Meet the Team

Joey Hendrix enlisted in the U.S. Army’s Infantry Corps in 2006, just days after graduating from the University of North Alabama with a bachelor’s degree in sociology. After joining the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment and serving at the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, California, for two years, Hendrix attended OCS at Fort Benning, Georgia, became a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army’s Military Police Corps, and was stationed at Fort Stewart, Georgia, where he served as a platoon leader, operations officer, and investigated sexual misconduct.

In 2011, Hendrix deployed to Kandahar, Afghanistan, where he was assigned to a Security Force Assistance Team (SFAT) and stationed at the governor’s palace in Kandahar City. While in Kandahar City, Hendrix served as an embedded intelligence officer, mentor to Afghan officers serving in the Afghan National Army, Afghan National Police, Afghanistan’s National Directorate of Security, trained the governor’s protective security detail, and conducted trauma-informed policing and peacemaking operations immediately following the assassination of Kandahar City’s mayor, Ghulam Haidar Hamidi. Serving as an intelligence officer allowed Hendrix to learn from numerous intelligence professionals around the world and obtain valuable skill sets that prepared and equipped him to investigate and confront numerous crimes against America’s sons and daughters when he returned home.

While serving in the military, Hendrix obtained a master’s in international peace and conflict resolution from American Military University. In 2013, Hendrix commanded a military police unit in the Middle East before resigned his commission in 2014.

After leaving the military, Hendrix moved to Southern California, where he briefly worked in the executive protection industry in Hollywood and attended Fuller Theological Seminary to study the religious roots of 21st-century conflict. Witnessing child abuse in a Fuller Seminary professor’s home on August 9, 2015, and witnessing predatory sexual behavior on Fuller Seminary’s Pasadena campus inspired Hendrix to use his military skill sets to investigate crimes against children within religious organizations from New York to California, which led him to uncover religious authoritarianism, spiritual abuse, and religious child maltreatment within several interconnected networks of American churches.

After dropping out of seminary in 2016, Hendrix studied social change, innovation, and posttraumatic growth while obtaining a Master of Social Work from the University of Southern California. At USC, Hendrix researched childhood trauma, worked with incarcerated juveniles as a clinical therapist for LA County’s Department of Mental Health, and served as a consultant for the LAPD, all of which opened the door for him to investigate state crimes against children and systemic institutional failures that traumatize countless children in Los Angeles County.

Hendrix also served at USC’s Center for Innovation and Research on Veterans and Military Families, where he researched childhood trauma among veterans, military-related trauma, the military transition process, and moral injury. In 2024, Hendrix obtained a master’s in religious studies from Mount Saint Mary University, where he studied theology, philosophy, and ethics while completing his master’s thesis detailing the religious roots of childhood trauma.

Aiming to liberate hearts and minds, armed with an abundance of knowledge, and equipped with an arsenal of life experiences, Hendrix continues to advocate for abused children and adult victims of religious child maltreatment. Aware that trauma can provoke profound spiritual transformation, Hendrix founded Liberating Odysseus as an innovative means to help veterans, first responders, and their families heal and grow from complex trauma and moral injuries.

Amanda Tallman is a dedicated professional who has devoted her life to serving others, especially veterans and first responders who have sacrificed so much for our country and communities. Amanda enlisted in the U.S. Army in 2007 as a Military Police. After deploying to Afghanistan she applied for a green to gold scholarship and completed a Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies from Chadron State College. She was commissioned into Military Intelligence and served as a Second Lieutenant, managing and coordinating multiple projects while supporting soldiers and their families.

In 2018, Amanda transitioned from military service and pursued a Master of Social Work from Arizona State University, followed by specialized training in Equine Assisted Learning. Her passion for helping others and her love for animals led her to a unique therapeutic approach that combines equine-assisted therapy with trauma-responsive care.

Amanda's experience includes working as an Equine Assisted Learning Facilitator at The H.E.A.R.T Center Micro School, where she developed and facilitated programs that enhance communication, leadership, problem-solving, and emotional intelligence. She also served as an Equine Therapist with The Psychology Lab, providing individual, family, and group therapy sessions to clients with various mental health issues. In 2020, after Amanda lost her team leader from Afghanistan to suicide, she started First Page to partner veterans, first responders, and their families with horses to support growth and wellness.

Since leaving the military, Amanda has focused on using her skills and knowledge to support veterans, first responders, and their families. Her work with horses helps promote emotional healing and personal development. Amanda is committed to expanding these programs to reach more veterans in need, providing them with the support and care they deserve..