You're Not Alone. And You Deserve Support Too.
You love someone who serves—a police officer, firefighter, paramedic, corrections officer, military member, nurse, social worker, or another crisis management professional. You’re proud of what they do. You understand the importance of their work.
But you also live with the reality of what that work costs—not just them, but you and your family.
Maybe they’ve become someone you barely recognize. More irritable, more distant, drinking more. Maybe they’ve had an affair, or they’re emotionally checked out even when they’re physically present. They tell you they’re “fine” or they “can’t talk about work,” trying to keep it compartmentalized, not wanting to “bring it home.” But it’s already home—you can see it, feel it, live with it every day.
Or maybe the damage isn’t that obvious yet, but you’re exhausted from the constant adjustments—shift work that changes weekly, holidays spent alone, plans canceled last minute, living on high alert for the next crisis call. Your kids ask why dad seems angry all the time, or why mom doesn’t laugh anymore. Maybe your children are more anxious than other kids, have more rules, seem hypervigilant or paranoid.
You’re trying to be supportive. You’re trying to understand. But no one is supporting you.
We Understand What You're Carrying
At TRT Center of Georgia, we specialize in working with crisis managers AND their families. We understand the unique challenges you face:
The dual identity problem – your loved one’s professional identity assimilates trauma while their personal identity retains damage. They genuinely believe they’re handling it because they’re still performing well at work, while you watch their personal identity deteriorate at home.
The compartmentalization trap – they’re trained not to bring work home, but unresolved trauma doesn’t stay compartmentalized. It affects relationships, parenting, emotional availability, and family dynamics whether they acknowledge it or not.
The constant sacrifice – shift work, missed holidays, canceled plans, financial stress, geographic isolation from extended family, living with the reality that they might not come home one day.
Secondary trauma – living with someone carrying occupational trauma affects you too. You absorb their tension, carry their unspoken burdens, manage the household around their emotional state.
The stigma barrier – they might refuse help, believing seeking therapy is weakness or that they should “handle it themselves.”
How We Can Help
We provide specialized support for families of crisis managers through:
Individual Therapy Support for you as you navigate living with a crisis manager—whether they're seeking help or not. Processing your own secondary trauma, setting boundaries, understanding what you're experiencing, and caring for your own needs.
Couples Therapy Addressing the relationship impact of occupational trauma. Helping both of you understand the dual identity problem, improving communication, rebuilding connection, and resolving damage to the relationship.
Family Therapy Supporting the whole family system—helping children understand what's happening, addressing the impact on kids, restoring family dynamics, and creating healthier patterns together.
You Don't Have to Wait for Them
Many families come to us when their crisis manager won’t seek help. That’s okay. You getting support—whether they participate or not—can make a significant difference. You learning to care for yourself, set boundaries, and understand what’s happening changes the family system.
And sometimes, seeing you get help opens the door for them to seek it too.
Your needs matter. Your sacrifices are real. You deserve support for what you’re carrying.
