The Relationship Centre

First Responders Therapy

We help the helpers heal.
Therapy built for the pressures you face because your well-being matters too.
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Therapy for First Responders in Belleville, Kingston, & Across Ontario

Regulate and Recover

Develop evidence-based strategies to regulate your nervous system, reduce stress, and improve focus both during and after calls.

Heal What You’ve Been Carrying

Work through distressing memories and experiences in a safe, structured space with trauma-informed care.

Protect Your Well-Being

Learn how to set boundaries, rest, and rebuild a sense of balance both on and off the job so you can show up for you and your loved ones.

Trauma-Informed Support for the Front Lines

At The Relationship Centre, we recognize the courage it takes to serve your community and the weight that comes with that responsibility. Whether you’re a police officer, firefighter, paramedic, correctional officer, dispatcher, or healthcare worker, your role demands strength in moments that would overwhelm most.

Over time, constant exposure to trauma, high-stakes decisions, and emotional strain can start to affect how you think, feel, and connect with yourself and the people around you.

You’ve trained to handle emergencies. Now it’s time to take care of you.

You Don’t Have to Carry It Alone

It’s Okay to Set the Weight Down

You’ve spent your career showing up for others, now it’s time to have someone show up for you.

Reach out today for confidential, trauma-informed support designed for first responders.

You’ve trained to handle chaos but no one trains you for the quiet moments that follow.

Behind every badge, uniform, and shift is a human being who deserves support too.

Even the strongest people reach a point where the load becomes too heavy. From sleepless nights and flashbacks to feeling distant from family or detached from everyday life, the emotional cost of showing up for others can accumulate quietly until it feels like too much.

Our therapists understand the unique culture and pressures of your work. We offer confidential, evidence-based therapy designed to help you process trauma, prevent burnout, and restore a sense of calm and connection.

You’ve dedicated your career to protecting others. We’re here to protect your mental health.

Does this feel familiar?

Your story matters , and we’re here to listen.

“I can stay calm in a crisis, but completely shut down at home.”

“I keep replaying the same scene in my head…I can’t turn it off.”

“I’m exhausted, detached, and not sure how much more I can take.”

“I’m not the same person I was before this job.”

“I feel like I should be able to handle it on my own.”

You’re experiencing difficulties in your relationships and need support navigating them.

What is First Responders Therapy?

First Responder Therapy at The Relationship Centre provides specialized trauma therapy for first responders in-person in Belleville & Kingston and online across Ontario. First Responders include but are not limited to police officers, paramedics, firefighters, corrections staff, and healthcare professionals. Our confidential counselling sessions offer a safe space to process the experiences and images that can stay with you long after a call ends.

This isn’t just talk therapy, it’s trauma-informed care designed to help you heal the body and mind. Using evidence-based approaches from trained therapists to help you reduce symptoms of stress and PTSD, manage triggers, and regulate your nervous system.

You don’t have to stay in survival mode.

If you’re feeling the weight of the work, First Responder Therapy can help you regain balance, find calm, and reconnect with yourself and those you care about.

How Therapy Can Help First Responders

Therapy offers an opportunity to slow down, process what you’ve been carrying, and rebuild your sense of balance. The experiences you face on the job can leave lasting marks, but with the right support, healing is possible.

Through therapy, you can:

Gain control over intrusive memories and reduce emotional reactivity to difficult experiences
Rest and recover more deeply, improving sleep and focus between shifts
Understand your stress responses and replace numbing or avoidance with healthier ways to cope
Re-establish connection with yourself and the people who matter most
Navigate the transition between work and home without feeling detached or on edge
Reclaim your sense of purpose and calm, even in high-pressure moments
Build lasting resilience so you can continue to serve without losing yourself in the process

You’ve carried the weight of others for so long.

It’s okay to set it down and let someone carry it with you for a while.

Protect Your Mental Health

Even the strongest people need a place to rest and recover. Our registered psychotherapists and social workers understand the pressures of service work and are here to help you find calm, balance, and connection again.

Depression & Mood Changes

We help you manage emotional lows, irritability, or disconnection, and find your way back to a sense of meaning and motivation.

Work-Life Boundaries

Learn to leave work at work, decompress after a shift, and be more present in your personal life.

Substance Use & Avoidance

If you’ve been using alcohol, work, or distraction to cope, we’ll explore what’s beneath it and build healthier ways to manage the stress.

Relationship Strain

Improve communication, connection, and understanding between you and the people who matter most with optional couples or family sessions.

Our trauma-informed team understands how the nervous system responds to chronic stress and trauma and how to help you regain a sense of safety, balance, and control.

First Responders Therapy Supports

PTSD & Trauma Symptoms

We offer trauma-focused therapies (including EFT, EMDR, and Prolonged Exposure) to help you process difficult experiences and reduce the emotional impact of trauma.

Burnout & Emotional Exhaustion

Recognize the early signs of burnout and learn how to protect your energy through better boundaries, rest, and recovery.

Anxiety & Panic

Understand your body’s stress response and develop strategies to stay calm and present—even when life feels unpredictable.

About The Relationship Centre

At The Relationship Centre, we do more than help you cope, we help you heal and grow.

We use Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), a proven, attachment-based approach that helps you understand the patterns keeping you stuck and gently guides you to form new ways of relating, first to yourself and then to others. Our therapists combine deep emotional work with practical strategies to help you feel safer in your body, clearer in your mind, and more connected in your life.

More About Us

How First Responder Therapy Works

01

Connect With Our Care Team

Your journey starts with a conversation. Our Client Care Coordinator will take the time to understand your needs and guide you toward the right support so you feel cared for from the very beginning.

02

Meet Your Ideal Therapist

It's crucial to have the right therapist who understands you. We’ll pair you with a therapist who has the right expertise, and can best help you with your specific needs and goals.

03

Begin Your Sessions & Feel Better

In your first session, you and your therapist will build an initial plan around who you are and what you're going through, so you know you're going in the right direction.

Take the first step towards mental health support.

FAQ's About First Responders Therapy

What if I’m not sure if it’s stress or PTSD?

You don’t have to know before reaching out. Together, we’ll help you understand your symptoms and find the right approach for what you’re experiencing.

Is therapy confidential?

Absolutely. Everything you share is protected. We know privacy is essential, especially in your line of work.

What if I’m not ready to talk about everything?

That’s okay. We go at your pace and build trust over time. You decide when and how much to share.

What makes this therapy different?

Our approach is designed specifically for first responders acknowledging the repeated trauma, shift work, and emotional demands that come with service roles.

Who can benefit?

Anyone working in a high-stress or trauma-exposed field such as a police, fire, paramedics, dispatchers, corrections, military, or healthcare can benefit from trauma-informed therapy and support.

Where is The Relationship Therapy Centre located?

Our main office is located at 393 Sidney Street, Unit 1, Belleville, Ontario K8P 3Z9. We also have an office in Kingston operating inside Forever Young Chiropractic at 510 Canatara Court. Each of these locations serves the surrounding areas of Trenton, Stirling, Tweed, Napanee, Picton, Deseronto, Madoc, Frankford, Quinte West, Prince Edward County, Brighton, and Marmora. If you’re not nearby or prefer virtual sessions, we also provide online therapy to clients anywhere in Ontario.

How do I schedule an appointment?

To schedule an appointment, simply book a call with our care coordinator through this link: https://maryjoanbrinson.janeapp.com/. They’ll help you find the best therapist for your needs and guide you through the process.