If you work in the emergency services, you'll know that what you see and experience on the job isn't something you can simply leave at the door. Police officers, paramedics, and other frontline responders are regularly exposed to incidents that would be overwhelming for most people, and over time, that exposure takes a toll. As a trauma-focused therapist based in North Berwick, supporting emergency service personnel is a significant and important part of my clinical work.

Over the years I have worked as a clinical lead alongside organisations including the Metropolitan Police, Police Scotland, and a range of regional police forces and ambulance services. More recently, I have been working with clients through Police Care UK. This experience has given me a deep understanding of emergency service culture, the realities of the job, and the very specific psychological challenges that come with it.

Many of the people I work with are highly capable and resilient. They are used to being the person who copes, who holds it together, who keeps going. This can make it harder to reach out for support, and many do so only after struggling in silence for some time. I understand that, and I work hard to provide a space that feels confidential, respectful, and free from judgement.

Emergency service work does not just involve single traumatic incidents. It involves cumulative exposure over months and years, command responsibility, moral injury, and the cost of leadership and loyalty. I also recognise something that comes up again and again in this work: the survival responses that once kept you safe, things like hypervigilance and heightened alertness, can become problematic when they no longer switch off.

A key part of my work involves vicarious trauma triage assessments, which help identify how trauma is affecting someone and what kind of support is most appropriate. From there, therapy is always tailored to the individual. I use Trauma-Focused CBT to help clients understand how trauma shapes thoughts, feelings, and behaviour, and EMDR to support the brain's natural ability to process difficult memories, often without needing to talk through every detail.

Alongside this, I have a strong interest in the mind and body connection in trauma. For people whose nervous systems have been operating under prolonged stress, recognising how trauma is held in the body is often just as important as working with the mind.

Recovery is not about erasing what you have been through. It is about rebuilding a sense of safety, choice, and stability. If you work on the front line and feel ready to take that step, please do get in touch.