First Responder Couples Workshop

Welcome to the First Responder Couples Workshop!

Saturday & Sunday, January 18th - 19th, 9am - 5pm

This workshop is specifically designed for couples where both or one of the individuals works in emergency services. The stresses of emergency work and the symptoms they cause pose a unique set of challenges for couples. In this two-day workshop, you and your partner will learn how to navigate these unique challenges and come to a place of empathetic bonding, unified detachment from traumatic symptoms and reconnect through acceptance and commitment. Understanding the symptoms of trauma, how they trigger issues in relationships and learning communication techniques to manage these challenges best are the focus of this workshop.

Objectives:​

• Learn how trauma triggers relationship issues
• Recognize defensive adaptations to trauma
• Reconnect through understanding and effective communication
• Acknowledge core values and learn how to validate them internally
• Learn the neuroscience behind trauma and discover how it changes our behaviours
• Reconnect through understanding, commitment and empathetic bonding.

Your Instructor:

Daniel Sundahl, RPT-C

Daniel is a retired paramedic/firefighter and has worked as an emergency worker for over twenty years. Daniel is a registered Counselling Therapist with the Canadian Professional Counsellors Association, he specializes in substance abuse and family counselling associated with trauma and has specialized training in complex trauma, couples therapy and ketogenic diets for mental health.

Testimonials:​

"Dan has the innate ability to create a safe space within minutes and sustain it for the duration of the workshop. His experience as a first responder who has experienced post-traumatic growth, coupled with his education in psychology and expertise in trauma, makes his perspective so relatable and engaging. The content provided really helped me, as the spouse of a first responder, to better understand my husband's thoughts, feelings, and actions and my response to them. The exercises allowed for reflection, integration of material and opportunities to communicate in ways that were new and healthy. Learning the tools and methods in this workshop is a game changer in building greater connections and communicating to have your needs met. I would highly recommend this workshop to any couple, especially those who live with the impacts of trauma."

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” Attending the First Responder's Couple's Workshop was a truly transformative experience for my marriage. The workshop provided deep insights into the unique challenges we face and equipped us with practical tools to address them. The communication strategies we learned have not only strengthened our connection but also brought us closer together. I now feel a renewed sense of hope for our future and a greater appreciation for the support we can offer each other. I am immensely grateful for the workshop and the valuable skills it imparted. It has been a beacon of hope and a catalyst for positive change in our relationship. Thank you!”

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"I attended Dan's First Responder Couple's workshop sort of by accident. A friend and her husband had signed up, but he was unable to attend, so she asked me to come just to have company. I learned more in that workshop in two days about myself and a bit about my spouse than I had in two months of counselling.
As someone who is not a first responder but has experienced trauma in my life, it was a very valuable thing to add to my toolbox."

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"This is eye-opening, intriguing, immensely valuable, and useful information that can really change the dynamic of a relationship in a positive way. Dan, thank you for creating a safe space for us. You are a wealth of knowledge; thank you for sharing it with us!"

"I feel very heard, understood, and validated after this learning experience. I now know that I am not alone and that there is hope for relationships impacted by trauma. This course gives me the tools and the motivation to keep persevering in my marriage and in my healing."

"It was really neat to attend this workshop. I found that there were a lot of things I had been experiencing as a healthcare worker with PTSD that I didn't necessarily know how to explain to my spouse - that he now understands. There were a lot of practice applications and resources to draw on. Excellent experience!"

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

St. Albert Inn & Suites, 156 Saint Albert Trail, St. Albert, Canada