The weight of trauma doesn't stay at work—it comes home. For first responders, this reality shapes not just their professional lives but transforms family dynamics, relationships, and personal wellbeing in profound ways that most people never see.
In this revealing conversation, therapist Erin Sheridan shares her unique perspective as both a mental health professional specializing in first responder care and someone who understands the lifestyle intimately through personal connection. With candor and occasional profanity that mirrors the authentic language of the emergency services world, Erin and host Steve Bisson cut through the stigma surrounding mental health in these communities.
The discussion tackles critical issues that rarely make headlines: the devastating impact of mandated 48-72 hour shifts on family life, the subtle progression from social drinking to problematic coping, and the cultural barriers that keep many first responders from seeking help until crisis points emerge. Erin shares powerful insights about building trust with a population trained to handle everyone else's emergencies while ignoring their own.
What makes this episode particularly valuable is the practical framework it offers for both first responders and departments. Rather than simply identifying problems, Erin outlines specific approaches that work: proactive mental health training, peer support systems that normalize help-seeking, and therapeutic approaches like EMDR that can help process trauma when properly applied. She explains how small shifts in departmental culture could prevent the cascading personal crises that lead to the troubling statistics on first responder suicide rates.
Whether you're a first responder yourself, love someone who is, or simply want to understand the human cost behind emergency services, this conversation offers rare insight into both the challenges and pathways to resilience for those who run toward danger when others run away.
Visit www.beautifullyunbrokencounseling.com to learn more about Erin's work or to connect for support services specifically tailored to first responders and their families.
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