First Responders

You Spend Your Career Protecting Others.

This is a Place where You Don’t have to Carry Everything Alone.

Firefighters, police officers, paramedics, dispatchers, corrections officers, child protection workers, and military personnel face levels of pressure and responsibility that most people will never truly understand. Public safety work requires calm in chaos, split-second decisions, exposure to trauma, and a constant readiness that can take a toll on both mind and body.

I provide specialized psychotherapy for public safety professionals who want to manage stress, prevent burnout, process difficult experiences, and find balance between service and the rest of their lives.

Whether you’re currently serving, transitioning out, or retired, this is a space built specifically for you.

Understanding the Culture of Service:

As a former volunteer firefighter with nearly a decade of experience, I understand what it means to show up for high-pressure calls, to compartmentalize emotion so you can do the job, and to carry the weight of what you’ve seen long after the incident ends.

Therapy for public safety personnel requires more than clinical training. It requires an understanding of the culture:

  • The expectation to “tough it out;”
  • The pressure to stay calm regardless of the situation;
  • The impact of cumulative stress;
  • The unspoken rules around vulnerability;
  • The challenges of balancing shift work, family life, and mental health;
  • The identity shift that comes with retirement or transition.

This is not therapy where you need to explain the basics of your world. We start where you are.

Commong Challenges Public Safety Personnel Face:

  • Stress overload and difficulty decompressing after shifts;
  • Burnout from years of high-intensity work;
  • Cumulative trauma or exposure to distressing calls;
  • Critical incident stress that lingers longer than expected;
  • Sleep disruption from shift work;
  • Emotional numbing or irritability;
  • Relationship strain;
  • difficulty balancing work and family life
  • Identity challenges when transitioning out of service;
  • Hypervigilance, difficulty relaxing, or feeling “on guard;”

  • Grief or guilt after difficult calls or line-of-duty losses.

These reactions are normal human responses to an abnormal level of responsibility. You are not weak! You are carrying more than most people ever will.

How Therapy Can Help:

My approach is practical, confidential, and grounded in real-world understanding. Together, we can work on:

Managing Stress & Burnout:

  • Tools to reduce overwhelm;
  • Healthy coping strategies;
  • Techniques to downshift the nervous system;
  • Rebuilding rest, energy, and focus.

Incident Debriefing & Trauma Processing:

  • Talking through difficult calls or experiences;
  • Making sense of emotional reactions;
  • Processing guilt, anger, fear, or grief;
  • Developing resilience for future calls.

Work-Life Balance:

  • Navigating family dynamics affected by shift work;
  • Re-establishing connection with partners and children;
  • Creating routines that support your well-being;

  • Setting boundaries with work demands.

Transitions & Identity Reconstruction:

  • Support during retirement, medical leave, or career shift;
  • Exploring identity beyond the uniform;
  • Building a new sense of purpose and direction.

What Sessions Are Like:

I offer a supportive, non-judgmental environment where you can talk openly, without needing to sanitize your stories or hide your reactions. Sessions may include:

  • Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT) strategies;
  • Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) strategies;
  • Solution-focused, practical interventions;
  • Strengths-based exploration of identity and purpose;
  • Grounding and regulation tools;
  • Relational and trauma-informed approaches;

  • Conversations grounded in your lived experiences and goals.

You set the pace. You decide what we talk about. My role is to walk alongside you; not to push you or tell you who you should be.

You’re Trained to Support Others… This Space is for Supporting You.

If you’re experiencing stress, burnout, emotional exhaustion, or the weight of a difficult incident… or if you’re simply ready to talk to someone who understands the culture of service… I’m here.

Book a free 15-minute consultation to see if we’re a good fit. You don’t have to navigate this alone.