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I Don’t Just Work With First Responders.
I Work Alongside Them.
Jill Peeler, LMFT
First Responder Trauma Therapist | Embedded Clinician | Speaker | Trainer
My office is not always a therapy office.
You will find me inside police departments, fire stations, state law enforcement offices, training rooms, and other public safety environments. I spend time learning the culture, building relationships, and earning trust before someone reaches a crisis.
I specialize in working with law enforcement officers, firefighters, EMS professionals, dispatchers, correctional personnel, military members, veterans, public safety leaders, and first responder families.
Trust comes before crisis.
My Why
I have sat in too many debriefings following the suicide of an officer.
I have sat in rooms with more than 100 people grieving the loss of one of their own. In those rooms, we honor the person’s life, support one another, and try to make sense of an unimaginable loss.
Beneath the grief, people are often asking themselves the same painful questions.
What did I miss?
Why didn’t I see it?
Should I have said something?
Could I have done more?
After one of those debriefings, I drove home knowing that I needed to do more than respond after a tragedy. I needed to become more proactive than reactive.
I no longer wanted to enter a room as a stranger after the worst had already happened.
I wanted to become a familiar and trusted resource before the crisis. I wanted to be a clinician who consistently showed up, understood the culture, respected the job, and became someone personnel knew they could talk to without having to explain everything first.
That is why embedded behavioral health matters so deeply to me.
I want to work alongside first responders as a trusted resource. I want to help create the relationships and conversations that make it easier to speak honestly, check on one another, and ask for support early.
We cannot prevent every tragedy, and no individual should carry the blame for another person’s death. But I believe we can build stronger systems of support. We can reduce isolation. We can help people recognize warning signs sooner. We can create more opportunities for honest conversations before someone reaches a breaking point.
If we want more opportunities to change an outcome, we have to build trust before the crisis.
That is my why.
Jill at age 12 on a San Francisco police motorcycle. An early connection to the public safety community that would later shape her life’s work.
I Thought I Was There to Help Them
While serving as an embedded clinician with a state law enforcement agency, I walked into offices with a smile and said, “Hey, I am just here to make friends. Do you want to be friends?”
It was simple, honest, and usually made people laugh.
At one state law enforcement office, I began by sitting at a small table outside the main doorway where personnel passed as they entered and left the building.
At first, I was simply the clinician sitting outside. Then, little by little, people began to stop. We talked over coffee. I learned their names, listened to their stories, and got to know them as people.
There was no pressure to share anything personal. I kept showing up, drinking coffee, listening, and having one conversation at a time.
That is how trust was built.
I showed up for every shift, including days, afternoons, and graveyards. I walked through offices, attended briefings, rode alongside officers, and learned what their work truly required of them.
I also provided trainings where we talked openly about trauma, cumulative stress, critical incidents, and the impact of the profession. We had difficult conversations and went deeper than the surface.
I arrived believing I was there to help them.
What I did not expect was how much I would learn from them.
I learned about the kind and generous hearts behind the badges. I met people who were willing to risk their lives for complete strangers. I saw how deeply they cared about their communities and how much responsibility they carried each day.
They removed impaired drivers from the road. They responded to fatal collisions, devastating accidents, and situations most people will never witness. They stood beside people during some of the worst moments of their lives. Then they returned to work and answered the next call.
Over time, they were no longer simply officers at an agency I served. I knew their names and personalities. I listened to their stories. We rode together, drank coffee, talked, and laughed.
I came to know the people behind the uniform.
Then members of the team were seriously injured during an incident and taken to the hospital. When I learned what had happened, I changed my plans and went to support them.
That moment showed me the difference an embedded clinician can make.
I was not a stranger arriving after a critical incident. I knew the personnel, understood the culture, and had already earned their trust. They knew who I was, understood my role, and welcomed my support.
The relationships had already been built.
That experience changed me.
I was no longer a clinician who entered a debriefing room for an hour or two after a critical incident and then left. I had become a trusted clinician who worked alongside the team. We had shared training rooms, ride alongs, difficult conversations, laughter, long shifts, and many cups of coffee.
When a clinician truly knows the people within an agency, the work becomes personal.
They are no longer names on a roster or uniforms passing through a hallway. You begin to care deeply about their wellbeing, their families, their careers, and whether they make it home safely.
That is what happened to me.
I thought I was there to help them. Instead, they taught me about courage, service, sacrifice, humor, loyalty, and the kind hearts behind the badges.
They showed me why trust cannot begin during a crisis.
It begins long before that.
It begins by showing up.
It begins over coffee.
It begins with one person, one conversation, and one relationship at a time.
I will always be grateful that they trusted me enough to work alongside them.
YOU GOOD?
It is a simple question. But when it comes from someone who has earned trust, it can open the door to an honest answer.
“YOU GOOD?” represents my commitment to early connection, peer support, and conversations that happen before someone reaches a crisis.
You do not always need the perfect words. Sometimes you need the courage to ask the question and the willingness to stay long enough to hear the real answer.
How I Support Public Safety
Embedded Behavioral Health
I work inside public safety agencies to build relationships, increase access to confidential support, normalize early intervention, and become a familiar resource for personnel and leadership.
Every partnership is developed around the needs and culture of the agency. Clear expectations are established regarding confidentiality, access, referrals, and clinical boundaries.
Services may include regular onsite clinician hours, confidential check ins, leadership consultation, critical incident support, care coordination, wellness education, peer support collaboration, and support for personnel and their families.
EXPLORE EMBEDDED BEHAVIORAL HEALTH
Trauma Therapy
I provide specialized trauma therapy for first responders, public safety professionals, military members, veterans, and their families.
Therapy may address PTSD, cumulative trauma, critical incident exposure, occupational stress, grief, anxiety, depression, moral injury, emotional disconnection, sleep difficulties, hypervigilance, relationship strain, and life transitions.
My clinical work integrates evidence based trauma treatment, including EMDR, Cognitive Processing Therapy, Prolonged Exposure, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.
Treatment is individualized, culturally responsive, and paced according to each client’s needs, goals, and readiness.
Training and Speaking
I provide practical, culturally competent training for public safety agencies, conferences, leadership teams, peer support programs, and professional organizations.
Topics include trauma, cumulative stress, resilience, recovery, suicide prevention education, early intervention, critical incident response, communication, peer support, leadership, moral injury, relationships, family wellness, dispatcher wellness, and healthy coping.
My trainings are direct, practical, and respectful of public safety culture. Participants leave with tools they can use on the job, at home, and when supporting one another.
Let’s Build Support Before the Crisis
If your agency is looking for embedded behavioral health services, training, consultation, critical incident support, or a speaker who understands public safety culture, I would welcome the opportunity to talk with you.
Jill Peeler, LMFT
Founder and Clinical Director
Peeler Public Safety Mental Health & Family Counseling, Inc.
Jill@jillpeelertherapy.com
510-630-0831
jillpeelertherapy.com
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Let’s Change the Way Public Safety Approaches Mental Health.
Trust comes before crisis.
FOR DEPARTMENTS
Training • Speaking • Department Wellness • Embedded Behavioral Health
Jill@jillpeelertherapy.com
THERAPY WITH JILL
Individual • Couples • Private Therapy
Scheduling: Nicole Peeler
Client Care Coordinator
I have a private practice located in Novato, where I see clients both in person and via teletherapy. I began my therapy career in 2016, under the supervision of Dr. Mark Kamena, and in September 2022, I was licensed as a Marriage and Family Therapist. My practice is dedicated to processing trauma.
Approximately ninety percent of my clientele consists of first responders, law enforcement officers, firefighters, and veterans. While the average number of clients I see may vary from week to week, I have the capacity to accommodate up to 40 first responders per week in individual therapy sessions.
High-Stress Environments: First responders often work in high-pressure situations where they are exposed to critical incidents, emergencies and life-threatening situations regularly. The constant exposure to stress can have significant psychological and physiological effects on their well-being.
Trauma Exposure: First responders frequently encounter traumatic events, such as accidents, violence and natural disasters, as part of their job duties. This exposure can lead to the development of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or other mental health issues.
Shift Work and Irregular Hours: Many first responders work irregular shifts, including nights, weekends and holidays. This irregular schedule can disrupt sleep patterns, effect family life and contribute to feelings of fatigue and burnout.
High Risk of Injury or Death: First responders face a higher risk of injury or death while performing their duties compared to individuals in other professions. This constant threat to their safety can lead to heightened levels of stress and anxiety.
Pressure to Perform: First responders often operate in environments where split-second decisions can have life-altering consequences. They are expected to perform effectively under pressure, which can create additional stress and anxiety.
Unique Culture and Camaraderie: There is a strong sense of camaraderie and teamwork among first responders, stemming from their shared experiences and the need to rely on each other in challenging situations. This culture can be both supportive and isolating, as it may be difficult for outsiders to understand the unique demands of the job.
Exposure to Critical Incidents: First responders are frequently exposed to critical incidents that may involve violence, injury or loss of life. These experiences can have long-lasting emotional and psychological effects, impacting their mental health and well-being.
Secondary Trauma: In addition to their own experiences, first responders may also experience secondary trauma or vicarious trauma from witnessing the suffering of others. This can further compound the emotional toll of their work.
Limited Support Resources: Despite the significant mental health challenges they face, first responders may have limited access to mental health resources and support services.
Stigma surrounding mental health issues within the profession can also discourage individuals from seeking help.
Impact on Relationships: The demands of the job, including long hours, irregular shifts, and exposure to trauma can strain personal relationships and family life for first responders. Balancing work responsibilities with family commitments can be challenging and may contribute to stress and conflict.
Understanding these differences is essential for providing effective support and interventions tailored to the unique needs of first responders and public safety employees. By recognizing and addressing the specific stressors and challenges they face, mental health professionals can help promote resilience, coping skills, and overall well-being within these communities.
Processing Trauma, CBT, Psychoeducation, EMDR.
I provide the following: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): CBT helps clients identify and challenge negative thought patterns and beliefs related to the traumatic event. By restructuring these thoughts, clients can develop healthier coping strategies and reduce the impact of trauma-related symptoms.
Exposure Therapy: Exposure therapy involves gradually exposing clients to memories, thoughts, feelings, and situations related to the traumatic event in a safe and controlled environment. This exposure allows clients to process and desensitize themselves to the trauma, reducing its emotional power over time.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR): EMDR is therapeutic approach that helps clients process distressing memories and reframe negative beliefs associated with the trauma. Through bilateral stimulation (such as eye movements or taps), clients can integrate these memories into their broader life narrative, reducing their emotional intensity.
Mindfulness-Based Interventions: Mindfulness techniques help clients develop present-moment awareness and acceptance of their thoughts and feelings without judgment. Mindfulness can be particularly helpful for managing trauma-related symptoms such as anxiety, hypervigilance, and emotional reactivity.
I am available for sessions during standard business hours from Monday to Friday. I strive to accommodate clients' needs by offering flexible scheduling options, including evening appointments and occasional availability on weekends. My priority is to ensure that clients have access to the support they need, even during non-traditional hours.
Yes, if someone is in crisis, particularly if they are experiencing suicidal ideation or feeling hopeless, I prioritize their immediate needs and make myself available with short notice. I understand the urgency and critical nature of providing support during such challenging times. Therefore, I am committed to adjusting my schedule to ensure that individuals in crisis receive the care and attention they require.
I have conducted Critical Incident Stress Debriefings (CISD) with law enforcement. In those sessions, I utilized the Mitchell Model to guide the process. The Mitchell Model, developed by Jeffrey T. Mitchell, is one of the earliest models of CISD and is widely used. It focuses on providing a structured approach to discussing the incident, understanding individual reactions, and providing support. The model typically involves several stages, including introduction, fact phase, thought phase, reaction phase, symptom phase, teaching phase, re-entry phase, and referral phase. It aims to facilitate communication, normalize responses, and provide education about stress reactions.
The International Critical Incident Stress Foundation (ICISF) provides another widely recognized model for CISD, known as the Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) model. It includes a range of interventions, not just debriefings, and emphasizes peer support and ongoing education. Both models have their strengths and can be effective in helping individuals cope with
the stress of critical incidents.