Richard Goerling is the founder of Mindful Badge Initiative. He has trained thousands of law enforcement officers, first responders, and trauma professionals in mindfulness-based skills for health, resilience, and human performance — including FBI agents, FBI Hostage Rescue Team operators, and law enforcement agencies across North America.

Richard is a retired police lieutenant and Coast Guard veteran with extensive experience in patrol operations, criminal investigations, and operational leadership.

Richard co-founded the Mindful Health and Resilience Lab at Pacific University's School of Graduate Psychology, where he collaborated with researchers for over a decade.

Richard completed a year-long mindfulness training program at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA and is a certified mindfulness facilitator. He is a certified coach through the International Coaching Federation, having completed the Evidence-Based Coaching program at Fielding Graduate University. He is currently a graduate student in social work, pursuing clinical licensure.

Richard is actively training Oberon (“Obi”), a Bernese Mountain Dog puppy, to become a registered therapy dog through Pet Partners, one of the first professional animal-assisted therapy organizations.

Previously, Richard worked alongside Buddha, also a Bernese Mountain Dog, for five years while training first responders across North America. That experience affirmed the unique value a well-trained canine can bring to the learning environment.

Follow Richard on Substack for his ongoing writing about occupational stress and trauma, resilience, and post-traumatic growth.