First Responders

First responders are the the guardians and the warriors of society. There is a sure pride that comes with that strength, discipline, and dedication to civil service. The amount of traumatic deaths and experiences that a first responder encounters over the course of their career is vast.

The toughness of a first responder means that they can shoulder many things on their own, but they also have the insight of knowing when to call in for backup, When one's personal or professional life begins to suffer, here is where the profession of psychology comes in to bolster, supplement, and provide insight.

Here are some great resources to read on resilience, stress & burnout, and trauma & critical incidents.

The high level of mental and physical strength needed in crisis response careers is incredible. This level of acuity can come with a price, as this unique expertise saves lives and also brings first responders to places where lives are lost in front of them. Many first responders experience high amounts of stress, burnout, and felt distance from the world (even loved ones) around them.

Click here to assess your level of burnout (provided by the Headington Institute).
Click here to assess your job stress (provided by the Headington Institute).

Common experiences of people who have been around death and trauma include:

images you can’t shake
avoiding people
nightmares
anger
irritability
feeling constantly on alert, even when you are trying to sleep
feeling numb
feeling low or down
difficulty connecting with people
using things to help you avoid thoughts
remembering the event(s) through flashbacks
physically feeling like that event is occurring again
a negative change in the way you view yourself, other people, and the world
difficulty sleeping
feeling emotionally detached
having severe anxiety, even though the situation might not warrant it

Some images and experiences still haunt... other experiences might have been seared inside.

If you want a clinical psychologist to be on your side and work with you on sorting through the aftermath of experiencing the difficult parts of being a first responder, this is the place for you. Dr. Ramquist will provide psychological treatment for you in a prompt, direct, and confidential manner. She wants to help get you back to having a satisfying life.

Please do call 661-505-8414 to schedule a free 15-minute consultation to see if this is a good fit for you.

Schedule Free Consultation

What does psychotherapy look like?

Collaborate with Dr. Ramquist to create a set of strategies to address what’s going on in your life that you want to change.
Execute that plan through brief talk therapy, which will include skills practice.
Plan and practice for future response to similar incidents.

More about Dr. Ramquist...

Dr. Elizabeth Ramquist’s specialty as a Clinical Psychologist is in working with issues surrounding death, grief, and trauma, as well as personal growth and thriving. She began working with traumatized children in group homes in CA, then went on to receive her doctoral training in adult Clinical Psychology at Rosemead School of Psychology in Los Angeles.

Dr. Ramquist worked at the Veteran's Health Administration (VA) to receive specialized training in treating PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder). There, she had the privilege of working with veterans from the Korean and Vietnam conflicts, younger veterans recently returned from OIF and OEF, and other military personal working through PTSD and traumatic experiences they had during peace-keeping missions. Dr. Ramquist went on to the University of Notre Dame where she provided psychological services to the ND community as a Staff Psychologist.

Dr. Ramquist now practices in the Santa Clarita Valley, specializing in PTSD and offering psychological services to first responders, those affected by grief and traumatic death, and assault survivors. Dr. Ramquist also provides psychotherapy to other psychotherapists, and gives seminars and workshops on issues surrounding trauma, grief, and loss.