Helping Professional & First Responder Therapy In-Person in Madison & Online Across Wisconsin

You deserve to live, not just survive.

It feels like you’ve just been going through the motions for a while now.

Your work means a lot to you, but maybe you’re realizing that your career has taken too much of your time, attention, and energy. The stress of the job itself is one thing, but the things you bring home with you from work—thoughts about things you’ve seen or frustration with workplace issues—are wearing you down. Now, despite feeling like your career is a key part of you, you’re burnt out. You’ve felt this fatigue start to affect you not only when you’re on the clock but also in your personal life—impacting family connections and free time. At this point, you might even feel disconnected from yourself.

All first responders and helping professionals—from police officers and firefighters to nurses, paramedics, EMTS, and beyond—carry a responsibility on their shoulders that can feel overwhelming and heavy at times. Therapy allows you to lighten the load a bit.

Maybe you’re familiar with therapy, or maybe you’ve never worked with a therapist before. Either way, we want you to know that sessions with our therapists are 100% confidential, and we understand that your line of work requires a certain level of discretion. Our therapy process is highly collaborative, and you’ll be welcome to share as much or as little as you feel comfortable with.

Maybe you’ve been experiencing...

  • Troubles surrounding sleep, like insomnia, sleep paralysis, or nightmares

  • A lack of balance between your professional and personal lives

  • Fluctuations in your mood, like an increase in irritability or lack of joy

  • Thoughts of suicide or self-harm

  • Feeling like you’re in a fog or just going through the motions, not being nearly as productive as you’d like

  • Thoughts that all people or the world as a whole are bad

  • Feeling disconnected from the people you interact with at your job

  • Struggles with impulsivity, which may manifest as the use of alcohol or drugs, overspending, gambling, etc.

  • Feelings of hopelessness, depression, or anger

  • Self-doubt or a lack of confidence in yourself and your abilities

  • Worries about your safety or the safety of your colleagues

You are more than your job.

Our therapists who specialize in working with people like you? They really specialize in it.

In fact, they’ve been spouses to people in these kinds of professionals, or have even been in similar fields themselves in the past. Helping professionals and first responders are majorly underserved when it comes to mental health, and are often expected to just bottle things up. Maybe you’ve explored terms like “PTSD” or “complex trauma,” but don’t feel they accurately fit your experience and want to work with someone who won’t put you in a box. We understand that it can be a difficult step to come to therapy and talk to a stranger about your life, but we truly get where you’re coming from and want to help.

Once you’ve been matched with a therapist who you feel is a good fit, you’ll spend some time just getting to know one another. Our therapists like to keep it real and aren't afraid of dark humor or heavy topics. Some also have firsthand experience with the lifestyle that comes with these kinds of careers and know that “normal” might look different to you than it does to others. Know that whatever you’re bringing to the table is welcome, and you’ll never be judged here.

Therapy doesn’t have to be the quiet, awkward experience you see on TV sometimes. You might talk to your therapist about how you’re feeling, but you might also do activities tailored to you, or learn tangible tools and skills you can use in your everyday life. Ultimately, therapy exists to benefit you and help you rediscover joy in your life, and the experience can look however you’d like it to.

Therapy for first responders & helping professionals can help with…

  • Understanding yourself & your reactions

  • Improving communication & connectedness with others

  • Seeing the value in your identity outside of your work

  • Being able to sleep better & relax at the end of each day

  •  Having more work-life balance & more fulfilling relationships

  • Learning ways to better manage day-to-day stress

Discover a life with less stress.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • First responders typically include people like police officers, firefighters, paramedics, nurses, military personnel, security/executive protection, and emergency medical technicians (EMTs). These are the folks who arrive first in emergency situations and witness things that could potentially be disturbing or traumatic. Therapy tailored to these experiences can be very helpful for avoiding burnout and preventing long-term issues.

  • Yes, we work with active and retired military members as well as their partners and families. However, we are currently unable to accept Tricare.

  • If you choose to use insurance benefits, as a medical service, we are required to provide your insurance company with a diagnosis. This will be in your chart. If you are able to pay out of pocket, diagnosing may be deferred. Either way, all clinical documentation contains the minimum necessary information to provide services.