Off-Duty Enjoyment — Healing Firefighters From Work-Related Trauma

— Dr. Pater Salerno believes that people make positive and lasting changes based on the insight gained during the process of psychotherapy. Psychotherapy provides an opportunity for people to reassess personal history and make connections between past and present conflicts. He does NOT view people as sick, dysfunctional, or disordered; rather, Dr. Salerno believes that when our desire to grow outweighs our fear of growth, we become empowered to reach our full potential and to live the life that we truly want to live. When this cannot be accomplished on our own, psychotherapy is simply an effective resource that can become a meaningful and liberating experience.

Understanding the impact of work-related trauma you experience as a firefighter brings both challenges and benefits. Reliving memories that you wish would just stay buried can seem like torture, and it can stir up all kinds of emotions that you have tried hard to keep at bay, but working through trauma will bring clarity to your life that you haven't had in a long time. It will feel like tremendous relief to have your life back so you can finally be present and deeper connected to yourself and the ones you love. Eventually, you will end up enjoying your time off-duty in a truly positive way.

Valeria Teles interviews Dr. Peter Salerno — he is the author of "Fit For Off-Duty: A Manual for Firefighters: Healing from Work-Related Trauma, Restoring Personal Relationships, and Thriving at Home."

Peter Salerno, Psy.D., LMFT, is a licensed psychotherapist residing in Southern California, who holds a doctoral degree in psychology, a master's degree in clinical psychology, and bachelor's degree in Literature. Dr. Salerno is a trauma specialist who utilizes evidence-based, attachment-oriented approaches to promote healing and self-empowerment. Dr. Salerno is trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR) and is certified in Family Trauma and Complex Trauma through the International Association of Trauma Professionals. Dr. Salerno is certified in Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM). He also holds certifications in psychoanalytic psychotherapy and hypnotherapy and is trained to administer and score the Hare Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R). Dr. Salerno works with individuals of all ages, couples, and families in private practice.

To learn more about Dr. Peter Salerno and his work, please visit: drpetersalerno.com

— This podcast is a quest for well-being, a quest for a meaningful life through the exploration of fundamental truths, enlightening ideas, insights on physical, mental, and spiritual health. The inspiration is Love. The aspiration is to awaken new ways of thinking that can lead us to a new way of being, being well.