Meridian Passage Wellness

06/18/2025

Now Accepting Applications: Renewal & Recovery Healing Retreat

We are honored to announce the Renewal & Recovery Retreat, a 5-night / 6-day in-person healing experience designed for Military Service Academy alumnae survivors of sexual assault.

October 22–27, 2025
Spring Grove, VA
Led by the all-women facilitator team at Rooted Within

This immersive, supportive retreat is a unique opportunity to connect, heal, and grow alongside fellow service academy sisters who understand the journey.

Spots are limited — early inquiries encouraged.
Contact Karen at info@rootedwithin.org to learn more or request an application.

This retreat is made possible by the generous support of many private donors as well as:
USAFA Women
USNA Women
1Day1USAFA
Zoomies Against Sexual Assault (ZASA)
USAA Employer Matching
USCGA Alumni Association in partnership with

USCG Women’s Leadership Initiative
West Point Women (WPW)

Roberts & Ryan Foundation

To our survivor alumnae:

You are not alone. You are seen. You are supported.

Please share widely with alumnae from USMA, USNA, USAFA, USCGA, or USMMA so that we may reach those who can benefit.

06/03/2025

2025 Trauma Survivor Webinar Series: Exploring Moral Injury

The Survivor Advocacy Network (SAN) is excited to present a wellness webinar exploring how military sexual trauma (MST) survivors can manage the experience of moral injury, the lasting psychological, social, cultural, and spiritual impact of an act that violates one's moral beliefs. This webinar will take place from 7-9pm ET on June 10 and is presented by Major (USAF) Latetia Bland-Thergood, MSW. The event is open to all uniformed and veteran women officers and women who attended a service academy/military college (regardless of graduation status) who have experienced a sexual assault or other negative sexual experience.

REGISTER TODAY at https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/Hj0x6OiCTM6tGV7ef7Vgaw #/registration








The Alternative Flight Plan Podcast

03/17/2025

New blog post today. Enjoy!
The Alternative Flight Plan Podcast
Kristin Barnes

Exploring the intersection of conventional and alternative medicine highlighting solutions that can benefit anyone. (Podcast Update)

03/14/2025

Why is Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) so misunderstood? The Alternative Flight Plan Podcast host Kristin Barnes sits down with Dr. Brianna Cardenas, a physician assistant specializing in complex illness care, to break it down.

EDS affects connective tissues throughout the body, yet 95% of cases lack a genetic marker, making it incredibly difficult to diagnose. Without proper research and controlled studies, many EDS patients fall through the cracks, waiting years for an accurate diagnosis and treatment plan.

Watch the full episode here: https://youtu.be/ZPD0I4aJIYc

03/14/2025

Misdiagnosed for years. Dismissed by doctors. Labeled as "depressed." Dr. Brianna Cardenas, guest on The Alternative Flight Plan Podcast hosted by Kristin Barnes, shares her deeply personal struggle with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome.

Despite experiencing severe pain, frequent dislocations, and tachycardia, doctors repeatedly dismissed her symptoms. Even worse, some attributed her medical condition to anxiety or her ethnicity rather than investigating further. Now, as a healthcare provider, she fights to make sure no patient has to go through the same experience.

Watch the full episode here: https://youtu.be/ZPD0I4aJIYc

03/13/2025

Why are so many chronic illness patients dismissed? Dr. Brianna Cardenas, guest on The Alternative Flight Plan Podcast with Kristin Barnes, shares how many of her patients go years without answers, often seeing 20+ doctors before finding real help. The medical system’s reliance on lab results and imaging often leaves invisible illnesses undiagnosed and overlooked.
Too often, chronic pain, fatigue, and other difficult-to-quantify symptoms are misinterpreted or dismissed. This can leave patients isolated and hopeless, struggling to prove that their pain is real. Dr. Cardenas discusses how she works to change this narrative by listening to her patients and validating their experiences.
Watch the full episode here: https://youtu.be/ZPD0I4aJIYc

03/13/2025

From the cockpit to the clinic – The Alternative Flight Plan Podcast host Kristin Barnes, a former Navy pilot turned healthcare leader, opens up about the flaws in military medicine.
In conversation with Dr. Brianna Cardenas, they discuss how military healthcare often prioritizes operational readiness over real patient care, leaving service members with minimal solutions beyond "take some Motrin and move on." This approach can lead to long-term health consequences that aren’t properly addressed until years later.
Watch the full episode here: https://youtu.be/ZPD0I4aJIYc

03/13/2025

https://youtube.com/shorts/_MtVxOF7Bao?feature=shared

From the cockpit to the clinic – The Alternative Flight Plan Podcast host Kristin Barnes, a former Navy pilot turned healthcare leader, opens up about the fl...

03/11/2025

The first episode has dropped. Enjoy!

Podcast · Kristen Barnes · From the Ready Room to the Treatment Room

02/28/2025

New blog post today with a huge shout out to No Fallen Heroes and Matthew Whiz Buckley. It takes a village...

After nearly 20 years, I stepped back into a military jet—and into a lesson on courage. Reclaiming courage in an uncertain world.

02/18/2025

New blog today. Enjoy!

Curiosity is the key to transformation. In this post, I reflect on the power of curiosity to drive real change and transformation

02/12/2025

Here's a teaser of what's to come in the next few weeks for Meridian Passage.

Welcome to The Alternative Flight Plan Podcast!

I'll be updating as episodes are released. If you ever have questions that you want me to answer throughout the course of the episodes, please reach out to me at hello@meridianpassagewellness.com

In a healthcare system that leaves patients flying on autopilot, finding a path to health requires an alternate route. We will get you there.