Last month the Ontario government announced that it would be introducing a bill that removed the need for first responders to prove that their PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) was work-related. This would allow for faster access to treatment and the coverage of treatment by WSIB. This new legislation would apply to police officers, firefighters, paramedics, workers in correctional institutions and secure youth justice facilities, dispatchers of police, firefighter and ambulance services, and First Nations emergency response teams. Evidence shows that first responders are twice as likely to get PTSD as the general population. There are 73,000 first responders in the province of Ontario that will benefit from these changes.
One method of treating PTSD is with EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing). It has been shown to be effective in the treatment of PTSD with first responders and war vets. Unlike traditional talk therapy, EMDR is different. The process of EMDR allows an individual to share as much or as little as they want about a situation and is not focused on telling and retelling the story. In my work with police officers and paramedics I have helped them process unbelievable traumatic events resulting in less anger, less drinking, better relationships with their intimate partners, better relationships with their children and more.
According to TEMA Conter Memorial Trust Fund, a PTSD support network – four police officers and six paramedics have died by suicide in Canada in 2016 already. If you think you might be suffering PTSD please reach out for help. I am a registered psychotherapist and trained EMDR therapist with experience working with first responders. I can be contacted at or click here. I would be honoured to help you on your journey of healing. Listening. Guiding. Caring.
