Flagstaff first responders gain access to unlimited therapy sessions

Flagstaff first responders now have access to unlimited therapy sessions through the Redemption Counseling Center. The nonprofit has a contract with the City of Flagstaff to cover these services for all city employees in emergency roles. The agreement extends to the families of those responders as well.

The program targets the mental strain of repeated trauma. Emily Neuman Bauerle, who founded the center, notes that the average person witnesses about four traumatic events in a lifetime. She says first responders face between 600 and 900 such incidents over the course of a career.

Bauerle said the goal is to break the stigma around seeking help. The center specializes in therapy for this specific group. It also holds contracts with smaller fire departments in the surrounding area.

Brad Gross, a counselor at the center, worked as a paramedic before moving into therapy. He encourages colleagues to reach out. "Just talk to us," Gross said. "So you can see it’s not a big monster in the closet. It’s actually just sitting here talking."

Gross noted that leaving the job because of mental health issues is not the only path. He said he wants people to have a different end-of-career experience than he did. "I didn’t feel like I left on my own terms," Gross said. "I felt like I had to leave because I was done, and now being a therapist from this side, I’m like, that was never the case."

The center also provides crisis intervention. Counselors go to responder stations after difficult calls. Christina Cury, a counselor at the center, said meeting responders where they work is important. "We go out to stations, we go out to ride alongside regularly, we’re making sure that we’re coming to them," Cury said. "They don’t have to come to us, and that’s just so that they can see that we’re human too, and we’re just there to support them."

The center operates as a nonprofit. It lists its services and donation options on its website.