Resources Designed for First-Responders

Once you find a clinician, do not hesitate to "vet" them before you decide to schedule an appointment. After all, this is an important decision and any dedicated therapist will usually be willing to take five minutes by phone to answer your questions before committing to treatment. When you leave a message, emphasize you're not looking for free phone therapy; you've been advised to just ask a few key questions to determine "fit". But be patient if it takes a day or two for them to call you back since they may be handling a lot of crises or taking a well-needed few days off! Here are the questions to ask any therapist that can help you make your decision about treatment. 1. First offer them a very brief description of your counseling need (e.g., "I'm struggling with trauma from the job", or "Dealing with depression...". Then ask, "Could you please tell me about your training and experience in helping people with needs like mine? NOTE: if your issue is related at all to your work as a first-responder, ask them if they have experience treating first-responders or other public-safety professionals. If they don't but are willing to humbly learn, and they seem like a sharp and caring person, success with them may still be very possible. 2. Then ask any of the following questions too (if you have not been able to get the info easily from their website): > "I've been advised to seek a therapist who uses evidence-based treatments. What treatment approach would you use to help me with this?" (that is, behavioral, cognitive, EMDR, etc.). > "What is your professional degree and licensing?" (also helpful to know about professional organizations) > If spirituality is a central issue to you, you'll want to be sure there's a fit between you and the therapist so be clear about your faith orientation and ask her/him about how they integrate spirituality and faith into their therapy work. > "What are your fees and are you covered by my insurance (indicate yours)?" ​​The bottom-line in talking with a therapist: you are looking for three things related to all these questions: The clinician's attitude: willingness to genuinely partner with you, answer your questions, humility, and degree of caring Ability and competence to be effective in helping you Your sense of "fit" with the clinician as a person... that is, how comfortable you would be working with them If you are a leader, friend or peer supporter to a first-responder in need of help, take courage and don't give up helping them reach professional help until they succeed. They deserve help just as much as all those souls they have helped on the job! Finally, when folks are having a super hard time scheduling/beginning therapy it can make a difference if a peer offers to ride-along to the first session. But only offer this if it is truly needed and safe for you. Remember to seek the guidance you need in helping your peers so that you are not ever taking on a clinical role. If you have tried following the guidance offered on this page to identify the right therapist and you're still not succeeding, please contact us for support. Call a 24/7 crisis support line for any emergency situation; they're always there and you can reach them right here! Above all, do NOT be ashamed of seeking help. You are brave and when you get relief you'll be glad you made this choice. Please email us at info@911training.net if you have questions or need more information.