While the thought of doing "trauma work" can be scary and intimidating, most people don't realize the way their lives are being affected by what they have experienced.
My casual definition of trauma is anything that happens to us that we did not predict.
When something happens that jolts our body, we have an emotional reaction and a physical reaction. Nine times out of ten we stuff the emotional reaction into a dark place inside and work through the problem.
Trauma work is about identifying the hidden reactions that have never been expressed. I have a method of doing this that allows the person to not have to talk about what they have been through and to work at a rapid pace to see rapid results... Not so scary now.
Life Changer
Stephanie Neuman, MSW, LCSW
My name is Stephanie Neuman. I was in law enforcement for 10 years, both as a detention officer and more recently as a patrol sergeant for the Cheyenne Police Department. On June 27, 2006 my life as I knew it changed. I was eight weeks into my patrol career when I was involved in a critical incident. Still on FTO (field training), I was riding around with my trainer taking the regular calls for service. As I was finishing up my current call I heard a "man with a gun" call go out over the radio. In an effort to show courage and impress my FTO, I advised Dispatch I would take the call. My FTO seemed impressed as he was pumping with adrenaline just like I was.
Over the next few minutes the Stephanie I knew would change forever. The "man with a gun" call turned into an officer involved shooting. With only the bad guy hurt, I returned to the department to then experience the aftermath of a critical event with no peer support and no administrative policy ensuring I would be taken care of. The Chief at the time advised me I would go back on patrol within the hour, he just needed to find another training officer for me to ride with.
I stood with a quivering face behind my sunglasses thinking to myself, "I need a minute to wrap my head around what just happened." Finally, a wonderful and empathetic Lieutenant advised the Chief very frankly, "Stephanie is too new not to take care of her. She will be on administrative leave for the next two weeks."
The Lieutenant sent me to see a therapist who specializes in treating law enforcement officers. I found myself in a room being resistant to what was ahead of me. I kept thinking that I didn't want to be weak and I could handle all of this myself.
The therapist was wonderful and introduced me to EMDR therapy. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a type of therapy that allows bilateral stimulation to connect the emotional and physical, responses of an event. It is a therapy that allows privacy while being extremely effective. After experiencing the therapy I found myself relieved and feeling much better.
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Through the years of my career I referred back to the same therapist after many critical events. Still with no administrative policy in our agency, I took it upon myself to advocate for other officers and for myself to get care after incidents. In 2009 I started on my Master's degree in an effort to get a foundation of education to provide care for other officers and to be a voice for those who need care.
I completed my career in law enforcement in 2014 as a Patrol Sergeant. Since then, I have been changing lives on a daily basis and have implemented Brainspotting into sessions. Brainspotting is a life changing modality that allows the client to connect their head and their heart effortlessly. As of 2023 I am a Brainspotting Consultant and have numerous trainings that I offer to those wanting to expand their practice with Brainspotting.
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Providing therapy for law enforcement officers and other first respondersTreatment specialization includes: Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Cognitive Behavioral Therapy PTSD Work and Career issues Stress Management Conflict Resolution I work with a wide range of first responders focusing on the care and treatment for those who serve our communities. I utilize EMDR therapy to focus on immediate relief with long term effects on PTSD symptoms and acute stress. As a law enforcement officer myself, I understand the daily stressors of being an officer. I take my experience as an officer and integrate it into the therapy environment to provide an understanding and focused environment.
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Critical Incident DebriefingsThe need for taking care of officers and first responders starts with identifying the critical incidents that can break a career. It is the responsibility of the administration to take care of their employees and to ensure the mind of a first responder is as healthy as it can be. My method of critical incident debriefings focuses on the point of trauma for each individual on scene. The participants of the debriefing will experience group EMDR and find relief in the level of distress caused by the traumatic event.
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Domestic Violence TrainingI am a certified domestic violence trainer who specializes in educating officers about the sensitivity and heightened awareness of such calls. I also have developed a program to educate departments and officers about officer involved domestic violence and the potential risks to those who are responding.
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Spouse EducationOften times spouses don't understand the effects that being a first responder may have on the family life. When this occurs, families struggle thus the result of a higher divorce rate for those who are first responders. I offer training seminars that break down the effects of being a law enforcement officer and how that may effect the family. Also included in the trainings are tools to identify signs and self care tools to support spouses.
Our Paw Team
Sometimes, having an extra friend next to you during your session is exactly what you need to work through things in your life.
Grizzly
Grizzly is 10 years old and has been doing therapy since he was 4 months old. Grizzly is the calmest, most mellow lab you will ever meet. He helps clients feel safe and calm as they embark on their journey of healing.
Bridger
Bridger is a young therapist, only a year old. He is an old soul and has found his calm sitting with clients. Bridger loves being in session and holding space for whatever you may be going through.