First Responders

The First Responder Community

You have worked hard to have your career. Your skills and heart have taken you through some pretty outstanding experiences. Some people refer to you as a “hero,” but you certainly don’t see yourself that way. You see yourself as someone who chose an honorable career to help others with integrity and professionalism.

Now you are thinking it might be a good time to touch bases with someone who you can talk to about the experiences you have had and the sense of caring a little too much about others. Or you are wanting to talk with someone about the care you once had and now, don’t seem to have any longer. After all, you have seen and helped people with “real problems” and “real tragedies.”

You want someone to talk to your partner or family members and explain to them the perspective you now have on life. Talking to them about the things you have seen or the thoughts and dreams you sometimes have is not anything you are ever interested in doing. After all, if you could just erase the visions from your brain, you would be happy to do it yourself. But now you know it is time to get a bit of help from someone who can assist you and your family. Helping others was never supposed to hurt you or your family. You want to figure out a better way to manage and have skills to help your family and you better communicate through the isolation you sometimes feel even in your own family.

I consider it a privilege to work with first responders and their families. I believe our first responders, and their families, deserve and require specialized care. If you are a first responder, you know your life is a different variety from the average individual and family. Your training, and the things you experience on a daily basis, cause you to see the world through a first responder mindset. This mindset effects every relationship you have – parenting, marriage, friends, and family.

I believe it is vital for first responders to work with therapists who are familiar with their jobs and the affects their jobs have on their relationships. The awareness of how the people operate when the they are experiencing their worst days is something a first responder is confronted with daily. The body taking on adrenaline on a regular basis, the shift work, and the trauma you sometimes encounter all show up in your relationships. This is a normal occurrence. When the effects begin to interfere too much in your relationships or job, it is time to speak with a professional who can help you reset your system and help you gain back the enthusiasm you once had for your job. I have received, and continue to get, specialized training to be as effective as possible with first responders and their families.

If this sounds a bit like you and you think now is the time to get the little bit of help needed to learn how to thrive in your career and your relationship, please call me. I will support you in reaching the goals you have for your career longevity and your relationships.