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Did you know that Canadian first responders experience PTSD at twice the rate of the general population?
If you are emergency personnel, such as a paramedic, law enforcement officer, emergency dispatcher, or firefighter, and you experience post-traumatic symptoms, please know that you are not alone. EMDR therapy can help you heal.
My experience involves working with paramedics and RCMP both active and retired who have experienced cumulative operational stress injuries over the years and are looking for help with negative symptoms like sleeplessness, panic and anxiety, flashbacks and triggers.
If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts please call: 1 -833-456-4566.
EMDR is a therapy used to process traumatic experiences like operational stress injuries so that post-trauma symptoms can be managed or eliminated in the best-case scenario. I have extensive experience working with RCMP members who have endured complex operational stress injuries (on-the-job trauma) and organizational trauma, which sometimes lead to moral injury. Such moral injury can be debilitating over time, causing a member to leave the force or remain off duty.
EMDR is known for helping the nervous system and brain reduce negative symptoms such as triggers (a person, place or thing that reminds someone of the original traumatic experience causing feelings to resurface in the present). EMDR is also helpful in relieving panic, anxiety, sleeplessness, intrusive thoughts and flashbacks.
EMDR, or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, is a specialized therapy designed to help you process difficult experiences, such as a critical incident or a particularly distressing call. Using a structured approach incorporating guided bilateral eye movements, EMDR activates your brain's natural healing processes. This evidence-based treatment helps you resolve traumatic memories and change how you emotionally respond to triggers. Additionally, I will teach you practical coping skills to help you manage future high-stress situations.
As a first responder, you may experience a range of post-traumatic symptoms, including:
First responders often cope with post-trauma in ways that, while understandable, may not be healthy in the long term. Some common coping mechanisms include excessive alcohol use to manage stress, binge eating to numb or avoid difficult emotions, and seeking out high-risk activities as a way to feel something other than emotional numbness.
EMDR seems to work faster than other exposure therapies, such as prolonged exposure. EMDR is only as helpful as a person’s willingness to commit to the process. The reward of managed or eliminated symptoms is obtained for those who complete this therapy.
In 2019, I presented on treating PTSD for the RCMP and the military at the EMDR conference in Canada. While working at the OSI clinic in Vancouver, I piloted the first EMDR intensive program for members to effectively treat post-traumatic stress symptoms. The program was measured using the impact of events scale and showed sub-clinical PTSD results for members who completed the program.
Moral injury occurs when a workplace incident is so severe that it disrupts your core values and the way you understand the world. This can leave deep emotional scars, impacting how you relate to yourself and others.
Examples of moral injury include:- Being forced to act in ways that conflict with your values, leading to inner turmoil, guilt, or depression.- Witnessing or being unable to prevent actions that violate your moral beliefs, leaving you feeling powerless and distressed.- Feeling betrayed by your unit or organization due to a lack of support, causing a profound sense of disillusionment and mistrust.
EMDR treatment is effective at helping you process negative feelings associated with moral injury. I provide a confidential and supportive space where you can explore these feelings and find healing.
EMDR therapy, combined with counselling, offers relief from the overwhelming emotions and compulsions that often follow trauma. After completing EMDR treatment, you’ll be able to break free from self-destructive patterns and regain control of your life. Without intervention, post-traumatic symptoms can escalate into clinical depression. If you believe EMDR or counselling could help you, I encourage you to fill out my new client form to begin your healing journey.
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