First Responder Family Psychology

OVERTIME for a first responder is often times out of their control... but there are times when it is a choice and this should always be a thoughtful one. The thicker paycheck can be nice but don’t forget about all the other impacts that come along with more hours worked on the job. Such as... . 1. Time away from important relationships . 2. Increased exposure to potentially traumatic situations... . 3. Impacts on health and longevity . 4. Potential physical injuries and/or making current ones worse . 5. Increase chances of long term medical diagnosis such as coronary diseases and cancers. . The decision to take on OT when it’s a choice shouldn’t be taken lightly. I explain each of these points in more detail in my blog and you can click link in Bio to find this one and more. . Follow @firstresponderfamilypsychology to see more as they come out! Stay Safe! See more

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Catch this week's NEW episode: "How A First Responder Spouse Can Feel Alone And What You Can Do" . As a first responder spouse you can feel alone... often. Not just physically due to the shift, but things can feel emotionally lonely as well. . In this episode Dr. Rachelle (Fire Wife) and Dr. Alma (Police Wife) discuss the many ways spouses experience loneliness and what you can do with that. ... . Find us on any major podcast platform and please share with other spouses you know and care about. See more

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Calling all CAL FIRE Families!! Come join me! It’s free to you. Bring your questions about your kids and how to support them in this #firelife. . I’ll be talking about how you can help your #firekids be resilient to the impacts of this fire life. . I’m going to address 4 tools you need to support them most. ... . COMMUNICATION . COMMUNITY . CONTROL . COPING SKILLS . I’m looking forward to meeting you all next Saturday! Please tag a Cal Fire spouses you know! See more

FIRST RESPONDER Kid Tip . I learned in my grad school research that Connecting your first responder kids the best you can to the job and the department does help make them feel supported! . First responders often want to protect their families from the work, but connecting them in a healthy way can be supportive for your kiddos. Whether you want them to or not... our first responder kids serve the public too in ways! They sacrifice time together, plans, holidays and a lot mo...re. When your kids can be closer to the reason behind why and the others doing it with them they can feel part of the bigger picture versus isolated and potentially resentful. . #parentinghacks #firstresponders #Firstresponderfamily #firefamily #policefamily #deputywife #EMS #thinblueline #thinredline #firewife #policewife See more

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Tune in for Monday's NEW Podcast Episode: "Why a First Responder Spouse Can Feel Under Appreciated." . Here's a small clip of our discussion about how resentment can build! . First Responders spouses wear so many hats! They very often have to be the protecter, disciplinarian, the nurturer, the schedule manager, the flexible spouse, and the foundation that the rest of the family relies upon... all at once and without a handbook. ... . When all of that is overlooked because it's what everyday looks like that can start to wear on our motivation to do it all. . In this episode, Dr. Rachelle (Fire Spouse) and Dr. Alma (Police Spouse) discuss the experience of a first responder spouse and how some dynamics might lead to stressors on our marriages and spouses feeling under appreciated. . A Podcast for first responder spouses by first responder spouses. Tag others you know who do it all!! See more

Tomorrow's NEW Podcast Episode: "What's It Like To Be A First Responder Spouse Holding It All Together?" . Can anyone relate to what I'm saying in this clip ? "We are good at managing everything because we have to. That's part of it... But just because I have figured it out does not mean that when my partner comes home that I want to keep doing it all." . In this episode Dr. Rachelle (Fire Spouse) and Dr. Alma (Police Spouse) are talking about what it's like to be the spouse... of a first responder. Specifically, all the challenges that come along with being placed in a position to be on your own, responsible for managing it ALL, for a large portion of the time. . Listen to full episodes on any major podcast platform. DM me with questions you want us to answer or topics you want us to cover! See more

Today's New Podcast Episode: "Helping Your First Responder Kid Manage the Challenges" . Our first responder kids live in a totally different world than many of their friends. . One where their weekly family schedule is in a constant state of change and things can rarely be guaranteed. Holidays might look different each year. Their first responder parent often misses out on some of the big moments and goes off to work every day to potential life threatening situations. ... . In this episode, Dr. Rachelle (Fire Wife) and Dr. Alma (Police Wife) discuss how to build resiliency in your first responder kids from the beginning and how that may take shape over time. . In this clip hear a brief example on how to provide your kids control in their environment. . Listen to full episodes on Any major platform. See more

This week's Episode: "How We Take On Our First Responder's Fears From The Job." . First Responders are called to show up on people's worst day. They see the many daily tragedies and nightmares people experience and it's hard not to want to protect their own family from those. In this episode Dr. Rachelle (Fire Wife) and Dr. Alma (Police Wife) talk about how they naturally start to take on the fears that their husbands bring home from the job and just how easily that can happen for a spouse and family member.

This Weeks New Podcast Episode: "Building Trust and How The First Responder Career Gets in Our Way." . The first responder career can make finding and building trust in your marriage a challenge. In this episode, Dr. Rachelle (Fire Spouse) and Dr. Alma (Police Spouse) discuss the many aspects of the career that can get in the way of building trust if it has been lost or managing it when there is a lack of it in general. They also discuss ways you can build trust as a couple overtime. . Listen to all episodes on any major platform or visit https://ed.gr/c8ouu

Catch Monday's NEW Episode: "Anxiety: How It Shows Up And What You Can Do." First responders are directly exposed, and their family members are Indirectly exposed, to bad things happening all around them. Listen to this clip for an example on just how that family dynamic can easily take place. No matter how we are exposed, when we get the message "bad things happen to everyone around us everyday," our worries and anxiety naturally increase! In this episode, Dr. Rachelle (Fir...e Spouse) and Dr. Alma (Police Spouse) discuss how to identify anxiety, how it shows up in first responder families, and what you can start doing today to better manage your worries so they don't turn into anxiety. Find our podcast on all major platforms, subscribe and share with other first responder spouses you know and care about. https://ed.gr/c547s

Catch the NEW Episode Out Tomorrow: "How Do I Convince My First Responder Spouse To Get Help?" E17 WE'RE BACK!!! The most common questions spouses ask me all revolve around how they can successfully talk to their first responder spouse about getting help or going to therapy. Often the spouse feels it could be very beneficial based on what changes they see, but they feel lost with how to talk with or convince their first responder spouse knowing they are not very open or trust...ing of mental health. In this episode Dr. Rachelle (fire spouse) and Dr. Alma (Police spouse) speak from their professional roles as therapists in how to best address this question. Also, Rachelle's baby girl has arrived! She makes her first debut on this podcast at just 3 weeks old. She also talks about the challenges that her husband's captain promotion brought to pre and postpartum life. Find this podcast for first responder spouses on all major platforms. https://ed.gr/c5hdz

Here's a great Holiday Gift for Fire Families! My Book: THE FIREFIGHTER FAMILY ACADEMY. It is intended to help guide and educate fire spouses on the fire service and how to help their family resist the potential negative impacts of a long career. It's perfect for new families to the fire service specifically. It's easy to read and has a humorous and positive outlook. You can click the link in my bio to learn more and purchase. You can also find it on Amazon!

First Responder Family Holidays are particularly challenging this year. We have unexpected force backs due to Covid-19 exposures, less access to our support system in an attempt to social distance, and prohibited station visits for families to name a few. . Part of being a resilient police and fire spouse is being ready to adjust when we cannot control and there’s a lot we cannot control especially when it comes to this season. Here are 5 tips on how to help your family adjust to the holiday schedule. https://ed.gr/c2nqs

Catch Monday's New Episode: "How to Handle Behavior Problems in First Responder Kids." . As child and family psychologists Dr. Rachelle (Fire Spouse) and Dr. Alma (Police spouse) work with hundreds of parents to discuss the most effective ways to address behaviors. Listen in as they discuss their psychological perspective on working with families. In addition, they reflect on how having a first responder parent in the home can at times complicate addressing these behaviors. . Listen to the podcast on all major platforms and share with first responder families you know!

Catch Monday's NEW Episode: "The Downsides To Our First Responder's Loyalty" . Loyalty, dedication, passion, and being a team player are some of the characteristics that make our first responder's great at what they do! In this episode Dr. Rachelle (Fire Spouse) and Dr. Alma (Police Spouse) discuss how these respected characteristics can also be the ones that lead to a first responder's strong sense of obligation to the work which may have downsides such as poor boundaries, a lack of self care, and why they might also choose overtime over family time. . Find us on any major platform and please subscribe to catch all new episodes on Mondays! https://ed.gr/c00bv

Make sure you catch Monday's NEW Episode: "Why First Responder Kids Have Big Worries." . In our clinical work with first responder families we notice that these kids tend to have more big worries and lean towards being more anxious than the average kid. . In this episode we talk about our experiences as child psychologists and members of first responder families. We discuss our thoughts about where their anxiety may stem from. Here's a brief clip of our discussion.... . Find us on any major platform and please subscribe to catch all new episodes on Mondays! https://ed.gr/cz7k1 See more

Catch Monday's NEW Episode: "The Lifetime Impacts of Wonderful Overtime" . As a first responder spouse you're no stranger to your spouse working overtime (especially this year!). . Overtime shouldn't be a decision taken so lightly. Be informed about the short and long term impacts and consider them when making the decision for how much overtime is too much as a family. ... . In this career it can often times be out of the first responder’s control. However, there are also many times overtime is a choice. Listen in as Dr. Rachelle (fire wife) and Dr. Alma (police wife) discuss the benefits of overtime and also the significant costs we may not always be considering when it is a choice. . Start listening on Any Major podcast Platform (or through the link below). New Episodes drop on Mondays. Share with first responder families you know and care about! https://ed.gr/cz7e9 See more