Facts About Psychotherapy and First Responders

Dr. Anne Bisek

The Firefighters Support Foundation’s (FSF) newest training program is now available.

“Our The Facts About Psychotherapy program might well have been titled ‘Everything You Want To Know About Psychotherapy But Are Afraid To Ask,'” says FSF President David Kenik.  “Most first responders know little about psychotherapy and have a sort of visceral aversion to it…even when it’s absolutely right for them.”

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The program addresses questions such as:

  • What is psychotherapy?
  • How do I know if I should try it?
  • Will my agency discover I’m in therapy?
  • How do I find the right therapist?
  • What are the different kinds of therapists?
  • How do I know when it’s time to stop? 
  • Is it strictly confidential? What is therapy like?

The 45-minute video program is in Q&A style, with Dr. Anne Bisek, Psy.D. as the presenter. Dr. Bisek is a clinical psychologist in Fremont, California, working with first responders.  She is associated with several public safety agencies and first responder mental health organizations. Ralph Mroz of the Firefighters Support Foundation, a former police officer, asks the questions from the perspective of a first responder.

The program is free to all members of public safety and emergency management agencies. Simply watch in the player below or download a copy of the video as either an MPG or M4V file HERE.

Send comments and feedback about these training programs to staff@ffsupport.org.

About the Firefighters Support Foundation

The Firefighters Support Foundation is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt non-profit organization dedicated to assisting firefighters, emergency management, EMS, and Search & Rescue personnel perform their jobs effectively and safely. They also set aside a portion of their funds to aid underfunded agencies and assist families of fallen firefighters. More at www.ffsupport.org.

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