On-Demand Video Training
EMDR with First Responders Course
Instant + Lifetime Access • Only $97
EMDR with First Responders — Course Description
First responders — law enforcement, firefighters, paramedics, dispatchers, corrections officers, and search and rescue personnel — carry trauma burdens that are both acute and cumulative. While the general population has a PTSD prevalence of roughly 3–5%, rates among police officers reach as high as 19%, and up to 37% of EMS personnel experience clinical depression. More police officers and firefighters die by suicide than in the line of duty. Despite these alarming statistics, first responders access mental health treatment at far lower rates than the general population. When they do seek help, cultural barriers, distrust of mental health care, and fear of career consequences make engagement difficult from the first session.
Effective EMDR with first responders involves more than just applying a protocol. It requires cultural fluency in the world your client lives in: the paramilitary structure, the warrior-protector identity, the stoicism that is adaptive in the field and destructive over time, and the intense peer loyalty that creates both community and pressure not to show vulnerability. It requires clinical competence with presentations that are often layered, including critical incident trauma, cumulative career exposure, moral injury, substance use, family system impact, and the unique ethical complexities of working with first responders.
This course, presented by Kelly Smyth-Dent, LCSW, founder of Scaling Up EMDR, provides a practical clinical and cultural foundation for integrating EMDR with the first responder population. Whether you have first responders in your current caseload or are considering this specialty, this course delivers immediately applicable guidance across assessment, protocol adaptation, moral injury, and the ethical considerations that are non-negotiable with this population.
Overview
Learning Objectives
CE Information
Cancellation Policy
Overview
EMDR with First Responders Course Overview
This EMDR Specialty Mini Course is an online course for EMDR-trained clinicians who have completed an EMDR Basic Training and want to expand their skills in working with first responder populations.
The course provides a comprehensive introduction to the first responder world — covering who first responders are, the full scope of their trauma exposure (from critical incidents to cumulative career trauma to secondary traumatization), and the occupational stress injuries — including PTSD, moral injury, and burnout — most likely to present in the therapy room.
Participants learn how first responder culture shapes engagement in treatment: the action-oriented identity that makes standard therapeutic language a barrier, the stoicism that suppresses affect while the body carries the load, and the confidentiality and career concerns that must be addressed in session one. The course walks clinicians through phase-by-phase EMDR adaptations specific to this population, including culturally adapted resource development, operational language modifications across all phases, specialized approaches for moral injury and cumulative trauma, and guidance on using the EMDR-PRECI for recent critical incidents and ongoing traumatic stress.
The course also addresses family and relationship impact, peer support and organizational resources, ethical and documentation considerations specific to public safety work, common clinical mistakes to avoid, and therapist self-care for clinicians working with this material.
Learning Objectives
Upon completing this course, participants will be able to:
- Identify unique trauma exposures and mental health risks for first responders
- Recognize cultural factors and barriers to treatment in public safety populations
- Apply EMDR protocol adaptations specific to first responder needs
- Describe strategies for organizational collaboration and return-to-duty considerations
CE Information
CE Information
Course Title: EMDR with First Responders
Presenter: Kelly Smyth-Dent, LCSW
Format: On-Demand Video | Add-On Course
CE Hours: 1 Contact Hour
Approved for the following CE credit types:
1 CE credit approved for NBCC, APA, and ASWB — included in the cost of registration.
Target Audience: Licensed mental health clinicians who have completed an EMDRIA-Approved EMDR Basic Training and are seeking to expand their competency in working with first responder populations. Content is designed to be accessible to clinicians across the full range of familiarity with public safety culture, from those with no prior exposure to those with personal or professional connections to the field.
Instructional Level: Intermediate
Completion Requirements: Participants must watch the course video in full and complete the post-course assessment with a passing score to receive CE credit.
Disclosure: There are no conflicts of interest to report for this course. No commercial support was received for this program.
Cancellation Policy
Cancellation Policy
On-Demand Training — Non-Refundable
Because this is an on-demand course with immediate access to all content upon purchase, all sales are final. No refunds will be issued after purchase.
If you experience a technical issue accessing your course, please submit a support request and our team will work to resolve it promptly.
CE Certificate Policy: CE certificates are issued upon successful completion of the course video and post-course assessment. Certificates are available for download immediately upon passing. If you experience any issues accessing your certificate, please contact our support team.
Scaling Up LLC reserves the right to update course content as clinical research and professional standards evolve. Enrolled participants will have lifetime access to the most current version of this course.
Get Instant Access to the EMDR with First Responders Course
- 1 CE credit approved for NBCC, APA, and ASWB — included in the cost of registration.
- Video training presented by Kelly Smyth-Dent, LCSW, founder of Scaling Up EMDR — built for clinicians who have first responders in their practice or are considering this specialty.
- Cultural and clinical foundations covering first responder culture, cumulative vs. critical incident trauma, moral injury, substance use, family impact, and the ethical complexities unique to public safety work.
- Phase-by-phase EMDR adaptations including operationally framed language, adapted resource development, moral injury targeting, and guidance on the EMDR-PRECI for recent and ongoing traumatic stress.
- Lifetime access — return to this course anytime as you build your practice with first responder clients.
Only $97 • Lifetime Access • Instant Download
Every EMDR therapist deserves EMDR resources that are as committed to their clients as they are. The EMDR with First Responders Course gives you the cultural foundation, the clinical adaptations, and the training to show up to every EMDR therapy session with first responder clients fully prepared.