First Responders
Yes, you’re a special kind of person…
As people enter careers dedicated to the service of others, they do so predominantly from noble and selfless ideals.
It’s often referred to as being “called” to the career—so much so that you may even feel as though you don’t have a choice.
Working in other capacities probably would leave you feeling empty and without purpose.
It’s hard to explain. If you’re a police officer, firefighter, nurse, doctor, therapist, military, dispatcher, or paramedic, you already know what I mean. It’s part of who we are, a drive from inside us to be part of something meaningful, something bigger than ourselves.
All the sacrifice, risks, and emotional wounds are not enough to stop us from answering the call.
But your selfless dedication certainly isn’t without consequences…
You experience more violence, inhumanity, death, and frustration in a year than most people experience in a lifetime. To make matters worse, society doesn’t seem to appreciate or even acknowledge the sacrifice.
Not many know what it smells like, sounds like, or hurts like to walk in our shoes; but if you stop for a second, you probably can experience it right now.
We know what it’s like to have your breath catch when the memories rush in like an uninvited guest from a forcefully forgotten past. Other’s joke about full moons while we dread them.
We don’t have to wonder what it’s like to miss anniversaries, holidays, or sleep; but we do have to try to explain why to our spouses, friends, and family.
They may say they understand while it always seems to come up. The phone ringing on a weekend off can start an argument before it’s even answered.
Why should you trust us?
You’re here for a reason, and you found our site because we’re different.
These jobs change the way you navigate the world and view humanity.
Many therapists say they know what it’s like to be a nurse, firefighter, police officer, social worker, or other first responder; and many of them say the approach to helping you should be no different than that of any other client. In our opinion, though, there is no way anyone can know the life and impact of being a public servant unless they have walked in your shoes.
We get it, though… because we have walked in your shoes.
As a first responder for more than 21 years and the spouse of a first responder, we’ve experienced the struggles, loneliness, shiftwork, and politics. We also know what it’s like to experience and cope with the intense and sometimes horrific scenes… and how the aftermath changes people.
We can empathize with you… for real.
Here are some of the things we’ll do in therapy together…
If you think of all those stress-filled experiences like something you’ve packed in a metaphorical box under the stairs, you get an idea of the work we have to do. We have to drag out that box, covered in dust, and unpack it before the mildew gets too bad.
Using a variety of techniques that fit your situation best, we work on the way your job has changed the way you think of the world and the people in it.
Exploring the way you think and how your thoughts cause you to behave is a central part of helping you find the joy and calm that has been worn away. One effective way is by using what’s commonly referred to as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). With CBT and other approaches, we help you develop skills that allow you to get re-connected with your relationships, your hopes, and your enjoyment and work through those unfortunate experiences of your career.
After all, you’re probably having a common reaction to very abnormal experiences, and your mind and body need guidance to deal with it.
A time to focus totally on you and your experiences…
In early sessions, you explain what you want to work on and establish your goals, both immediate and long-term.
Sessions generally start with a check-in and lead into deeper work that’s often a continuation from prior meetings. It’s not uncommon for skills from sessions to be assigned as practice or “homework” for use when the need arises between meetings.
Appointments last just under an hour. Most people come to sessions once or twice a week, and therapy continues for as long as is necessary and beneficial for you. Some concerns are resolved in a matter of a few sessions; other, more complex situations require life-long treatment.
Therapy should be challenging…
It often causes discomfort when you remember the experiences that brought you to therapy.
I can speak from personal experience when I say there have been duties and experiences that I would have preferred to do without. If it’s a death notification, a homicide scene, an operating room, or a therapy office, there are moments in our careers that have an impact on our lives, our emotions, and our relationships.
While it may be difficult to unpack the unpleasantries of our past, it’s necessary to work through the emotions they create. The key is to work through the experiences in a safe and supportive environment with a therapist who truly understands the demands of a life of service to others.
Your courage is undeniable…
…your strength insurmountable, and you do your job without hesitation or concern for yourself. It’s okay for you to take care of you – and if you don’t, it’s much harder to keep helping others.
There is a place where you can feel like it’s safe to speak your mind, and the person listening actually gets it. We’ve lived it, struggled through it, and we can help. We want to help.
Call today to start feeling better: (630) 358-9821.