A friend of mine who is a therapist in Kitchener/Waterloo came up with a wonderful idea that, in her own small way, addresses the gaps in service for First Responders (Police, EMS, Firefighters) and Canadian Forces Personnel. While these folks notionally have access to psychological service through their employers, the ethos and stigma associated with asking for help makes it difficult to obtain what they require.
In addition, especially within the Canadian Forces, the expertise required to effectively treat members with Operational Stress Injury seems by many accounts to be lacking. They often end up over medicated and abandoned by the system.
My colleague, Karen Grierson ( http://www.kgrierson.com/ ) offers very low cost therapy to current and retired members of police, EMS, firefighters and the Canadian Forces. I was inspired so I’m now pleased to say I’m offering the same.
Anyone who falls into those categories can access my services on the following Tariff:
$20/hour for the first 6 sessions and $25/hour for the next 6.
I am very familiar with the Canadian Forces in particular and I have expertise in trauma processing. PTSD isn’t something you have to suck up and live with forever. It’s curable and so are you! Don’t let a lack of funds prevent you from seeking help.
Things in your life that indicate you could benefit are:
- Too much drinking
- Too many prescriptions
- Anger outbursts
- Constant exhaustion
- Nightmares
- Irrational fears of things
- Flashbacks
- Easily overwhelmed by your family
- Isolation
Take a look at http://www.EMDRIA.org to get an idea of how I usually work with trauma. I do traditional talk therapy too.
One more thing. . .If you have used the services provided by your employers and felt let down or misunderstood, you are not alone in that either. I am not like those people. I get it so give me a chance to help you make things better for you and the people you love.