First Responders Counselling

--- Online Counselling for Individuals and Couples ---

First responders are dispatchers, doctors, firefighters, nurses, paramedics, police officers, technicians, coroners and first line workers that tend to scenes of disaster, human conflict, and events causing illness or injury. First responders encounter extreme adverse situations including trauma in their work environment regularly with heavy workloads and rotating shift schedules causing considerable stress while expectations of stoicism and strength are present. This can leave first responders feeling alone in their distress. They are at higher risk than most people to contract depression, anxiety, substance abuse, PTSD, sleep disorders and suicide.

Approaches to therapy for first responders are varied based on presenting issues of the individual and symptoms associated with PTSD, depression, anxiety, burnout, and panic disorder. Repeated exposure to trauma events is recognized as being just as harmful as experiencing the event directly. It is important for a therapist to understand the culture and mindset of first responders to provide meaningful and effective therapy. As a trauma survivor, and with experience in policing, the military, and a life-long relationship with a family of firefighters, I provide firsthand understanding to therapy, with theories and interventions for effective treatment. Person-centered therapy provides an individualistic focus to target unique needs of the individual with a non-judgemental, supportive, and empathetic approach combined with CBT as the gold standard for treatment for trauma and PTSD. Trauma CBT analyzes the process of maintenance of trauma responses, symptoms, maladaptive patterns, triggers, predispositions, and perpetuating and cultural elements that contribute to mental health issues. Using a ‘here and now’ perspective, issues are identified, and goals are established to decrease symptoms and increase successful outcomes through interventions that create coherent narratives and challenge negative beliefs using a restructuring process to gain optimal wellness.