Support for the people who do the toughest jobs in the world: because your life matters, too …
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Law enforcement officers, paramedics, EMTs, firefighters, and other frontline responders work under intense stress.
And as important and rewarding as this work is, it comes with a cost.
First responders experience significantly more anxiety, depression, burnout and other stress-related illnesses than the general population.
Which, honestly, makes perfect sense. High-risk, high-stakes situations are literally the 9-5 for some teams (if they only worked from 9-5). And unsurprisingly, intense, stressful work, unsafe working conditions, long hours, and 24-7 shift coverage affect everything from your circadian rhythm to your cardiovascular health to your most important relationships – every single one of which can spark even more stress!
The recent increase in focus on use of force and related issues has only added to the pressure on police officers, which ultimately affects the entire system. All while economic and political tensions have made more work for everyone involved ensuring public safety.
People who literally save lives for a living can sometimes forget to save, and nurture, their own lives.
And yeah, sometimes things need to take a back seat when there’s an emergency. But when emergency is your DAILY LIFE? Dragging things back to the front or your attention has to be intentional – or it will never happen.
Are you at a place where some important things need more focus?
Let’s see if coaching can help.
Let’s see if coaching can help. Some benefits of working with a coach instead of going it alone, are that you can make the process of moving forward more efficient – so it takes less time to get the result you want – and more effective.
My work as a coach is to help you accomplish your goal with less time wasted. And fewer dead-ends that just lead to starting over on a step you thought you had left behind. Developing a solid, strategic plan for getting to your goal, then working together to make sure it can hold up under contact with reality, is half the battle. Making sure you’ve got the resources and support you need to execute that plan – and to adapt it when the execution doesn’t go how you need it to, takes you much of the rest of the way.
It’s still hard work, not gonna lie. But having confidence that the outcome is going to be what you need? That makes doing the work a bit easier.
If any of this sounds familiar – 
- You’re proud of what you do. You’re also running on empty.
- You got promoted into leadership with zero mentoring on how to lead a team.
- You are living with one (or more) of many work-related illnesses, and you’re trying to figure out what comes next.
- Work has taken over and that’s not working – but you don’t know how boundaries would look when everything is an emergency.
- You really need a change, you’re just not sure how to find the time – or the energy – to make it.
- No amount of rest or even leave seems to be making a dent in the constant exhaustion you’re living under.
- Somehow, bouncing back from the tough cases seems to be harder than it used to.
You really need a change, you’re just not sure how to find the time – or the energy – to make it. but you don’t even have the energy to figure out a next step, just know you don’t have to navigate it alone.
What coaching here looks like:
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We start where you are. Not with a personality assessment or a five-year plan, but with honest conversation about what’s actually happening and what you actually want. And those may be two very different conversations. Many of my clients arrive already exhausted from trying to answer that question alone. |
We separate the exhaustion from the decisions. Exhaustion is a terrible place from which to make critical life choices. Stress and burnout make things even harder. Much of the early work we’ll do is getting you enough space and wellness to choose well, rather than choosing something simply to because fear or fatigue are clogging up your overwhelmed brain. |
We build the next thing deliberately. That might be making changes in your work. It might be making changes in you, including building healthier boundaries or prioritizing differently than you have before. And sometimes coaching isn’t focused on your work at all. What matters is outcomes that suit your real needs and goals. |
A note on scope: coaching is not therapy, and it is not a substitute for mental health treatment. If there are areas where you need clinical support, I’m happy to help you find that, but it beyond the scope of my work.
Why a coach who’s worked in first response teams?
You won’t have to explain why you can’t simply “leave work at work.” Or how hard it can be shake off the one that just got to you. No need to soften the dark humor – I get it and you’re not going to freak me out.
No need to explain the stress, or how hard it is to set down. And while you may need to define some of the acronyms, you won’t have to work to convey the culture.
I grew up in a law enforcement household, then spent several years in a crime lab, most of that time responding to clandestine drug labs with a HIDTA team – often the the SWAT and emergency teams on site as well. I also worked with my local FD as a victim assistant, responding with fire crews to support victims on the mental health side, while EMS crews protected their physical safety. And I’ve worked on the 988 crisis line.
I know what this work asks of you. And that it doesn’t always give back.
In addition to my coaching training and a masters degree in public health, I also hold certifications in crisis response and mental health first aid – not because all coaching clients are in crisis, but because the people who do this work sometimes arrive carrying heavy burdens. And you should be in safe hands when you do.
How to Start
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Book a free 30-minute conversation. No preparation needed, and no pressure either way. You don’t need a polished story about why you’re reaching out. Come as you are. Seriously. |
We talk about what’s going on … and whether I’m the right person to help with it. If I’m not, I’ll tell you that. And I’ll try to point you to someone who is a good fit, rather than try to sell you a program that isn’t going to suit your needs. |
If we’re a good fit, we develop an approach that works in your real life. … that fits your actual life, energy, and schedule, not a one-size-fits all template. You may want weekly sessions. Or something looser may work best while things are still unsettled. |
You’ve spent a long time being the person who holds things together for everyone else. This is a place to put that down for a moment and figure out, without judgment, what actually comes next.