Confidential and Competent Support For First Responders

First Responders often experience high levels of stress and trauma in the line of duty.

Exposure to traumatic events such as accidents, natural disasters, violence, and death has a huge impact on your mental health and wellness. As a first responder, you know that your exposure to these events is much more than the typical human will ever encounter in a lifetime. For anyone, that chronic exposure takes a toll; physically, mentally, and emotionally.

First responder culture has a long-held stigma against seeking help or acknowledging the extreme toll it takes. You are the one that protects and serves others, and when that belief becomes identity, it can be hard to ask for help. You deserve help and support.

I believe that the culture around the need to learn and practice wellness, talk about experiences, and support each other in first responders is finally shifting. We are seeing, with increasing speed, the toll that chronic and persistent exposure to trauma and stress is causing our first responders;

• PTSD and PTSI that causes anger issues, sleep disturbances including insomnia, nightmares, avoidance behaviors, emotional numbness, flashbacks.
• Depression that shows up as loss of interest in activities, fatigue, sleep disturbance, low sense of self, and feelings of sadness.
• Substance use that is used as a way to cope with the stress and trauma of the job.
• Anxiety or worry that shows up as hypervigilance, difficulty relaxing, feeling on edge, anger, or irritability.
• Sleep disturbances such as nightmares, difficulty falling or staying asleep, insomnia, or exhaustion from shift work.
• Physical symptoms such as chronic pain, gastrointestinal issues, headaches, and muscle tightness that occur from constant stress.

I can help guide you in building on your problem-solving abilities as a first responder for better coping strategies with stress, trauma, burnout, moral injury, anger, relationship difficulties, and sleep issues.