First Responders

Foundry Counseling provides counseling for First Responders and their loved ones at a reduced rate. First Responders have a unique job that is grossly misunderstood. David has worked in the First Responder field in the past, and actively works with First Responders in neighboring community. He has provided Critical Incident Stress Management and Grief Counseling for multiple departments following the death of First Responders. 

There is a stigma with mental health, and that stigma is only bigger within many First Responder agencies. First Responders are often very guarded and do not easily trust people to provide a confidential and safe environment where they can talk about their experience, due to this stigma and fear that it will prevent them from doing a job they enjoy doing. It is a complex cycle that only allows from the distress to continue. 

There is another component of First Responders that many do not realize. Often times it is not so much the types of calls causing the distress, as many understand what they are signing up to respond to, yet it is the politics and bureaucracy within their agencies. Counseling can be just as much about processing a traumatic call as the trauma of politics. 

David has often spoken to agencies and First Responders about secondary and vicarious trauma. This trauma can be experienced by their loved ones. While they are not in the police car, ambulance, fire truck, ER, etc., they are experiencing the impact of the job to their First Responder. Spouses and partners have their thoughts and feelings they do not want to share with their First Responder. The children of First Responders can sometimes are afraid regarding their parent being a First Responder. There has been an increase in children being bullied because their parent is a First Responder. Counseling the families of First Responders is unique, as the job of a First Responder is unique. Family, neighbors, and friends cannot relate. They get their understanding from social media, agenda-based news, or Hollywood. None of which are accurate. 

Having a safe and confidential place for the First Responder and/or their family is the goal of Foundry Counseling. Not only does David and the other counselors have the necessary clinical skills to do the necessary work, they also support First Responders and value the sacrificing work that is done everyday by the men and women serving. 

David provides training for First Responder agencies on a number of topics. While he deliberately has chosen not to facilitate Fitness for Duty assessments, he does routinely meet with officers that are not needing that particular assessment, yet have had a difficult situation develop where they need brief solution-focused work to resolve distress from a call or interaction with a person. Contact him directly to learn more about this service. 

Aside from counseling, sessions can also help make career transition decisions and retirement. Many have spent their entire career in this field and struggle to recognize the skills they have developed are transferable and easily applied in other areas of their communities.