First Responder Psychology

12/27/2025

Well-timed interventions can interfere with processes that could lead to PTSD since the brain deliberately promotes material it thinks it needs to remember. We have to "outsmart" this survival instinct to lessen the ongoing impact.

Your Brain Doesn't File Memories. It Promotes Them. New research from Priya Rajasethupathy's lab at Rockefeller (published in Nature) just mapped out how long-term memory actually works, and it's not what most of us assumed. The brain runs memories through a multi-stage promotion system: • Hippoca...

12/22/2025

New research shows that blast exposure damages more than just your brain! It damages your gut as well. Below is the link to an article. https://academic.oup.com/milmed/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/milmed/usaf478/8275564

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/sam-peterson-mba_veterans-mentalhealth-brainhealth-activity-7408869073863749632-yHro?utm_source=social_share_send&utm_medium=member_desktop_web&rcm=ACoAAAregbQBrtfj00kA39Ogu_H88ak2fm-UUBU

Blast Exposure Doesn't Just Jar the Brain. It's Blowing Holes in Your Gut Too! New research in Military Medicine confirms what many of us in the EOD and breacher community have felt for years: repeated low-level blasts are leaving marks that go far beyond "just in your head." As an Army EOD tech, re...

12/13/2025

As a former cop turned psychologist, my mission is simple: equip first responders with practical tools—and a deeper understanding of why those tools work. This resource was created for those who serve, and those who support them. Share it with a first responder, chaplain, clinician, or yourself. There’s still time to order a personalized copy or grab one on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Increasing-Resilience-Police-Emergency-Personnel/dp/1032982136/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3CTS17DBMG5Z6&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.A0abnbXrURwfWGZxtKBaSkeqFooOigUlz4PigC4qgd4mj7zWvoVKa6mrb5o0jHob.5E7ByBrRqioCNwGsGJcjkD6IAusNA-RB-iFr4tbJcZI&dib_tag=se&keywords=increasing+resilience+in+police+and+emergency+personnel&qid=1765641855&sprefix=increasing%2Caps%2C210&sr=8-1

5920 NE Ray Circle, #170 Hillsboro, OR 97124

11/29/2025

Seriously, I can't find a first responder peer support image that isn't 1) offensive to police officers or 2) hacky for the cover of my peer support book. I thought writing it would be the hard part. Do you have a cool pic of your peer support teams? A visual that would reflect the title? If I pick your idea, we both win, no?

11/24/2025

Seems about right, no?

Thanksgiving in Emergency Services

11/17/2025

The cover of my current book was an easy choice. It's my fallen coworker, Billy Randolph. Now, I'm struggling to identify a fitting cover for my peer book. It's for ALL first responder peer teams. Help me and, if I choose your idea, you get free books!

11/02/2025

😂💕

11/01/2025

Ready to refresh your agency’s wellness program but not sure where to begin? The expanded edition of Increasing Resilience in Police & Emergency Personnel is helping wellness leaders build effective, evidence-based initiatives from the ground up. Get your copy now and enjoy 30% off with PROMO CODE ADC25 here: https://www.routledge.com/Increasing-Resilience-in-Police-and-Emergency-Personnel-Strengthening-Your-Mental-Armor/Conn/p/book/9781032982151

10/30/2025

I'm so impressed with how first responders will dig in when they believe something will help them do their job, especially if it's helping a peer in need. No shyness here about doing role plays. No pics of participants out of respect for their privacy. Instead, you'll see some of the resources as they learn about ASAP (Acute Stress Adaptive Protocol). Thanks Vermont Center for Responder Wellness Sonny Provetto LICSW, for trusting me to share your protocol with first responders, chaplains, & clinicians. hashtag hashtag