Evidence Based Support For Those Who Serve Our Community
First responders regularly face high-stress, high-stakes situations that most people will never encounter. Police officers, firefighters, paramedics, emergency dispatchers, correctional officers, and other frontline professionals are repeatedly exposed to trauma, critical incidents, and chronic occupational stress.
At the Cognitive & Interpersonal Therapy Centre (CITC), we provide specialized, evidence-based therapy for first responders. This service is led by Dr. Niki Fitzgerald, who works with first responders navigating trauma, burnout, anxiety, depression, and the cumulative impact of the work.
Dr. Fitzgerald offers therapy in our Toronto office and virtually throughout Ontario.
Understanding the Unique Stress of First Responders
First responders often experience:
Repeated exposure to traumatic events
Operational stress injuries
Hypervigilance and difficulty “turning off”
Sleep disruption and shift-work related challenges
Moral injury
Strain in relationships and family life
Burnout and compassion fatigue
Increased risk for PTSD, depression, anxiety, and substance use
First responders are highly resilient and skilled at managing crisis, but always being the helper can make it difficult to seek support when they can’t leave the work at work. Therapy provides a confidential, structured space to process experiences safely and effectively.
A Collaborative, Respectful Approach
We understand that first responders value trust, authenticity, genuineness, control, ,and competence. Therapy at CITC is collaborative, practical, and focused on getting people back to feeling like themselves and doing the things they enjoy.
We work to:
- Build on your existing strengths
- Provide skills you can apply immediately
- Address symptoms without pathologizing resilience
- Create a space that meets you where you are and feels safe, confidential, and non-judgmental
When to Consider Reaching Out For Support
You might consider therapy if you are experiencing:
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You do not need to be in crisis to seek support. Early intervention can significantly reduce long-term impact.
About Dr. Niki Fitzgerald
Dr. Fitzgerald is clinical psychologist with over 15 years of experience helping people achieve their goals by meeting them where they are, encouraging them to use evidence-based skills and strategies to move towards their goals, and then celebrating all their wins along the way.
She believes that all “problems” make sense based on each person’s unique combination of family factors, upbringing, societal factors and all their life experiences that resulted in them approaching the world as they do. Using a cognitive behavioural basis as a starting point, treatment is tailored to your needs and may include elements of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Processing Therapy, Dialectical Behavioural Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Prolonged Exposure, Behavioural Activation or Interpersonal Therapy as they seem appropriate. She sees clients both in person at our office in Midtown Toronto or Virtually across Ontario.
Recognizing how hard it can be to share thoughts and feelings with a stranger that might be hard for you to even acknowledge to yourself, she strives to create a warm and welcoming environment that is collaborative, safe, and nonjudgemental with even the occasional infusion of humour.
Through her years as a clinical facilitator of the Road to Mental Readiness Program (R2MR) for two paramedic services, in addition to the assessment and treatment of countless first responders, she has developed a cultural competence in this area. This allows her to work effectively with first responders either injured in the course of their job and are working to return to work in some capacity or who are looking to maintain their well-being over the long haul of their careers. In addition to trauma, she also works with people who are struggling with anxiety, worry, stress, depression, having the relationships they want, are struggling at work or home or in any other area of life.
Lastly, Dr. Fitzgerald is someone who actively walks her talk and when I’m not trying to help people achieve their goals, you’ll likely find me outside training to meet my own goals for an upcoming triathalon or running event.
If you are unsure whether this service is the right fit, reach out to our clinical coordinator to discuss Dr. Fitzgerald’s services and see if they are the right fit for you.
We Are Here to Help!
Schedule a call with one of our health care coordinators to answer your questions and help you find the best solutions for you and your loved ones
