Welcome to My Backup
Some of our local FRs (first responders) may wonder who is this lady I've seen on calls? I am Cheralynn, a licensed psychotherapist who specializes in the mental wellness of LE (law enforcement), military, and other FRs.
I began my private practice in 2011, and upon accepting referrals from the Veterans Administration realized I was a good fit with this population. But it wasn't until my nephew joined the San Jose PD that I began to wonder who had the backs of our LE? In researching the matter, I was both surprised and horrified to discover most agencies, regardless of size, have mere 1-800# and maybe a local retired chaplain for personnel to call when they're in trouble--we had no peer support teams in place and no licensed mental health professionals certified to work with our first responders within hundreds of miles.
Given the wave of anti-LE policies and poltical rhetoric combined with the lack of "psych armor" (emotional agility training/support), I felt compelled to do something. So, I filled that gap by acquiring the skills and certifications needed to help them.
Now I'm on a mission to save them.
What gets me in my line of work is why none of my colleagues seem to be asking the right questions, why they are not seeing what I'm seeing. For example, everyone knows the famous statistic that LE are twice as likely to die of suicide than in the line of duty, but after hearing the stories of my clients, I've come to wonder how many of those line of duty deaths were actually suicide of cop by cop? Stats are similar for military/veterans and other FRs, and I'm not saying I have all the answers, all I know is no one is asking the right questions.
As evidenced by both the lack of psychological support and disturbingly nonexistent training for my colleagues to effectively help them, few clinicians are focusing on these populations and those who are are not digging deeply enough into the painful and significant realities facing our FRs today. How disturbing is it to realize my clients were taking risks on the job, consciously or unconsciously, hoping to die in the line of duty to end their pain and spare their loved ones the guilt and agony of their suicidality? Taking risks also provides an escape from the pain of suicidality by way of thrillseeking, releasing endorphins, causing the whole process to take on an all-consuming life of its own.
My role as a therapist is to be the one person with whom you can finally safely let go and unload EVERYTHING. No buttons to push and no strings attached, one who does not judge you for anything you've done (or thought of doing). You do not have to protect me from your pain, this is the one time someone can carry your burden without holding anything back. And I will call you on your cognitive crap that keeps you trapped. Aside from mandated reporting, I will not share even the existence of our working relationship with anyone, including your loved ones or admin unless you sign a written release to do so--I won't even wave at you in the grocery store unless you approach me first. I will confidentially treat you and bill your insurance just like any other HIPAA regulated provider.
If you or a first responder you care about are considering reaching out for help, no doubt you have some questions about how it works, the level of confidentiality, and whether seeing me will affect fit for duty, so I've provided some information about what I do to put your mind at ease.
This information and other good stuff are also discussed in more detail in my first podcast video, "Chera & My Backup, An Introduction" (YouTube channel "CheraTherapy").
Visit my Military/Veteran Care page and check out this podcast video to learn about what I do with this population and my goals for taking it further. I describe the importance of military cultural training for clinicians and encouraging my colleagues and up and coming psych grads to consider this specialized group as a focus of their practice, as I did. I explain how our veterans end up needing support not only as a result of their experiences during service but sometimes even moreso pertaining to the issues they faced entering into and returning from it. As with first responders, I talk about how, even if they do not have PTSD (which many do not), their military experience can still profoundly affect their self-world view, meaning it comes out in their relationships with friends, loved ones, and self when they come home. ❤️
