TRAUMA, GRIEF & FIRST RESPONDER THERAPY IN YORK, PA
Ed Curtis, LSW
You can be good at handling hard things and still be affected by them.
Some experiences stay with you. Others build slowly over time- the stress, losses, difficult calls, transitions, or things you learned to push through because life required you to keep moving.
I work with adults experiencing trauma and PTSD, grief, anxiety, stress, depression, and life transitions, as well as couples who want to strengthen communication and build healthier ways of relating to one another.
I have a particular understanding of the experiences of first responders and people exposed to critical incidents. Alongside my work as a therapist, I am a full-time police officer with 23 years of experience and continue to serve on patrol.
That perspective allows me to understand some of the realities of trauma, grief, and high-stress work without requiring you to spend half the session explaining the culture first.
HOW I WORK
Practical support. Honest conversation. Work we do together.
My approach to therapy is compassionate, collaborative, and practical.
We’ll take time to understand what’s underneath what you’re experiencing while also developing strategies you can use in everyday life. Therapy can involve processing difficult experiences, recognizing patterns, strengthening coping skills, improving relationships, and finding ways to move forward without minimizing what you’ve been through.
I incorporate Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) based on your experiences, goals, and needs.
I have also facilitated Critical Incident Stress Debriefings for individuals and groups since 2019 and completed specialized crisis-intervention training in 2017.
FIRST RESPONDERS & TRAUMA-EXPOSED PROFESSIONALS
Sometimes understanding the work changes the conversation.
Twenty-three years in law enforcement has given me firsthand experience with the immediate and cumulative effects of critical incidents, occupational stress, trauma, and grief.
I work with first responders across disciplines, trauma survivors, and professionals working within trauma-related systems.
You don’t need to have a PTSD diagnosis or reach a breaking point before seeking support. The work can also be about stress, sleep, relationships, anxiety, grief, emotional changes, or simply recognizing that carrying everything yourself isn’t working as well as it used to.
AREAS OF FOCUS
Trauma & PTSD · First Responders · Grief & Loss · Critical Incidents · Anxiety · Stress · Depression · Life Transitions · Couples · Communication · EMDR · Post-Traumatic Growth