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Digital Seminar

Therapy for First Responders: Evidence-Based Tools for the Hidden Toll of Duty, Trauma & Chronic Stress


Speakers:
Dr. Sarah Stewart-Spencer |  Allison Kanter Agliata
Duration:
Approx 6 hrs
Copyright:
Sep 04, 2025
Product Code:
POS150314
Media Type:
Digital Seminar - Also available: DVD | Live Webinar

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Description

It’s already tough to give first responders what they need.

Stigma about being in therapy.

Worry about being seen as unfit for duty.

The logistics of irregular hours, on-call shifts, and constant exposure to crisis …

It all adds up.

 

But the biggest barrier? Most therapists simply don’t understand the world first responders live in.

The job.

The culture.

The pressure to perform – and keep it all in.

 

And without that understanding, therapy often falls short.

This training changes that.

Watch Drs. Sarah Stewart-Spencer and Allison Aligata, experts in treating first responders, for this essential training that will give you everything you need to know to effectively treat police officers, firefighters, emergency medical services personnel, and more. You’ll learn:

  • Techniques to build a strong therapeutic alliance in the context of first responders’ adaptive emotional detachment
  • Values interventions to target first responders’ black-and-white thinking related to moral injury
  • Strategies that lean into first responders’ preference for structure to help them cope with acute and ongoing stress
  • AND MUCH MORE!

PURCHASE TODAY so you’re ready to care for those who care for all of us.

Credit

Planning Committee Disclosure - No relevant relationships

All members of the 小蝌蚪视频. planning committee have provided disclosures of financial relationships with ineligible organizations and any relevant non-financial relationships prior to planning content for this activity. None of the committee members had relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies or other potentially biasing relationships to disclose to learners.  For speaker disclosures, please see the faculty biography.



* Credit Note - Self-Study CE Information Coming Soon

Continuing education credit information is coming soon for this non-interactive self-study package.

CE hours may be available for select professions, as listed in the target audience. Hours will be dependent on the actual recording time. Please check with your state licensing board or organization for specific requirements. 

There may be an additional fee for CE certificates. Please contact our Customer Service at 1-800-844-8260 for more details. 

**Materials that are included in this course may include interventions and modalities that are beyond the authorized practice of your profession. As a licensed professional, you are responsible for reviewing the scope of practice, including activities that are defined in law as beyond the boundaries of practice in accordance with and in compliance with your professions standards.



Speaker

Dr. Sarah Stewart-Spencer's Profile

Dr. Sarah Stewart-Spencer Related seminars and products


Sarah Stewart-Spencer, PhD, LMHC, LPC, NCC, CFRP, is a clinician, consultant, trainer, and author specializing in trauma who has practiced in a variety of roles and settings, including crisis/emergency, forensic, community mental health, inpatient psychiatry, and private practice. She is a creator of the National First Responder Treatment Provider certification training program administered by the International Trauma Training Institute and holds certifications in hypnotherapy and trauma. Dr. Stewart-Spencer maintains a private practice for high-risk trauma exposed populations and owns the Integrated Wellness Institute through which she offers courses for the public and professionals. She is also an Associate Professor at The Chicago School for Professional Psychology and former Dean of Behavioural Sciences at Yorkville University. Author of two books on the use of metaphors in therapy, Dr. Stewart-Spencer is the editor and founder of Therapeutic Speakeasy Quarterly and the former editor of The Humanistic Counselor.

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Sarah Stewart-Spencer maintains a private practice and has employment relationships with The Chicago School of Professional Psychology and the International Trauma Training Institute. She receives royalties as a published author. Sarah Stewart-Spencer receives a speaking honorarium from 小蝌蚪视频. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Sarah Stewart-Spencer has no relevant non-financial relationships.


Allison Kanter Agliata's Profile

Allison Kanter Agliata Related seminars and products


Allison Kanter Agliata, PhD, BCC, CFRP, is a clinician, a board-certified executive coach, and an Air Force veteran with a deep commitment to enhancing mental health and resilience. In her private practice, she provides specialized behavioral health care for high-performance fields including first responders and their families in counseling, critical incident debriefings, peer support training, and executive coaching.

She is the author of Mastering Resiliency: First Responders Edition and is a founding board member of the Suncoast Alliance of First Responders, a nonprofit organization that operates Florida鈥檚 First Responder Hope Line and provides essential resources for first responders and their families. Dr. Agliata鈥檚 expertise has been secured by the US Special Operations Command and featured on nationally syndicated programs such as The Today Show, Today with Hoda and Jenna, and NBC Nightly News.

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Dr. Allison Kanter Agliata is the founder and CEO of Dr. A & Associates and has an employment relationship with Integrated Wellness Institute. She receives royalties as a published author. Dr. Kanter Agliata receives a speaking honorarium from 小蝌蚪视频. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Dr. Allison Kanter Agliata has no relevant non-financial relationships.


Additional Info

Questions?

Visit our FAQ page at www.pesi.com/faq or contact us at www.pesi.com/info


Objectives

  1. Identify unique characteristics of first responders’ duties that may impact mental health.
  2. Evaluate factors that contribute to stigma regarding first responders seeking mental health treatment.
  3. Utilize a risk assessment for first responders focused on suicide and substance misuse.
  4. Evaluate the therapist’s role in crisis interventions.
  5. Utilize two strategies to assist first responders with coping with acute stress.
  6. Identify challenges identified by first responders’ partners and family members.

Outline

Foundations of Treatment with First Responders

  • Roles and duties of first responders
  • Accidents, tragedies, and high-stress situations
  • Self-sacrifice and other unique characteristics
  • Organizational culture
  • Stigma around mental health and other barriers
  • Impact of “defund the police” and other social movements
  • Diagnosis and typical presenting problems
  • Risk assessments – suicide and substance use

Treatment Strategies for First Responders

  • Build a strong therapeutic alliance
  • Tailor treatment to first responders
  • Treatment preparedness self-assessment
  • Techniques to decrease shame
  • Importance of early intervention
  • Psychoeducation on trauma types – acute, vicarious, and more
  • Values interventions for moral injury
  • Therapist role in crisis interventions – CISM and PFA

PESCE Resilience Model for ongoing trauma exposure:

  • Help clients expand awareness to regulate emotion
  • Coaching to activate healthy habits
  • Target sleep, exercise, and nutrition
  • Communication skills to improve social support
  • Strategies to cope with acute stress
  • Establish client resilience plan

Additional Clinical & Practice Considerations

  • When and how to work with partners/family members
  • Documentation dilemmas
  • Confidentiality and ethical issues
  • How to protect against vicarious traumatization of the therapist
  • Limitations of the research and potential risks

Target Audience

  • Counselors
  • Social Workers
  • Psychologists
  • Psychiatrists
  • Marriage & Family Therapists
  • Addiction Counselors
  • Other Mental Health Professionals
  • Nurse Practitioners
  • Nurses

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Your satisfaction is our goal and our guarantee. Concerns should be addressed to: PO Box 1000, Eau Claire, WI 54702-1000 or call 1-800-844-8260.

ADA Needs
We would be happy to accommodate your ADA needs; please call our Customer Service Department for more information at 1-800-844-8260.

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