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.
She spent years interviewing suspects in homicide cases. One of those cases involved a five-year-old whose mother had just been murdered, a child the same age as her own daughter. Now Wendy Hummell is building the wellness program she wished had existed during her career. On Episode 22 of Behind the Therapy Door, Sarah Thome sits down with this retired police detective turned Wellness Manager to discuss what therapists get wrong about first responders and what it actually takes to earn their trust and make therapy for first responders effective.
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Why Do First Responders Avoid Therapy?
The answer is not complicated, but most therapists miss it entirely. Wendy names the single biggest barrier: “Am I going to lose my job or my gun?” That question is not paranoia. In many departments, seeking mental health support can trigger fitness-for-duty evaluations, reassignments, or informal career penalties. First responders are not avoiding help because they are tough. They are avoiding help because the system punishes them for asking.
Wendy’s role as Wellness Manager at the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office exists because Sheriff Easter championed it from the top. Leadership buy-in is not optional. Without it, wellness programs do not gain traction. With it, officers see that asking for help is sanctioned, supported, and confidential. The program’s success started when leadership made participation safe.
Related: PCM® training for therapists.
What Do Therapists Need to Know About First Responder Culture?
Wendy and the therapists share what they do intentionally with the physical office. Provide seating close to the door so the officer can see who is coming and going and does not sit with their back to the entrance. Closing the blinds helps too; Sarah and Matt have had first responders ask for the blinds closed to feel more comfortable. Keep a tray or shelf 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, 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. As Wendy puts it, first responders are their own culture, and cultural competence is not a workshop you attend. It is an immersion you commit to.
Related: PCM® personality types in high-stress roles.
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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. That endorsement carries weight coming from people who have been through decades of law enforcement training. PCM® works in this population because it gives officers a framework for understanding their own stress responses without requiring them to use therapy language that feels foreign.
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. She now incorporates body-based practices into wellness programming because they bypass the resistance that talk-based approaches trigger.
- 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.
Related: What is PCM®.
What Should First Responders Look For in a Therapist?
Wendy is blunt: ask a potential therapist whether they have done ride-alongs. She also points therapists and departments to the vetting guide the National FOP and the COPS Office published, which lays out how to be genuinely prepared to serve first responders. Good intentions do not substitute for cultural competence, and a well-meaning therapist who does not understand the culture can do more harm than the silence.
For departments that want to build internal programs, Wendy advises starting with leadership. If the sheriff, the chief, or the captain does not actively champion the program, officers will treat it as a trap. Organizational wellness is a top-down commitment, not a bottom-up request.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why is therapy different for first responders?
First responders operate in a culture of strength and occupational risk that most therapists do not understand, and seeking help can threaten careers. 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. Many first responders resist talk therapy but respond to physical modalities because the body processes trauma differently than the mind. Wendy Hummell started yoga for weight loss and discovered it was the most effective stress management tool in her arsenal.
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