Thin Blue Mind / Smokey Heroes
Police Psychology:
5 Principles: Animated Post
by Gary S. Aumiller, Ph.D. ABPP, Sara Gaertner, Skylar Aumiller
5 Principles to A Simpler Life as a Cop in animation.
Archive for the ‘Mastering Resilience’ Category
0
Police Psychology | Living Through Troubled Times
Posted: August 18, 2016 in Mastering ResilienceTags: police psychology, police stress, problematic times
Police Psychology | Living Through Troubled Times
by Ellen Kirschman, Ph.D. (adapted with permission from www.ellenkirschman.com)
Author of I Love a Cop: What Police Families Need to Know
These are troubled times for police officers and their families. There’s an almost endless stream of bad press about law enforcement along with the unthinkable assassinations of police in Dallas and Baton Rouge, numerous anti-police protests, lethal mass shootings, and the increased threat of terrorism. Dash cams, body cameras and cell phone cameras have charged the atmosphere and changed the way officers work. In light of all that is happening, the job looks more dangerous and appears more brutal than ever.
I’ve been counseling police officers and their families for thirty years, through good times and bad. These ideas offered are my way to say thank you to police families everywhere. (more…)
Police Psychology | Flight Lesson: Video Post
Posted: July 22, 2016 in Mastering ResilienceTags: motivational, police psychology, police stress
Police Psychology | Critical Incidents in Law Enforcement
Posted: May 13, 2016 in Mastering ResilienceTags: critical incidents, police psychology, police stress
Police Psychology | Critical Incidents in Law Enforcement
by Doug Gentz, Ph.D. Guest Author
Unusual and sometimes disturbing experiences are just part of the job of a Police Officer. As they proceed through their careers, officers typically take these experiences in stride. At some point, an officer may have 
an experience that rises to the level of a Critical Incident. Two factors must be present to qualify an experience as a Critical Incident. The first is involvement in a sudden, unexpected, very unusual, life threatening event. The second is that the involvement in that event triggers a need for a much greater than “normal” degree of psychological adjustment on the part of the officer.
In a true Critical Incident, the involved officer has to work harder and longer than usual to digest the experience. A partial list of events that may (or may not) trigger a Critical Incident include Officer Involved Shootings, horrific car wrecks, and grotesque crime scenes especially those involving children. While the events are relatively easy to describe, the factors that underlie the “degree of adjustment required” are much more difficult to define. There are a multitude of examples of events shared by several officers that become a Critical Incident for one or two officers and not others. What makes the same event a Critical Incident for one officer while another officer experiences it as just unusual, perhaps noteworthy? (more…)
Police Psychology | Anticipatory Anxiety Meets String Tricks
Posted: April 7, 2016 in Mastering ResilienceTags: anticipatory anxiety, police psychology, police stress
Police Psychology |
Anticipatory Anxiety Meets String Tricks
Gary S. Aumiller, Ph.D. ABPP
My 9-year old daughter was in a third-grade talent show last Friday. She was doing “string tricks” she learned on YouTube, you know 
starting with Cat’s Cradle, go to Cat’s Whiskers, Jacob’s Ladder, the Eiffel Tower, the witches broom, etc. Okay, I have to admit I went “HUH? What kind of talent is that?” Not out loud of course, but to myself. I was scared to death for her and pictured Alicia Keys on stage before her and Yo-Yo Ma after she performed, with her “string tricks” saddled in between What an embarrassment for her! I calmed myself down with saying it will be over in 2 minutes, and I am a psychologist, I will put her broken ego back together when it is over. She will learn something from this.
“My name is Skylar and I am going to do string tricks I learned from videos on YouTube.” We rehearsed her over and over. I even filmed it to make her want to practice. Practice for embarrassment, what a lousy deal. My wife and I both went to the show with trepidation. My butterflies were churning worse than when I sang my first professional opera. Act after act came out and performed admirably, except they were third graders not Alicia Keys, and they stumbled over themselves, sang off-pitch and one kid kept hitting himself in the head with nun-chucks. I felt better already, but then Skylar was announced. “My Name is Skylar and I am going to do some string tricks I learned from videos on YouTube.” She was so loud and clear and the only kid that actually talked. OMG, she has stage presence! She had the confidence of a kid that knew she had the best act in the show. She started with Cat’s Whiskers then put them up to her face and meowed, and the crowd erupted into outrageous applause for each of her tricks. A star was born, and a dad learned a lot about his own profession that night. String tricks: police psychology, perhaps I had better explain…. (more…)
