I am never bored; no day is the same for me in my job. Some days I do individual counseling with first responders and their families, some days I consult with large departments or provide critical incident stress debriefings.
A few suggestions
If you are looking to become a police and public safety psychologist, here are a few suggestions I have to get started in this field.
Ride – along
If you are interested in working with first responders, nothing can help you make a better decision than going on a ride-along, or sitting along with dispatch. Most departments require a waiver of liability form and may ask to do a brief background check to be sure you don’t have a criminal record. A ride-along will give you a better perspective than what you see on television.
Citizens Academy
Many communities offer a Citizen’s Police Academy where residents meet weekly to learn about the various functions of a police department. You can develop credibility with law enforcement by having this behind – the – scenes experience.
Attend a fundraising event
Attend a pancake breakfast, spaghetti feed or other local fundraising event. Find out what is important to first responders by contributing to their charity drives. Fire departments may host a Random Acts of Kindness benefit where you can learn about the needs in your area and what firefighters are doing about it. The charitable cause for law enforcement is Special Olympics. Sometimes police departments will serve as the wait staff at a local eatery and the tips are donated to their favorite cause.
Be (or get) comfortable with guns
Law enforcement officers might be armed when they see you in your office for therapy. If you are not comfortable with guns or didn’t grow up with guns in your house, then consider spending some time at a gun shop or shooting range to reduce your own anxiety. Take a gun safety course.
Helpful links
- American Board of Police and Public Safety Psychology
- American Psychological Association – Psychologists in Public Service
- First Responder Support Network – Information for Clinicians
- Inside Police Psychology
- Psychology Today – Becoming a Police Psychologist
- Psychology Today – Becoming a Police Psychologist
- Society for Police and Criminal Psychology
- The International Association of Chiefs of Police
- The Wright Institute - First Responder Psychology Program
Suggested reading list
Applying Occupational Psychology to the Fire Service: Emotion, Risk and Decision-Making
Edited By Thomas Rhys Evans and Gail Steptoe-Warren
Publisher Palgrave Macmillan, 321 pages, Copyright 2019
Badges & Budgets: Personal Finance from a Law Enforcement Perspective
By Jason Hoschouer
Publisher (self), 57 pages, Copyright 2016
Bloody Sunday: Surviving PTSD with EMDR
By T. Cooper Smith
Publisher (self), 130 pages, Copyright 2009
Busted! Police and Public Safety Ethical Decision-Making: What Psychologists, Mental Health Professionals, and LE Professionals Need to Know
By Stephen F. Curran, PhD, ABPP
Publisher Greenside Psychological Associates, 100 pages, Copyright 2020
Damaged: A First Responder’s Experiences Handling Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
By James Meuer
Publisher WestBow Press, 64 pages, Copyright 2013
Death Notification: A Practical Guide to the Process
By R. Moroni Leash
Publisher Upper Access Books, Hinesburg VT, 277 pages, Copyright 1994
Deceived: Facing Sexual Betrayal, Lies, and Secrets
By Claudia Black, PhD
Publisher Hazelden, 272 pages, Copyright 2009
Emotional Survival for Law Enforcement: A Guide for Officers and Their Families
By Kevin M Gilmartin, PhD
Publisher E-S Press, 142 pages, Copyright 2002
Fire Service Psychology: A Comprehensive Approach to Enhancing Firefighter Health, Safety, and Longevity
By Kristen Wheldon
Publisher Springer, 351 pages, Copyright 2025
I Can’t Save You and I Don’t Want to Die Trying: American Fire Culture
By Dr. Burton A. Clark, EFO
Publisher Premium Press America, 312 pages, Copyright 2024
I Love a Cop: What Police Families Need to Know (Third Edition)
By Ellen Kirschman, PhD.
Publisher The Guilford Press 292 pages, Copyright 1997
I Love a Firefighter: What the Family Needs to Know (Second Edition)
By Ellen Kirschman, PhD
Publisher The Guilford Press, 336 pages, Copyright 2021
The Gift of Fear: and other Survival Signals that protect us from Violence
By Gavin De Becker
Publisher Dell, 384 pages, Copyright 1997
The PTSD Workbook: Simple, Effective Techniques for Overcoming Traumatic Stress Symptoms
By Mary Beth Williams, PhD, LCSW, CTS., and Soili Poijula, PhD
Publisher New Harbinger Publications Inc., 237 pages, Copyright 2002
The Upside of Stress: Why Stress is Good for You, and How to Get Good at it
By Kelly McGonical, PhD
Publisher Avery, 279 pages, Copyright 2016
When Psychological Problems Mask Medical Disorders: A Guide for Psychotherapists (Second Edition)
By James Morrison
Publisher The Guilford Press, 247 pages, Copyright 2015
Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams
By Matthew Walker, PhD
Publisher Scribner, 360 pages, Copyright 2017