Veterans Week: Healing Out Loud with Combat Medic & Advocate Marie Slider Henriksen
A Combat Medic’s Journey Through Trauma, Art, Spirituality & Reclaimed Purpose
This Veterans Week, The MisFitNation welcomes US Army Veteran, poet, speaker, and healing advocate Marie Slider Henriksen. Marie served nearly 6 years as a combat medic before a medical discharge—and her journey since has been one of courage, pain, resilience, and radical healing.
From growing up in foster care, surviving abuse, rape, military trauma, alcoholism, addiction, and chronic pain—to now celebrating 8 years of sobriety, Marie is a living testament to what happens when we choose to heal out loud.
Marie has recently been diagnosed with Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, a degenerative genetic disorder that affects every system of the body. In her mid-30s, she underwent bilateral hip replacements—yet she continues to create, advocate, speak, and uplift.
She is the author of a published poetry collection featuring her photography, writes to inspire healing and transformation, and co-hosts the Everyday’s a Saturday; USMC Veteran podcast, giving veterans a voice in their journey with PTSD, recovery, identity, and resilience.
Visit her work & poetry: https://sliderbabe.weebly.com
This conversation will change people.
This is why we do Veterans Week.
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Recovery Advocate/Author
I am a combat medic Army veteran, who served almost 6 years, before I was medically discharged. I have had a very eventful journey through life including experiences with foster care, abuse, rape, military trauma, alcoholism, addiction, physical and emotional disabilities, as well as 8 years of sobriety and healing, finding my own version of spirituality, love and uniqueness. I was recently diagnosed with a degenerative genetic disorder called Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, that affects my entire system. Last year at 36 , I had to get bilateral hip replacements.
I recently published a book of poetry illustrated by my photography. All of my poems are on my website as well. I write about finding healing, peace, love and faith, overcoming pain, resentments, addictions and anger along the way. I am in the process of many other writing projects.
I heal out loud by speaking and podcasting and by being a recovery advocate. I'm also working with a business partner, who is helping me develop a community that encourages other people to heal out loud and find their own creativity. I have shared my story individually and in recovery groups, and have spoken in my church. I just started podcasting a couple months ago, and I am enjoying being a part of the conversation. I have been a guest on a few podcasts, and am now a co-host on “Everyday's a Saturday; USMC Veteran” podcast, which is specifically for veterans. Bryan interviews veterans to share their story in general, and the “Coffee Talk” section is where Bryan and I have more in depth conversations…Read More
