Category: Certified First Responder Counselor
First Responders & Mental Health

Counseling for First Responders
A CRFC is a specialty trained LPC in the culture and unique needs of first responders. First responders have unique jobs, they have experiences that others don’t have, and they have mental health needs that are not commonly experienced by civilians. As a Certified First Responder Counselor, a counselor is specially trained to understand the needs of these individuals, including the importance of confidentiality and trust.
Benefits of Working with a Certified First Responder Counselor:
Specialized knowledge of the first responder and law enforcement officer culture, special mental health needs, and expectations.
Informed of trends and news that matter to your responder counseling practice.
Continuing education to stay current on responder needs and challenges.
A CFRC will help to guide, support and understand the following:
- The mentality of a Law Enforcement Officer
- The perspective of a First Responder
- The culture / family of response teams
- The trauma of being a responder
- The triad of health & well-being in regard to safety
- Suicide in law enforcement
- Warrior mentality
- Peer support vs Peer pressure
- Denial, Job Security, and other reasons to resist counseling
- The spouse, children, family of a responder
- The real goal of helping a responder
- The importance of self-debriefing as a responder counselor
- Ethics
- Confidentiality and trust
- Rapport with a warrior
- Other issues related specifically to working in a counselor role with a First Responder