06/01/2026
As a Therapist, what I need police officers to know right now
Busting barriers to support 🚔🧠
1️⃣ “I’ve seen too much to unpack it all.”
You don’t need to process hundreds or thousands of incidents one by one. In therapy, we work with underlying themes and patterns. Exploring a small number of key experiences allows wider processing by generalisation.
➡️ You are not broken, and you can be supported to feel better.
2️⃣ Protected information = no problem.
You don’t need to disclose sensitive or operational details. You can use a code name for an incident or operation. Trauma can still be processed just as effectively with EMDR, even with minimal or no disclosure.
3️⃣ Challenging the myth of weakness.
You are not weak. You are human, operating in high-risk environments where emotional suppression and “cracking on” are often necessary.
That combination is a known predisposing factor for PTSD. Around 1 in 3 officers will develop PTSD.
➡️ Symptoms are not a reflection of who you are—and you are not alone.
4️⃣ We are not here to judge you.
Therapy is not about questioning your decisions or morals. We understand threat, adrenaline, survival responses, and the realities of operational policing.
Our role is to offer a safe, non-judgemental space focused on support, understanding, and recovery.
5️⃣ You don’t have to hold back the horror.
It’s not your job in therapy to protect us. That instinct comes from a caring part of you—but here, you can bring it all. Fatalities. The images. The sounds. The smells. The moments that stay.
We can go to those depths. We are trained, equipped, and experienced to work with the full sensory impact of trauma.
6️⃣ There is hope—and help is available.
Support is available free of charge. Some officers approach us directly (and we offer a Blue Light discount), but we always ensure you know about your access to confidential private mental health care via Police Care UK, including CBT and EMDR.
I hope sharing this helps at least one person access support.
That is my intention with this post.
We care. 💙
