You Don't Have to Wait Until Things Become Unmanageable

Emergency Service members are often exceptionally good at managing pressure.

You may be used to putting difficult experiences aside, getting the job done and moving on to the next call.

​

That ability can be valuable at work. However, repeatedly pushing difficult experiences aside can sometimes make it harder to recognise when you need support.

You may have noticed:

• Feeling constantly on edge or hypervigilant

• Difficulty relaxing or switching off after work

• Disturbing memories or images

• Nightmares or disrupted sleep

• Anxiety or panic

• Irritability or anger

• Emotional numbness or feeling disconnected

• Avoiding people, places or conversations

• Difficulty talking about what happened

• Feeling different from family or friends

• Relationship difficulties

• Increased alcohol or other substance use

• Loss of motivation or enjoyment

• Feeling overwhelmed or emotionally exhausted

• Difficulty concentrating

• Guilt, shame or feeling responsible for what happened

• Feeling affected by an incident long after it occurred

​

You don't need to have all of these experiences to benefit from counselling.  Sometimes the first sign that something is wrong is simply that you don't feel like yourself anymore.

Working in emergency services can expose you to situations that most people will never experience. You may have witnessed serious injury, death, violence, accidents, disasters or other traumatic events. You may also experience the cumulative impact of repeated exposure to difficult situations over many years.

​

Sometimes the impact doesn't appear immediately. You may continue functioning at work while noticing changes in your sleep, relationships, mood, anxiety, anger, concentration or ability to switch off.

​

First Response Counselling provides confidential, trauma-informed counselling for first responders and emergency services personnel in Brisbane and Australia-wide via secure telehealth. With extensive experience working as a first responder and supporting people affected by trauma and critical incidents, First Response Counselling provides a practical, respectful and non-judgemental environment where you can talk openly without having to explain or justify what you have experienced.

​

• Police

• Firefighters

• Paramedics

• Ambulance

• Emergency services

• Defence/veterans where appropriate

• Critical incidents

• PTSD

• cumulative trauma

• burnout

• hypervigilance

• sleep problems

• relationship difficulties

• emotional shutdown

• anger

• exposure to death/injury

• operational stress

• returning to work (WorkCover)

​​

Contact Brendan directly on 0411086201 if you would like to discuss your needs further.

​