My Philosophy
The Interviewer
“So Karen you’re a Police Psychotherapist, but you also refer to yourself as a Tactical Psych Advisor...in that role what exactly is it you do?”
The Reply
“It’s like sports psychology for players in ‘the deadly game’.”
Gratitude for Mentorship
Rule #1: You’ve Got to know the Game
From day one in working with Officers suffering from duty-induced PTSD, my training began. It was my first generation of Cops who taught me that the better I understood “the deadly game” the better I’d be at helping to bring them back more resilient (both mentally and tactically) if they've sustained an on-duty injury of PTSD.
I owe everything to those who 1st forced me out onto their beats...
Out on to the range...
Out of the frying pan... And into the fire.
Then more times than I can count... Straight into the deadly game.
My Field Training Officers have been many (you all know who you are) and I’m forever in your debt. This would have been an impossible journey without you, and while any of us are still fulfilling our respective roles in this deadly game, the training course never ends.
Rule #2: Prevention is Just as Critical as Cure
Witnessing the miracle of how the “hardware of the soul” (as Dr. Daniel Amen refers to the brain) mends from PTSD never fails to take my breath away. Yet my perspective has seen a change over time. I’ve come to believe just as strongly in the gift of prevention as much as the cure.
I have seen consistently over time that the better their leaders are and the better-trained Officers, First Responders, and Military Assets are, the less vulnerable they become to the ravages of fighting in the “Peace Time War.” I have conversely found that without doubt, the better trained they have made me, the more effective I’ve been in assisting in prevention as well as treatment (see Dr. Francine Shapiro’s comment in Re: EMDR).
My long-suffering 1st generation officer clients and I worked together to find a way to merge the mental & psychological with the weapons & tactical. The “Tactical Psych Advisor” description was one that we needed to formulate to best define one unique, key aspect of what it is that I do. Where the brain goes, the body will follow. This is true in sports, in Law Enforcement / Military / First Response sectors.
The brain is an amazing piece of “kit.” It should be maintained as well as one tends to his/her weapons. That gray matter located between our ears is our 1st line of defense.
Rule #3: There’s a Reason for Good Hope...
Even if duty-induced PTSD occurs that does not mean it can’t be overcome. Proper treatment is critical. Early intervention is also extremely preferable, however, I’ve witnessed traumatic incidents dating back decades be as successfully resolved as incidents that have only waited months for treatment. In the end, the PTSD condition will lead an Officer to the same crossroads as the calling she/he followed into this career.
Our motto is...
“Stronger or weaker but never the same... Choose Strength.”