Putting First Responders First

Unfortunately, people who protect our physical safety every day are often emotionally harmed in the process. First responders are regularly exposed to trauma and very susceptible to PTSD.

 

Jada is a uniquely qualified counselor dedicated to the specialized needs of first responders, including firefighters, police officers, dispatch, nurses, doctors, veterans, prosecutors, and EMTs. In addition, she helps victims of occupational trauma and stress find emotional healing through counseling.

 

Jada has extensive training in first responder trauma and PTSD. She uses a combination of therapies to best suit each client.

 

• Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PET)

  • Prolonged exposure therapy helps victims face and process traumatic situations to disassociate from triggers that cause physical and emotional PTSD responses.

  • PET is endorsed by the American Psychiatric Association and the Department of Veterans Affairs and Defense.

 

• Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET)

  • Narrative exposure therapy allows victims to contextualize a traumatic event by turning sensory memories of the trauma into a linear memory. The victim processes these fragments of memories and rewrites their narrative over several sessions.

 

• Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART)

  • Accelerated resolution therapy is a form of psychotherapy that reprograms the way certain memories are stored in the brain, stopping them from triggering stressful and emotional reactions.

  • Jada was the first counselor in Illinois to be trained in this unique type of trauma counseling. (read the press release HERE)

  • The Department of Defense endorses ART to help first responders resolve trauma and heal.
     

• Yoga Therapy

  • Yoga is a valuable part of any treatment plan for PTSD, trauma, and other emotional wellness issues.

  • Combined with psychotherapy, yoga accelerates the healing process and offers innumerable bonus benefits.

  • A yoga teacher focused on first responders uses trauma-sensitive yoga techniques designed to reduce triggers some people experience in a typical yoga class. For example, instructors do not do hands-on corrections. Students can keep their eyes open during rest periods or sit instead of lying down to avoid feeling vulnerable or unsafe. For trauma survivors, only doing things you feel comfortable doing with your body is immensely powerful for your sense of control and connection with yourself.