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The Counseling Team is committed to providing confidential, professional counseling services to public safety professionals and their tax-eligible household family members. Our staff of culturally competent clinicians and our proactive approach to wellness will guide first responders as they build resilience – so that they can find healing to thrive both at work and at home.
Employees, spouses and tax eligible household family members of contracted departments can schedule counseling that are provided free of charge. TCTI provides in person or virtual appointments with clinicians who are uniquely qualified to help with challenges faced by public safety and their families.
Between long shifts, frequent overtime, and broken promises, first responder families often take the brunt of disappointments and heartache. Counseling services are available for the first responder, spouse and children for healing and healthy relationships.
Depression is a chronic mood disorder that affects every aspect of life, causing intense feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and apathy. These symptoms can be so severe that it’s often difficult to just get out of bed, let alone find the motivation to go to work, be social or manage daily responsibilities. Counseling can provide needed tools and guidance for managing depression.
Alcohol and substance misuse can create a number of physical and mental issues. Misuse is closely linked to an increased susceptibility to mental health issues, such as post-traumatic stress, anxiety and depression, and is often used as an unhealthy coping mechanism. Counseling can provide a healthy way to understand reasons for drinking and/or using substances as a way to cope.
A traumatic event or critical incident causes unusually strong emotional reactions that have the potential to interfere with the ability to function normally. Even though the event may be over, individuals may experience strong emotional and physical reactions. It is very common, and in fact quite normal, for people to feel emotional aftershocks when they have experienced a tragic event.
Sometimes the emotional aftershocks (or stress reactions) appear immediately, they may appear hours or days later, or in some cases it may be weeks or months until stress reactions appear. The understanding and support of peers and loved ones help the stress reactions to pass more quickly. At other times, the traumatic event is so painful that professional assistance may be needed. This does not imply weakness. It simply means that the event is too powerful for you to manage by yourself.
Employees, spouses and tax eligible household family members of contracted departments can call TCTI during regular business hours (Monday – Friday, 7:30 am – 5:30 pm) and speak with our scheduling department. The scheduler will ask a few questions about counseling needs and any preferences for the appointment. After the call, the employee (or spouse or tax eligible family member) will be emailed a packet to complete online before the appointment can be confirmed.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
EMDR therapy helps “unstick” traumatic experiences and allows the brain to process the experiences to an “adaptive resolution.” During EMDR, the specially training TCTI clinician works with the individual to identify a specific problem as the focus for the treatment. The individual will be asked to call to mind the disturbing issue or event; what was seen, felt, heard, thought, etc., and what thoughts and beliefs are currently held about that event. The therapist then initiates bi-lateral brain processing by engaging the left and right sides of the brain. This can be done visually, tactilely, or auditory.
Each person will process information uniquely based on personal experiences and values. As quick and vibrant images arise during the session, they are reprocessed utilizing the bi-lateral brain processing that is occurring, resulting in the painful feelings being exchanged for more peaceful and resolved feelings. TCTI has Certified EMDR Professionals available for appointments.
Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART)
ART is a unique approach to psychotherapy. The ART clinician will guide a client to replace negative images in the mind that is causing PTS symptoms with positive images of the client’s choosing. This method is done quickly and many times within one session. Once the negative images have been replaced by positive ones, the triggers will be gone, and repeated intrusive thoughts will stop.
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