Therapy for First Responders
in Orlando, FL
Confidential therapy for police officers, firefighters, EMTs, paramedics and 911 dispatchers, in person in Orlando and by telehealth across Florida.
Therapy that understands the job
Your job asks you to walk into situations most people spend their lives avoiding. Over a career, the calls add up. Some are gone by the end of the shift. Others stay with you for years.
Shift work makes it harder. Rotating schedules and overtime cut into sleep and into time with the people you love.
Many first responders work in a culture where you handle it and move on. That helps you do the job in the moment. But what gets pushed down at work often comes out at home, as a short temper, distance from your partner, or trouble switching off.
In therapy with me, you do not have to justify why it is hard. We can start from where you are.
What we work on
People usually come in with one thing on their mind and find that a few others are connected to it. These are the areas I work on most with first responders.
Trauma and PTSD
Memories, nightmares or reactions that will not settle.
Critical incidents
A specific call that keeps coming back.
Sleep problems
Trouble falling asleep, staying asleep or resting after nights.
Anger and irritability
A shorter fuse than you used to have.
Drinking more than you want to
Using alcohol to come down after a shift.
Relationship strain
Feeling shut off from your partner or kids.
Burnout
Running on empty and caring less about work you used to care about.
Police officers, firefighters, EMS and dispatchers
Police officers and law enforcement
Officers carry danger, public scrutiny and split-second decisions. Many worry about how asking for help might look at work. In therapy, you can say what you cannot say on shift.
Firefighters
Your crew can be a real support, and it can also make it hard to admit you are struggling. Long shifts away from home strain sleep and family. Therapy is a place outside the station to sort through it.
EMTs and paramedics
You see people on their worst days, often call after call. Some calls stay with you long after the shift. We can work on those memories at a pace you set.
911 dispatchers
You hear the worst moments in real time and often never learn how the call ended. That can build up quietly. Your stress is real even if you were not on scene.
How I work
I use EMDR, CBT and other trauma-focused therapy. EMDR can help the brain process hard memories so they feel less raw. CBT works on the thoughts and habits that keep stress going, like poor sleep or irritability. You can read more about EMDR therapy in Orlando.
You set the pace. You do not have to tell me every detail of a call to work on it, and we do not move into hard memories before you are ready.
What you share with me stays between us, within the usual legal limits, which I go over with you at the start.
If you work in a different high-pressure field, you can also read about therapy for professionals in Orlando.
When trauma has not lifted: ketamine-assisted psychotherapy
For some people, trauma symptoms have not improved enough with therapy or medication. If that sounds like you, ketamine-assisted psychotherapy may be worth exploring.
I do not prescribe ketamine. A licensed medical provider does the medical evaluation, decides whether it is safe and appropriate for you, and handles the prescribing. I provide the therapy around the medicine sessions.
Medicine sessions happen in person in Orlando, or at home in Florida with me on video the whole time, when the medical provider decides at-home dosing is safe. It is not for everyone, and I cannot promise how you will respond.
I explain the research on my page about ketamine-assisted therapy for PTSD, and the overall process on my page about ketamine-assisted psychotherapy in Orlando.
In person in Orlando or online across Florida
I am Artie Gately, LMHC, a licensed mental health counselor in Florida (license MH22813). I see adults in person at my office on N Mills Ave in Orlando, and by secure video anywhere in Florida.
If you work rotating shifts, video can make therapy easier to fit in. You can meet from home or anywhere private where you can talk freely.
Some people like the quiet of coming to the office. Others prefer video. We can figure out what works for your schedule.
Artie Gately, LMHC
Florida license MH22813
545 N Mills Ave
Orlando, FL
Insurance and cost
I accept insurance for therapy with these plans: UnitedHealthcare, Aetna, Cigna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Florida Blue, Oscar, Optum, Oxford and Carelon Behavioral Health. That covers regular therapy and the preparation and integration sessions of ketamine-assisted psychotherapy.
Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy is billed in separate parts. Its therapy sessions can be billed to insurance. Ketamine dosing sessions are cash-pay only. The medicine and medical visits are billed separately by the medical provider.
If you are not sure where to start, I offer a free 15-minute consultation. We can talk about what you need and go over cost questions before you decide anything.
Frequently asked questions
Is therapy for first responders confidential?
Yes. What you share with me stays between us, within the usual legal limits that apply to every client. I go over those limits with you at the start so you know what to expect.
Do you work with 911 dispatchers?
Yes. Dispatchers carry real stress, even without being on scene. I see 911 dispatchers in person in Orlando and by secure video anywhere in Florida.
Can I do therapy online?
Yes. I see adults by secure video anywhere in Florida, as well as in person at my office in Orlando. Video can make therapy easier to fit around shift work.
Do you take insurance?
Yes. I accept UnitedHealthcare, Aetna, Cigna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Florida Blue, Oscar, Optum, Oxford and Carelon Behavioral Health for therapy. Ketamine dosing sessions are cash-pay only, and the medicine and medical visits are billed separately by the medical provider.
What is critical incident stress, and can therapy help?
Critical incident stress is the strong reaction that can follow an especially hard call, such as trouble sleeping, replaying the scene or feeling on edge. Sometimes it eases on its own, and sometimes it lingers. Therapy, including trauma-focused approaches like EMDR, gives you a place to work through it, though I cannot promise a specific result.
Relief can begin with one honest message.
Send a short note and we’ll be in touch. There’s no pressure and no commitment—just a calm first step toward feeling better.
Send us a note and we’ll be in touch—no pressure, no commitment.
Start a ConversationPlease don’t include sensitive medical details. If you’re in crisis, call or text 988.