For First Responders, Search and Rescue, Dispatchers, Corrections, Military, and Veterans:
Support for the Spirit, Mind, and Body

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
Jesus

You joined up for good reasons, but you never dreamed it would affect your life and those around you like it has. Been there.

Perhaps it all started for me during a robbery when I was only 12 years old, with the wrong end of a loaded gun stuck into my stomach so far that it made an indentation. Or maybe it was when I was 13, on my first glaciered mountain climb. I had taken classes and was pretty well prepared. But where I was and what I was doing really hit home when, 3/4 of the way up the mountain, I met a rescue team headed back down from exactly where I was going. They were pulling a body on a rescue sled. Near the summit, he had fallen approximately 1,000′ down the steep, glaciered slope, where he met his fate at the bottom of a rock cliff when rocks fell down on him. Little did I know that much more would soon follow.

Since then, I have worked as a military MP, in corrections, and as a police officer in city, county, and state departments. I have worked in search and rescue, as a firefighter (structure and wildland), trained to be an EMT, and I currently serve as a Chaplain and an assistant Fire Chief. Some of it has been volunteer; most was paid. Some has been in very large metro areas, and some in very rural areas. Some of it has been in conjunction with many years of Bible-based pastoral and healing ministry, focused on healing of the spirit, soul/mind, and body, including several years of trauma recovery.

All of that is to say that I understand the unique pressures of the First Responder, Corrections, Dispatch, and Military environments. Most people genuinely join to serve, but then find that office, unit, or department egos are often off the charts and priorities are misplaced. Along with that, many government organizations have at least one or two incompetent supervisors who were promoted for wrong reasons; and then there are often stressful politics that can’t be ignored.

And of course, there are the calls and assignments. The ones that you think about, the ones you don’t want to think about, and the ones you can’t stop thinking about. All with the cumulative burden of mitigating repeated traumatic events on a regular basis that most people experience only once or twice in an entire lifetime, or maybe even never at all.

On top of all that, work schedules and call-outs often require missing family functions, all while regularly working nights, weekends, and holidays. As a result of all of this and more, relationships with supervisors, coworkers, family, friends, others, and even yourself can become strained. At some point, spiritual, mental, and/or physical health issues often develop. After a while, it can be easy to question whether it’s worth it.

“what will happen if coworkers, supervisors, family, or friends question my ability to perform? What would everyone think if they REALLY knew what I was thinking? Will they think that I’m weak and “can’t handle it”? How else would I pay my rent, mortgage, or support my family”?

Even part-timers and volunteers deal with similar issues. They face their own challenges and often struggle alone with limited or no support or resources.

But who do you talk to? Where can you find help? The psychologist who is also working for, or otherwise associated with, your supervisors? “Help Lines” have their place. But most are godless and limited to an immediate, pressing need. While most coaches and counselors are secular and can’t identify with your spiritual priorities, most “Pastors” don’t have a clue about what you are experiencing and will refer you to more godless therapists and psychologists: People who may be well-meaning, but don’t share your Godly values and have never been in the trenches. They can’t understand all of the dynamics involved. Most others find it all very challenging to grasp as well. Still, we’re all human, which means we all need help from time to time.

As the Warriors Coach, I partner with First Responders, including corrections officers, search and rescue, police, fire, medical, dispatchers, military, and veterans, to help struggling heroes find peace with God, themselves, and others, even in the midst of turmoil.

I don’t use life hacks, clinical funnels, or prescripted formulas to pigeonhole you or your situation. While I unquestionably acknowledge and affirmatively address the very real psychological and physiological effects of stress and trauma, I have found that seeking God for His Divine guidance provides an even more sure foundation upon which to address the multitude of problems that modern heroes face.

Be sure to check out The Warrior’s Coach live radio program and podcast coming soon.

Individual and Group appointments available. I’ll look forward to hearing from you.

Let’s Connect!

Parson Rayphe,
The Warrior’s Coach
WarriorsCoach.Com

The Warrior’s Coach ministry is a part of the KOG Alliance. Click here to go to the KOG Alliance Home page.