We expect trauma to come from that terrible call- the drowning, the pediatric arrest, the MCI. But sometimes, it sneaks up on you when the calls stop altogether. What happens when the job you’ve built your entire life around is taken from you in an instant? For Dr. Alexandra Jabr, a career-ending back injury didn’t just end her time on the rig, it cracked open a lifetime of everything she had been holding together. In this raw and honest keynote, she shares the moment that forced her to stop and finally face the trauma she had been carrying long before she jumped on an ambulance.

This isn’t a story about getting back to the rig. This is a story of pain, identity loss, maladaptive coping, and the slow, uneven path to healing. It’s about discovering who you are when the uniform comes off and how losing what you thought defined you can become the beginning of your next chapter in service.

What happens when even the most successful efforts result in futility and resuscitation efforts must be terminated? Historically, institutions have failed to prepare first responders for this outcome, and “training” for these situations is experiential, at best. Because of this, we have failed to recognize our unique role in the grieving (healing) process, which begins for the survivors at the moment that we determine time of death of the patient. In this class, you will learn the risks associated with continuing to overlook this training, tips on how to perform the skill of death notifications, as well as the positive impact that first responders can have on the survivors of these patients.

This lecture explores the challenges of delivering death notifications, focusing on the psychological barriers that often lead to avoidance for first responders. Through a group-centered discussion, participants will engage in an ethical dilemma scenario to understand the complex factors at play, such as empathy, discomfort with uncertainty, and emotional burden. We will examine why professionals might avoid these difficult conversations and how this avoidance can impact both the messenger and the recipient. This lecture will offer practical tools and strategies to help participants address these challenges effectively, preparing them to deliver difficult news with more confidence, clarity, and compassion during their next notification.

Ketamine therapy is rapidly emerging as a powerful intervention for psychological injuries commonly experienced by first responders. This session takes a balanced look at the science, the stigma, and the shifting conversation around ketamine-assisted therapy. Attendees will gain practical knowledge about this psychotherapeutic tool and understand its use as an integrative approach to support mental healing and recovery.

Designed specifically for first responders, ‘Identifying the Wounded Helper’ is based on the Jungian theory of the Wounded Healer. This lecture will examine underlying traumas that often accompany emergency personnel on the calls that they respond to and will explain the impact of intergenerational trauma and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) on the mental health of those who serve their community. This course goes beyond recognition and traditional therapeutic interventions by educating on effective methods for reprogramming the subconscious mind to build resilience in proactive and transformative ways.

Every word counts in a crisis, but so does everything left unsaid. This session explores the subconscious layers of crisis communication, where tone, timing, and nonverbal cues often convey more than the words we speak. Drawing from depth psychology and experience in emergency medical services, we’ll unpack how hidden messages shape perception, escalate or defuse tension, and impact rapport between parties. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of the psychological forces at play when people are under pressure, and how to communicate in ways that foster clarity, connection, and trust.