An Aspiring Clinician’s Immersion in Fire Service Culture

A therapist-in-training discovers purpose, perspective, and a profound respect for the fire service through an immersive experience

If you had asked me in May 2024, when I began my master’s program in clinical counseling, what population I wanted to work with, I would have said I wasn’t sure. Recently, I completed the Fire Service Cultural Competency Certificate Program offered by the Fire Service Psychology Association (FSPA) and hosted by members of the Corona (Calif.) Fire Department’s peer support team. After having completed eight 10-hour ride-alongs and one 24-hour ride-along with CFD fire companies, I can say I feel deeply compelled and passionately inclined to work with firefighters and first responders in my community.

I entered this internship with a limited awareness of the immense pressures and responsibilities firefighters carry, and with a narrow understanding of what their job entails. Like many civilians, I associated the fire service primarily with fire suppression. I quickly learned how incomplete that view was. Firefighters are medical responders, crisis managers, team leaders, and often the first point of contact in people’s worst moments. As a therapist-in-training, being able to observe this work from the inside, spending time in the station, going on calls, watching them train, and sharing conversations during long shifts, was both eye-opening and deeply impactful.

My role during this internship was not to provide therapy, but to immerse myself in the culture of the fire service through the lens of a clinician in training. That immersion led to some of the most meaningful conversations I have had about mental health, psychology, and the realities of working in a high-risk, high-responsibility profession. Firefighters openly discussed stress, trauma exposure, relationships, teamwork, coping strategies, substance use, and the stigma that still surrounds mental health in the fire service. These conversations were intentional, honest, and rich, and they highlighted just how complex the psychological impact of this career can be.

Understanding the Psychological Landscape of the Fire Service

In parallel with my ride-along experiences, I learned from Dr. Kristen Wheldon, Psy.D, the founder and president of FSPA, about the trauma risk management (TRiM) model. TRiM is a peer-supported approach designed to identify and support individuals following potentially traumatic events and aims to replace traditional debriefing models that are still widely used in the fire service. Through this learning, I became aware of the significant gap between the mental health needs of firefighters and the psychological resources historically provided to them. FSPA’s mission to raise awareness of this gap and advocate for evidence-based mental health support further solidified my interest in this population.

Being able to gather insight into the context and culture of the fire service from the inside is a rare opportunity for aspiring clinicians. Going out on calls and watching firefighter-medics work seamlessly as a unit to save someone’s life, sitting around the station dining table talking about life and death, and waking up in the middle of the night to respond to a domestic violence call are experiences I will never forget. These moments not only shaped me personally but also provided invaluable clinical context that will directly inform how I work with firefighters in the future.

As a former collegiate athlete, I was struck by the similarities between athletic culture and the fire service, particularly the emphasis on teamwork, trust, discipline, and performing steadily under pressure. At the same time, my own experiences with therapists who lacked cultural competence motivated me to enter this field with the intention of doing better. I know firsthand how damaging it can be to feel misunderstood by a clinician who does not fully grasp the culture, expectations, or values of the client they are serving. This internship reinforced my commitment to becoming a culturally competent clinician who meets clients where they are, especially those in high-stress, service-oriented professions.

Personal Growth Through Immersion and Cultural Competence

Before this internship, I had never even stepped inside a fire station. I did not know the difference between a fire engine and a truck, and as a woman, I never imagined myself immersing in such a male-dominated field. While I always viewed firefighters as heroes and trusted them as a civilian, this experience revealed the depth of who they are beyond the uniform. They are individuals who carry tremendous responsibility, often at great personal cost, while continuing to show up for their communities day after day.

Overall, this internship allowed me to immerse myself in an unfamiliar yet deeply admirable culture from the perspective of a therapist-in-training. It clarified my professional direction, strengthened my passion for mental health advocacy within the fire service, and laid a foundation for the kind of clinician I aspire to become.

To learn how your fire department can serve as the host for a mental health clinician or student, send an email to info@firepsychology.org