Who I help · Corrections officers
Therapy for corrections officers in Utah.
You might recognize this
Some of this sounds familiar.
You scan rooms, exits, hands, and tone even when you are off duty.
Threats or violence from behind the walls return in dreams, flashes, or a sudden surge of alertness.
You have learned not to talk because trust can feel risky both inside and outside the facility.
Alcohol has become the dependable way to lower the volume after a shift.
You feel left out when people talk about first responders, as if your work and exposure do not count.
How I help
The work, unhurried.
The goal is not to take away the awareness that helps you work. It is to help your system recognize when the shift is over.
Corrections work can demand continuous attention to threat, status, movement, and changes in the room. You may be expected to remain composed while insults, manipulation, conflict, and the possibility of violence stay close. That level of vigilance has a purpose at work. When it follows you home, it can make rest, connection, and ordinary public spaces feel harder than they should.
The culture around the job may leave little room to talk openly. You might worry that someone outside corrections will not understand, while someone inside could judge what you say. Therapy offers a separate setting. This is a private practice, not an EAP and not connected to a facility, department, or agency. Confidentiality and its legal limits are explained clearly at intake.
For incidents that continue to feel present, EMDR and Accelerated Resolution Therapy may help you work with the memory in a structured way. You do not need to provide every detail about an incident or institution. We can focus on what your mind and body still carry, establish a pace that feels manageable, and pause whenever needed.
Cumulative exposure matters too. There may be no single event you would call the worst. Instead, years of threats, restraints, assaults, alarms, and watching people deteriorate can stack up. The resulting sleep problems, irritability, numbness, or need for control are worth addressing even when you cannot point to one defining moment.
If drinking has become the transition between work and home, it can be part of therapy without becoming a reason you are turned away. Sobriety is not required to start. We can look honestly at the pattern and the job-related stress or memories underneath it. If outpatient therapy is not enough for what you need, we will discuss a higher level of care directly.
Solution-focused work can help rebuild boundaries around the shift: a transition before entering home, ways to notice when vigilance is no longer needed, and practical changes around sleep or conflict. The work respects what has helped you survive the environment while making room for a life that is not organized around it.
Related reading: first responder therapy, PTSD and trauma therapy, and addiction counseling.
If you're in crisis, call or text 988, or call 911.
What to expect
- A free 15-minute call — no pressure, just see if we fit.
- Honest intake — your story, your goals, your pace.
- 50-minute sessions, weekly or biweekly.
- Telehealth anywhere in Utah, or in-person in Midvale.
The practical part
Where
Telehealth across Utah, or in-person in Midvale.
Investment
$150 per 50-minute session. Out-of-network superbill on request. No referral needed.
First step
A free 15-minute call to see if we're a fit.
FAQ
Common questions.
Do corrections officers count as first responders here?+
Yes. Exposure behind the walls is real exposure, and corrections officers are included in the first responder work offered here.
Is this practice connected to a facility or department?+
No. This is a private practice, not an EAP, and not contracted with a facility, department, or agency.
What if there is no single worst incident?+
Therapy can address cumulative exposure as well as a specific event. You do not need one defining call or incident for the impact to matter.
Can I talk about drinking without being judged?+
Yes. Sobriety is not required to begin. You can discuss the pattern honestly and consider both what it does for you and what it is costing.
What happens behind the walls does not have to organize the rest of your life.
Brian Lewis, LCMHC · Midvale, Utah · Telehealth across Utah · Utah LCMHC license #5497978-6009