The Mental Health Janitors
Faith-based trauma recovery for veterans, first responders, and the families who carry it with them.
The Mental Health Janitors is hosted by Aaron "Sgt Q" Quinonez, a Marine 1st ANGLICO veteran who went from homeless and suicidal to founding a veteran nonprofit and a suicide-prevention tech company, and Jessica "Doc Jess" Burgans, an Army combat medic and Iraq War veteran who is now a Licensed Mental Health Counselor.
Between them: two combat deployments, two PTSD diagnoses, and a clinical license. They've been where the audience is, and one of them is qualified to treat it.
Every Tuesday they take on PTSD, ADHD, anxiety, marriage under strain, sleep that won't come, and the specific weight carried by people who ran toward things everyone else ran from.
The conversations are honest, Scripture-informed, and practical, real tools you can use this week, not platitudes. If you've been told to just get over it, or you've been quietly white-knuckling it for years, this is the show that says the thing out loud.
New episodes every Tuesday
Episodes
164 episodes
The Hidden Toll of Unexpected Caregiving & How to Prevent Burnout | Lydia Dyhin
What happens when your life is suddenly upended, and you are forced to become the primary caregiver for an aging parent with no preparation or roadmap? In this deeply empathetic episode of The Mental Health Janitors, host S...
Why Broken Promises Hurt More Than You Think
WHEN SOMEONE BREAKS YOUR TRUST, WHAT DO YOU DO WITH THE HURT?A broken promise can stay with you long after the moment is over.In this episode of The Mental Health Janitors, Sgt. Q and Doc Jess explore how betrayal, childhood tra...
.png)
Stop Waiting for an Apology: The Emotional Mistake That's Keeping You Stuck
Are You Looking for an Apology… or Are You Holding Onto Hurt?Sometimes the hardest conflicts aren’t about what was said. They’re about what happens inside us after we feel hurt.In this episode of The Mental Health Janitors,...
The Psychology of Arguments: Why Your Brain Creates Stories That Hurt Relationships
What do a concert security breach, a broken family heirloom, and your relationships have in common? More than you might think.In this episode of The Mental Health Janitors, Sgt. Q and Doc Jess begin with the viral Jay Z concert incident,...
When Your Family Turns Against Your Spouse... What Should You Do?
What do entitled children, family conflict, and marriage have in common? More than you might think.In this episode of The Mental Health Janitors, Sgt. Q and Doc Jess begin with a viral video that sparks a powerful conversation about enti...
Stop Expecting People to Read Your Mind: The Expectations Trap
Have you ever built a whole scenario in your mind about how something was supposed to go, only to feel crushed when reality looked completely different?In this episode of The Mental Health Janitors, Sgt. Q and Mrs. Q explore one of the b...
.png)
The Biggest Relationship Red Flag? Not Showing Up When It Matters
What does it really mean to show up for someone you love?In this episode of The Mental Health Janitors, Sgt. Q and Doc Jess unpack a viral Reddit story that sparks a much bigger conversation about healthy relationships, accountability, c...
The Relationship Red Flag Every Parent Should Know
Would you step in if helping someone you love created even more conflict? In this episode of Mental Health Janitors, Sgt Q and Doc Jess unpack a viral Reddit story that sparks a much bigger conversation about parenting, family bound...
The Quiet Damage of Pride in Relationships, Parenting, and Communication
Why is it so hard to admit we're wrong? In this episode of Mental Health Janitors, Sgt Q and Doc Jess unpack a viral Reddit story that sparks a much bigger conversation about pride, accountability, parenting, and emotional growth.
Are You Showing Up or Just Showing Off? The Truth About Ego in Relationships
Most relationships don’t fall apart because of big dramatic events. They fall apart in small moments where ego shows up, priorities get misaligned, and one person stops considering the experience of the other.In this powerful episode of ...
The Marriage Mirror: Why Changing Yourself Changes Your Relationship
🎁 Free Resource from Doc JessIf this conversation resonates with you and you want practical tools to strengthen your marriage by focusing on personal growth first, Doc Jess is offering a free marriage assessment and relationship r...
How to Reinvent Yourself and Build Confidence (Overcome Identity Crisis)
🎁 Free Resource from EstynIf this episode resonated with you and you want to understand where you are in your life right now, Estyn shares a simple tool to help you evaluate different areas of your life and see where you need to focu...
The Trauma Lens: How Past Wounds Affect Your Marriage
Most marriages don't suffer because of communication problems. They suffer because of unresolved wounds, unchecked emotions, unrealistic expectations, and baggage that never got dealt with.In this powerful episode of Mental He...
How to Reinvent Yourself and Build Confidence (Overcome Identity Crisis)
🎁 Free Resource from EstynIf this episode resonated with you and you want to understand where you are in your life right now, Estyn shares a simple tool to help you evaluate different areas of your life and see where you need to focus n...
Why Memorial Day Hits Veterans So Deeply (PTSD & Trauma)
Some pain does not disappear with time.Sometimes it stays buried until a moment, a song, or a memory brings everything back to the surface.In this emotional episode of Mental Health Janitors, Aaron “Sgt Q” Quinonez and Doc Jess ta...
VA Disability Explained: PTSD, Medication-Based Ratings & The Fight Over Veteran Care
Memorial Day can carry a very different meaning for veterans living with trauma, grief, and survivor’s guilt.For many, the battles did not end after coming home.In this episode of Mental Health Janitors, Aaron “Sgt Q” Quinonez and...
Low Information Person Syndrome (LIPS) Explained | Why People Reject Facts
Small moments can quietly shape how we understand the world.A headline shared too fast, a comment taken out of context, or a strong emotional reaction can quickly turn into certainty before the full story is understood. When that happens...
The Real Reason Veterans Struggle With Pain, Sleep & Recovery
The mission ends. The impact doesn’t.What your body goes through during military service: constant strain, heavy loads, lack of recovery adds up over time. And when you carry those same habits into civilian life, the effects only compou...
How to Take Back Control of Your Mind (Stop Negative Self Talk)
If you feel stuck in life, constantly doubting yourself, or replaying the same negative thoughts over and over, this episode is for you.In this episode of The Mental Health Janitors, Aaron “Sgt Q” Quinonez sits down with Paul, a men’s m...
.png)
The 10-Second Pause That Builds Emotional Control and Mental Discipline
Moments of reaction can quietly shape the direction of your life.One triggered moment can escalate into anger, defensiveness, and words you did not plan to say. In those moments, your brain shifts into survival mode, and it becomes harde...
Black and White Thinking Is Keeping You Stuck in Depression (Behavioral Activation Fix)
Small patterns in your thinking can quietly shape the way you see everything.A single experience can turn into a fixed belief, and over time that belief can limit your options, your reactions, and your relationships. What starts as one m...
The Hidden Link Between Mental Health, Anxiety, Depression & Addiction Recovery (And Why Structure Changes Everything)
Mental health does not fall apart all at once. It breaks down quietly through habits, silence, and the things we avoid. What you do each day either supports your life or slowly works against it.In this episode of The Mental Health Janit...
.png)
This Marriage Communication Framework Stops Arguments Before They Even Escalate
Small habits can quietly shape the direction of a relationship. Even a small miscommunication can build into distance, frustration, and eventually disconnection. Reactions take over, defensiveness rises, and conversations turn into...
How Mob Mentality, Social Media, and Political Extremism Fuel Division and Conflict
Group energy can change people fast.What starts as fun or simple agreement can quickly turn into something you didn’t plan. Emotions get high, thinking slows down, and you end up reacting instead of choosing what to do.In this e...
How to Stay Emotionally Grounded This Easter Family Gatherings
Before you sit with your family this Easter, watch this.Family gatherings, holidays, and difficult relationships can bring a lot of stress and anxiety, especially when past experiences didn’t go well. Many times, we walk into these situ...