First Responders & Military

Many people will experience an event in their life that will leave lasting trauma and impact how we navigate the world and people around us. Sometimes, this impact is short-term and we adapt to it without lasting effects.  Sometimes, the impact of trauma is sustained and we respond with intrusive thoughts, avoidance of triggers, and feelings of fear, anger, helplessness, numbness, and/or horror. 

There are no hard and fast rules to defining trauma. For civilians, trauma can stem from man-made events (e.g. physical or sexual assault, accidents, and witnessing the death or injury of others) or natural disasters (fires, earthquakes, floods, tornadoes, ice storms, etc.).

For First Responders (including military force members, police officers, and health first responders), trauma may relate to direct combat duties, being in a dangerous location, cumulative exposure. to violence or suffering, or taking part in work under difficult and stressful conditions. In the past, they were recognized as having "shell shock" or "combat fatigue." Now, we recognize they are more likely to suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), a lasting psychological response to  experiencing intensely traumatic events. It can affect people of any age, culture, or gender.

The triggers of PTSD are not fully understood but women develop PTSD more often than men and certain types of trauma are more likely to cause PTSD. In Canada, it's estimated that as many as 10% of peacekeeping and war-zone veterans experience PTSD, while others may experience at least some of the symptoms associated with this condition.

There are symptoms that often join PTSD. Some are physical and stress-related (like joint or muscle pain, or skin conditions), emotional (like depression or anxiety), and behavioural (like avoidance or substance addiction). PTSD can interfere with your personal relationships and with your ability to function at work.

Both prevention and intervention are important and necessary to ensure physical and mental health well-being of people in these groups as they continue in their chosen career and will be exposed to intensely traumatic events.

Auschrat Counselling Services is proud to offer assessment and counselling services to First Responders, including military veterans, active Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members, Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and municipal police officers, firefighters, paramedics, nurses, and doctors.

In addition to assessment and counselling for members of Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC), ACS psychologists are registered providers to provide direct billing of assessment, psychotherapy, and counselling to Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), and Veteran Affairs Canada (VAC). We also offer direct billing through many first responder group insurance plans, including Alberta Blue Cross, Canada Life, and Green Shield.