First Responders
“I was meant to help others…”
Helping others is my calling, and it’s what I was meant to do. Being a firefighter, police officer, or emergency medical technician (EMT) is what defines me as a person.
All I wanted to do was help others, but I didn’t know how helping others would affect me.
“But I’m trained for this job…”
I have been trained for this – trained to save lives, run into burning buildings, and keep my community safe. This isn’t supposed to affect me. If my job affects me, then maybe I’m too weak for it or it isn’t the job for me.
What will my colleagues say? What will my boss say? Will I lose my job?
It’s true: You were trained to save lives, fight fires, and protect your community… but you weren’t trained on how to handle the devastation you see and deal with every day.
“I just can’t get it out of my mind…”
Slowly, over time the devastation has taken a toll.
I replay the fatal wreck that involved kids, the domestic violence call that ended in tragedy, the fire that took everything from a family including their loved ones…
… the shootout where I almost lost my life, or the shooting where I had to take a life to save my own or others.
I’ve been exposed to people in pain, innocent victims, and grotesque death – to unthinkable cruelty to children. And it’s not only the exposure to it; it’s the weight of responsibility and navigating my organization’s response to it all.
“I just want to be me and help others…”
I just want to sleep through the night. I want to turn off my mind and stop replaying the calls. Sometimes it’s that one case that stays with me every day, and sometimes it’s a combination of all the calls I’ve had to make.
I don’t want to have that anxiety. I don’t want to think about what I could have done… what I should have done… what I didn’t do right.
I am not myself and want to be me again, but I don’t know how to get there. I’m strong. This is my job… but maybe if I can’t handle it, something is wrong with me.
It’s not what’s wrong with you. It’s what has happened to you.
In reality, first responders have a high rate of post-traumatic stress disorder. This doesn’t mean something is wrong with you or you are too weak to do the job; it means you care and have seen things that can’t be unseen… heard things you can’t unhear. You signed up to help others – not to be hurt in the process.
It would be unreasonable to think that you could be exposed to so much tragedy and trauma without negative consequences. The human brain is not built to handle everything you are exposed to without difficulty. Frankly, it should be expected.
It’s ok to get help… especially when you ARE the help!
Exactly… read that again. What… you spend your whole life helping others, but it’s not okay for you to get help? Does that even sound logical when you read that out loud?
How can you take care of others if you can’t take care of yourself?
It takes strength and courage to get help, so you can be a healthier you in order to help others.
With therapy for first responders, we aim to bring you back…
… to the same or better resilience and hardiness you had when you first started.
Working with first responders takes more than just being a good therapist. Understandably, first responders, especially law enforcement, have a hard time trusting others outside of their brotherhood. The job of being a first responder is unique, and it takes a therapist with a complete understanding of what you go through every day.
Some of us are married to first responders, many of us have first responders in our family, and some of us have worked side by side with first responders in other roles in our lives. We see it, live it, and understand where you have been, where you are, and where you are going.
In the beginning, a big part of therapy with us is building the trust you need to do work for healing. By building this trust, we help you see that we understand the world you live in and the consequences that happen with the job you love.
EMDR is a common technique we use when working with first responders. It has been shown to be very effective with first responders experiencing PTSD or secondary trauma.
Using EMDR, we help you properly store all the memories of those terrible scenes, so they are not constantly popping up in your mind. No more replaying calls or seeing pictures of scenes you have worked. Reducing stress and letting go of the calls that haunt you is absolutely possible.
It takes work and commitment.
Facing the hard stuff head on – and, yes, being vulnerable at times – puts you on the road to healing.
Many first responders who have been committed and done the work in therapy have reported:
“I love my job again.”
“I’m no longer haunted by the work I was called to do.”
“It wasn’t easy, but it was worth it. My job performance has improved dramatically. No more struggling to make it through a shift.”
This is possible for you, too!
We’ve been a part of this journey for many first responders…
You are walking around carrying years of tragedy and traumatic events. We get it. Let us help you rid yourself of those experiences, so you can be a happier, healthier you.
You deserve to be helped just as you have helped so many others.
Give us a call for a free consultation. Let’s talk: (662) 349-2979.