Where my commitment to frontline workers began…

While working in forensic mental health, I witnessed the suffering of many colleagues, as they dealt with chronic stress, burnout, compassion fatigue, vicarious trauma, traumatic stress, and the quiet, cumulative injuries that come from frontline work. I watched as they worked tirelessly in a system that was failing them – stigma, limited resources, and other systemic issues meant that my co-workers were often without adequate mental health support.

This sparked in me a desire to support those who feel the most unsupported; those who are concerned about their anonymity, their reputation, their professional standing, and the very real consequences of being vulnerable in such working conditions – and who, therefore, often suffer in silence.

I became committed to creating a therapeutic space where frontline staff and other helping professionals can feel safe, seen, and understood, without fear of judgement or exposure. Understanding the complexities of issues faced by frontline staff has allowed me to connect deeply with helping professionals in the community – people who are skilled at caring for others, yet often carry their own pain quietly.

If you are a first responder, frontline staff member, or other helping professional in need of support, please know that you need not carry such an impossible load alone.