How Can Therapists Better Serve First Responders? Lessons From a Retired Detective
Episode 22: Behind the Therapy Door
This article draws on a conversation between therapists Sarah Thome and Matt Gallagher. Listen to the full episode for the stories behind the takeaways.
As a police detective, she worked violent crimes, homicide, and sex crimes. One case meant interviewing a five-year-old whose mother had just been murdered, a child the same age as her own daughter. Now Wendy Hummell is the wellness manager at the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office, and she has spent six years vetting therapists for the people who do this work. Here is what she wants therapists to know about earning the trust of first responders.
Related: First responder training programs.
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Why Do First Responders Avoid Therapy?
One of the biggest questions first responders used to bring to the wellness office: “Am I going to lose my job or my gun if I tell you I’m having suicidal thoughts?” At Wendy Hummell’s agency, the answer is no. Absolutely not. If you notice something is wrong and reach out to the wellness office or the in-house therapist, you get support without being punished. (Not seeking help and then violating policy or endangering someone is a different situation.) Saying that out loud matters, because the stigma runs deep: we’re the strong ones, we can’t ask for help, we are the help.
Wendy’s role as Wellness Manager at the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office exists because Sheriff Easter championed it from the top. He noticed his people struggling around the anniversary dates of line-of-duty deaths; the agency has lost ten people, six since 1991. Without leadership buy-in, a wellness program won’t get traction. Wendy knows the other side too: at a previous agency, she pushed for organizational wellness before she retired, and it fell on deaf ears.
Related: PCM® training for therapists.
You’re strong if you can admit you feel things and still show up.
Matt Gallagher, Behind the Therapy Door
What Do Therapists Need to Know About First Responder Culture?
Start with your physical office. Offer seating close to the door so they can see who is coming and going, and never seat them with their back to the entrance. Close the blinds; one first responder got up mid-session to ask for exactly that. If you can, offer an alternate entrance and exit for people worried about being seen. Be okay with someone arriving in uniform and armed, and keep a tray where they can set down their duty belt, badge, and firearm so they can actually relax into the couch.
Am I going to lose my job or my gun?
Wendy Hummell, Behind the Therapy Door
Then go deeper. Do multiple ride-alongs, not just one. One shift gives you a taste. Multiple shifts, along with time in dispatch, the jail, and briefings, give you real context. First responders are their own culture, and if you want to work with them, you have to do the work. It matters because if you get them in the door, that might be your only shot. If the first encounter doesn’t go well, they may never go back.
Related: PCM® personality types in high-stress roles.
Related: PCM® leadership training.
How Does the Process Communication Model® Improve Therapy for First Responders?
When Sarah and Matt ran PCM® workshops for Wendy’s agency, officers told her it was the best training they had ever been to and that it helped them so much with their families. It’s a powerful tool for self-awareness and for improving every relationship (family, colleagues, even strangers), and the agency is now bringing it into leadership.
PCM® gives wellness professionals a shared language for understanding stress responses, tailoring communication, and building rapport faster with a population that is often wary of clinical jargon.
- Yoga as a gateway to self-care. Wendy started yoga for weight loss and discovered it was nervous system regulation in disguise. On a 17-hour call-out, it showed up as patience. In an interview that reminded her of her own child, breathing into her belly helped her regulate. She now teaches Yoga for First Responders.
- The intern pipeline. Wendy built a pipeline from college counseling programs into first responder wellness. One intern, a college athlete who planned to do sports counseling, pivoted completely to first responder work after her practicum. Exposure changes career trajectories.
Related: PCM® profile assessment.
What Should First Responders Look For in a Therapist?
If you’re a first responder vetting a therapist, it’s fair to ask whether they’ve done ride-alongs, since that’s one of the first things Wendy tells therapists to do. Therapists can use the vetting guide the National FOP and the COPS Office published as a checklist for being prepared to serve this population. And in the room, don’t fall apart. First responders have told Wendy about therapists who cried and gasped at their stories, which left them feeling like they had to take care of the therapist. Match the emotional tone without making it about you.
For departments that want to build internal programs, Wendy advises starting with leadership. You need buy-in at every level, but if the decision-makers at the top aren’t on board, the program won’t succeed. Peer support matters too; at Wendy’s agency, the peer support team is the foundation of the whole wellness program.
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Related: Workshops and training.
If we’re not genuine, we can’t foster trust or safety. A first responder will always have to stay “on,” always scanning, if they don’t feel that authenticity.
Sarah Thome, Behind the Therapy Door
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is therapy different for first responders?
First responders are their own culture, with deep stigma around asking for help, and if their first therapy experience goes badly they may never come back. Effective therapy requires cultural competence: multiple ride-alongs, understanding duty-gear logistics, seating near exits, and using language that respects their professional identity rather than pathologizing their coping strategies.
How do I find a therapist who understands law enforcement?
Ask whether they have done ride-alongs and spent real time in the culture. Wendy also recommends the National FOP and COPS Office vetting guide as a checklist for evaluating a clinician’s readiness. Look for therapists with specific first responder training or department affiliations.
What is a wellness program in law enforcement?
A wellness program provides confidential mental health resources within or adjacent to a law enforcement agency. Effective programs require leadership buy-in, peer support components, and clear confidentiality protections so officers are not penalized for participating. The goal is proactive resilience, not just crisis response after a critical incident.
How does PCM® help therapists connect with first responders?
PCM® gives therapists a personality-based framework that first responders find practical and non-clinical. Instead of traditional therapy language that can feel foreign, PCM® uses communication channels matched to personality type, which helps officers engage without feeling patronized.
Can yoga really help first responders with stress?
Yes. Body-based practices like yoga regulate the nervous system without requiring officers to narrate their experiences verbally. Wendy Hummell started hot yoga to lose weight and get stronger, and over time noticed she was more patient and more regulated, years before she understood the nervous system piece. She now teaches Yoga for First Responders.
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