02/05/2026
Public safety personnel often struggle with traditional "talk therapy". Finding a provider that understands the culture is imperative to prevent unintentional harm.
When we tell first responders to “open up,” we’re asking them to share experiences that don’t fit into normal conversation. The things they carry, on top of everyday stresses, are graphic, complex, morally heavy, and emotionally overwhelming. Most people have no frame of reference for those moments (thankfully), so first responders learn quickly that trying to talk about them often leads to blank stares, awkward silences, uncomfortable shifts, or well‑meaning but unhelpful reactions.
So they stop trying.
It’s not always that they don’t want to open up.
It’s that the content of their lives doesn’t translate easily into casual dialogue or everyday language. It’s that they don’t want to burden people, shock them, or be misunderstood. They end up feeling as if there’s no choice but to hold it all in, because the world around them isn’t built to hold what they’ve seen and heard.
