“Heroes are made by the path they choose, not the powers they are graced with.”

Today you can choose to put yourself first!

First Responders have the unique strength to show courage in their vulnerability. With the weight of trauma often looming, it can be difficult for them to take that first step and reach out for support. As an empathetic listener with no judgment, my goal is to ensure they know there's always a safe space within which healing can occur - as avoidance only perpetuates suffering rather than diffusing its power.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition caused by witnessing or experiencing actual or threatened death, serious injury or violence. Someone with PTSD can experience nightmares, uncontrollable memories, persistent fear and severe anxiety.

Due to the traumatic events they often witness, first responders are twice as likely to suffer from PTSD. Being affected by these types of events is normal. However, if thoughts of these events start to seriously affect first responders long after the event, they could be experiencing PTSD (Motreff et al., 2020).