Helping the Helpers
Empowering First Responders, Healthcare Workers, and Their Families to Thrive in Mind, Body, and Spirit
Where we can help
Depression, Anxiety, and Grief
Constant exposure to high-stress situations can lead to chronic feelings of sadness, hopelessness, or anxiety. You might find yourself feeling on edge, easily triggered, or disconnected from your usual self. Symptoms like these can impact your mental health, your relationships, and your overall quality of life.
At Frontline Counselling, we offer tailored support to help you process these emotions, build coping strategies, and regain a sense of calm and balance. Together, we’ll work to ensure that the weight of your work doesn’t weigh down your mental health.
Grief isn’t just about loss—it’s the emotional weight of witnessing trauma and suffering. Whether you’re grieving the loss of a colleague, patient, or the emotional burden of your work, we can help you process and heal.
At Frontline Counselling, we understand the unique challenges you face. We’re here to help you navigate depression, anxiety, and grief, so you can stay resilient and continue the important work you do, while maintaining your mental and emotional health.
Psychological Injury, PTSD, and Compassion Fatigue
Being exposed to traumatic and emotionally taxing situations can take a significant toll on your mental health. Trauma reactions, including anxiety, fear, and hopelessness, are normal responses to highly abnormal circumstances. However, when these feelings linger, they can develop into psychological injuries such as PTSD or compassion fatigue, leaving you feeling disconnected, overwhelmed, or even stuck in a cycle of burnout.
Psychological Injury & PTSD
The emotional weight of trauma often stays with you long after the event. We help you understand how trauma impacts the brain and body, using mindfulness-based approaches and mind-body connection practices to support healing. By working together, we can help you navigate the complex emotions and memories tied to your experiences, allowing you to regain a sense of peace and grounding.
Compassion Fatigue
Constantly giving to others in times of crisis can leave you feeling emotionally depleted and disconnected from your own needs. Compassion fatigue is common among those who work in high-stress, helping professions, but it doesn’t have to define your mental health. We focus on rebuilding your emotional resilience by recognizing your strengths, re-establishing healthy boundaries, and recharging your inner resources.
Coping & Substance Use
It’s not uncommon to turn to alcohol or drugs as a way to numb or cope with the overwhelming emotions caused by traumatic events. While these substances may offer temporary relief, they can ultimately hinder healing and create more problems in the long run. At Frontline Counselling, we work with you to identify healthier coping strategies that promote emotional well-being and long-term recovery. Together, we’ll explore alternative techniques such as mindfulness, self-compassion, and stress management that can replace harmful coping methods and help you regain control over your mental health.
We’re here to help you navigate psychological injuries, PTSD, compassion fatigue, and the challenges of unhealthy coping. Through personalized support, we can guide you toward healing, strength, and a more balanced, fulfilling life.
Relationship Counselling
Relationships, whether new or long-standing, can face challenges that test emotional connections. Sometimes, the stress of life, work, or trauma can cause partners to feel distant or disconnected, even when the love is still there. In these moments, understanding, patience, and communication become essential.
In our sessions, we will work together to help you and your partner strengthen your emotional connection and find a common language rooted in compassion and understanding. When one partner experiences hypervigilance—often as a result of trauma or stress—it can feel like they’ve become a different person. This heightened state of alertness can make it difficult to connect, as the partner may be more reactive, distant, or emotionally unavailable.
Compassionate communication will help you both navigate these challenges by fostering an environment of empathy and openness. Instead of reacting to each other out of frustration or fear, we’ll focus on creating space for both partners to express their needs and feelings without judgment. This approach will allow you to understand each other’s emotional triggers, respond with empathy, and create healthier, more supportive interactions.
Therapy sessions provide a safe space to explore these issues together, where both partners can feel heard and supported. We’ll work through the challenges and develop practical solutions that strengthen your relationship, helping you both rediscover the connection and trust that may have been strained.
Gemma Isaac, MA, RCC, MTA
About Gemma
Gemma is a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) and Certified Music Therapist (MTA) with over 14 years of experience supporting individuals through life’s most challenging moments. As a member of the BC Professional Firefighters Association Mental Health Taskforce, she specializes in helping first responders, frontline healthca
About Gemma
Gemma is a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) and Certified Music Therapist (MTA) with over 14 years of experience supporting individuals through life’s most challenging moments. As a member of the BC Professional Firefighters Association Mental Health Taskforce, she specializes in helping first responders, frontline healthcare workers, and their families navigate the unique stressors and emotional demands of their work.
With a compassionate and holistic approach, Gemma integrates counselling, EMDR, and music therapy to empower clients in their journey toward healing, peace, and fulfillment. Her work is rooted in a client-centered, narrative, and strength-based framework, with a deep focus on the mind-body connection to foster long-term wellness and balance.
A graduate of the University of British Columbia’s Master’s in Counselling Psychology program, Gemma’s research on firefighter occupational stress, social support, and attitudes toward seeking psychological help has influenced veteran transition programs and improved mental health resources for first responders.
Gemma pioneered the music therapy program at Vancouver General Hospital’s Burns, Trauma, and High Acuity Unit (BTHAU) in 2011. Today, the program continues to thrive, providing patients and their families with a unique, non-verbal approach to emotional processing through music and art. For those who struggle with traditional “talk therapy,” music therapy offers a powerful alternative that meets clients where words fall short.
Now that the music therapy program is a fully established and ongoing resource at BTHAU, Gemma has returned in the role of Clinical Counselling Therapist. In this role, she is committed to reinforcing the importance of mental health support for both patients and staff, ensuring holistic care remains a priority in the healing process.
Currently, Gemma continues her work at VGH BTHAU, helping burn patients and their families navigate the emotional and psychological challenges of burn recovery.