Therapy won't make you perfect, but it will help you live a wiser, happier life. In my last post, I wrote that fear about confidentiality is high on the list of reasons cops don’t reach out for help. But there are other reasons like stigma, shame, or the distorted...
EllenK
Cops & Shrinks: Can You Trust Your Therapist?
What you need to know about confidentiality: when you have it, when you don't. I’ve been blogging about police and first responders with Psychology Today for a couple of years. My most popular post was about cops and PTSD. On the first day of 2021, I saw a comment on...
Goodbye 2020: Don’t Let the Door Hit You in the Butt
Why do we ask cops to stay on the job for decades when many are done in one? 2020 had such a nice sound, so round it rolled right off the tongue. What a metaphor of hope, twenty-twenty vision, the ability to see perfectly without wearing glasses. So much for happy...
Stinking Thinking: How Our Thoughts Determine How We Feel
In police work, thinking the worst can make the job safer and your life harder. “My mind's got a mind of its own It takes me out a-walkin' when I'd rather stay at home Takes me out to parties when I'd rather be alone My mind's got a mind of its own." Music and lyrics...
Calling All Cops: Do You Know Who Has Your Back?
Wisdom from a pioneer cop about connecting to your family during hard times. Dr. Al Benner was a retired police captain, a pioneer in police psychology, co-founder of the West Coast Trauma Retreat for first responders with traumatic stress, and a mentor to many “cop...
Police, Protests, and the Pandemic
Is this the right time to talk to cops about optimism? I recently attended a virtual meeting of Division 18 of the American Psychological Association titled "Current Issues in Police and Public Safety Psychology." There was a range of presentations, all grounded in...