- Psychological First Aid
- Critical Incident debriefing, individually or among a group
- Peer counseling
- Talk therapy provided by a Psychologist, Marriage & Family Therapist, or Clinical Social Worker
- Bereavement counseling provided by a Psychologist, Marriage & Family Therapist, Clinical Social Worker, or Clergy person
- Art, music, or drama therapist
- Support group
- Pastoral counseling
- Chaplaincy
- Spiritual Direction
- Volunteers providing nourishing meals, hydration, safe places to sleep, childcare, or other forms of hospitality
Following the critical role of first responders – including, law enforcement, firefighters, paramedics, and emergency room personnel – second responders provide a second and equally critical role in processes of healing after trauma. Second responders help survivors and those who experience vicarious traumatization of:
- Who they are
- To whom they belong
- Their sense of place, or groundedness, in the world
- Their sense of safety, internally and externally
- Their ability to self-regulate
- Their ability to care for themselves
- Their ability to care for others
- Their sense of grief and mourning
- Their sense of hope
- Their sense of purpose or motivation
Second responders are keenly aware that this process of (re)membering after trauma comes slowly and not necessarily in a linear pattern, and they commit to companioning alongside survivors as they regain their healthy senses.
Beginning with basic forms of hospitality and trustworthy companionship, and often through a Village of Care, second responders help survivors heal.