My name is Claire Crilly and I am a humanistic therapist specialising in working with frontline workers. I aim to provide the space, time and care to those who work tirelessly for the good of others. Self sacrifice is an inherent part of choosing a career devoted to the service of the public, but it isn’t without consequence.
I have been an Operational Firefighter for 14 years in Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service and I have lived experience of the complexities of being an emergency responder. The challenges of a dynamic incident, the traumatic scenes of injury and death, the physical toll on your body and energy levels, alongside the ever shifting management structures, political difficulties and a deeply engrained culture filled with historical traditions. The ongoing changes and inspections can leave one feeling alienated from a job they once felt ‘at home’ in.
Alongside this, I have had my own experience of a traumatic event and therefore I understand how difficult, isolating and damaging to personal identity this can be. The road back to wellness is long, can feel shameful and not always understood by others. We are supposed to be the hero’s right? Invincible? If only.
After this, I became a Blue Light Champion volunteer where fire service personnel could contact me to talk through their problems. Through this role, I witnessed trends of mistrust in management and occupational counselling, high levels of anxiety and suicide ideation. I wanted to do more to help and support my fire service family and so I retrained to become a therapist.
Do you need help from someone who has existed in the world you inhabit? Someone who gets the acronyms, the callsigns, the practical jokes, the gallows humour, the bravado, the mistrust, the camaraderie, the fall outs, the exhilaration when a job goes well and the sickly silence when it doesn’t. I will be able to relate on a deep level and truly understand the issues you face whilst carefully navigating your feelings to help you feel better again.