the four seasons:

• Season 1: Holding on to H.A.P.P.Y. — A Framework for Resilience and Thriving in Life
• Season 2: Meanderings from a Trauma Therapist — Reflections on trauma and recovery in real life
• Season 3: Relationship Resilience — Skills and stories for connection during tough times
• Season 4: Books That Help When Life Is Heavy — Wisdom from authors who guide us through hard seasons

Whether you’re a first responder, frontline worker, helping professional, or someone navigating a difficult chapter, this podcast is designed to skip the platitudes and offer something steadier — something useful.

Life is short. And it’s meant to be lived.