You Take Care of Your Team.

We Take Care of You.

At Public Safety Consulting of New England, we bring decades of experience in mental health and First Responder support to provide culturally competent for your people. 

Public Safety Consulting of New England provides training, guidance and clinical support to public safety agencies. We promote the well-being of members through high quality culturally competent care. 

This includes:

  • CISM (Critical Incident Stress Management) training

  • Peer support team development and guidance

  • Rapid access to EMDR Therapy

  • Trauma education and resiliency building

  • Confidential Wellness Visits

What We Do

View of tree branches with yellow autumn leaves against a cloudy sky

By partnering with public safety agencies, we blend proactive measures and specialized care to meet the needs of First Responders.

Ultimately, we:

  • Offer real-world training and education to safeguard members from post-traumatic stress, vicarious trauma and burnout

  • Train members to recognize acute and post-traumatic stress symptoms within themselves and their peers, and respond with confidence

  • Prioritize rapid access to EMDR Therapy with seasoned clinicians

  • Refer members to vetted providers and programs for further care

Why We Do It

We know how important it is to get this right.

As clinicians with deep roots in military and law enforcement families, we’ve seen the toll that trauma, chronic stress, and lack of support can take on public safety professionals. We want to change the culture for the better.

Our personal lives gave us perspective, our clinical experience give us tools, and our shared vision gave us a mission: To create a consulting practice built specifically for the mental health and wellness of public safety professionals.

An autumn Vermont landscape featuring a rustic barn next to a small pond, surrounded by trees with fall foliage and rolling hills in the distance.

We know that when you’re supporting First Responders through trauma, there’s no room for guesswork or one-size-fits-all advice. In fact, inauthentic gestures can actually backfire—breaking trust and deepening stress instead of relieving it.

As such, we approach every training and consultation with respect for your agency’s culture, awareness of your team’s lived experiences, and a commitment to do no harm, ensuring your team gets the thoughtful, effective support they need to heal and become their most resilient selves.

Our Values are Simple:

✓ Proactive prevention over crisis-mode reaction

✓ Connection over isolation

✓ Support that lasts beyond the crisis

Because strong public safety agencies aren’t built on response alone.

They’re built on readiness, resilience, and the relationships behind the badge.

Meet the Team

Tree in a park during sunset with long shadows and some trees in the background.

LORI GURNEY

Lori is a Master’s level licensed clinical psychologist with 25+ years of experience. She has a demonstrated history working with uniform services. Lori has contracted with several agencies in Vermont and is currently serving as the Managing Clinician for the Department of Public Safety and the Department of Corrections.

Lori provides ongoing clinical support to both agencies and serves as a member on their Members Assistance Team. She provides education and training as well as consultation and direct counseling. It’s her goal to bring the wellness components that have been well established to other departments throughout New England.

Lori is trained in Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR), is a Certified Trauma Specialist and is a certified HeartMath instructor. She is an approved instructor with The International Critical Incident Stress Foundation (ICISF) and is certified in Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM). Lori teaches CISM classes to first responder agencies New England. She has a great deal of experience in building peer support teams and overseeing those teams, providing both clinical and technical support.‍

Contact Lori Gurney: (802) 299-7018‍ ‍

BETH JACOBS

Beth is a long-time law enforcement spouse, and mother of three. This life experience has afforded Beth a deep understanding of the challenges facing public safety professionals and their families. As a licensed clinical mental health counselor, Beth works primarily with first responders, frontline workers and veterans throughout Vermont.

With EMDR therapy as her clinical focus and “power tool,” Beth has witnessed the life-saving impact of this modality for hundreds of first responders since 2016. She is passionate about bringing trauma education and rapid access to EMDR therapy into the heart of first responder culture.

Beth is a Certified EMDR Therapist and an Approved Consultant for EMDR clinicians seeking to deepen their understanding of public safety culture, post-traumatic stress, and the healing that EMDR therapy can bring.

Beth is certified in Critical incident Stress Management (CISM) and is a Compassion Fatigue Professional. She creates and delivers workshops to frontline workers navigating post-traumatic stress, compassion fatigue and moral injury.

Contact Beth Jacobs: (802) 557 - 8027

A dirt path winding through a dense forest with tall trees and green foliage, sunlight filtering through the leaves.

What is Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM)?

Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) is a structured system of support designed to help first responders and public safety professionals recover from traumatic events. It’s not therapy—it’s psychological first aid that helps reduce the emotional impact of a critical incident, restore functioning, and determine whether additional support is needed.

When is CISM used?

CISM is used before, during, and after high-stress events, and includes tools like:

  • Pre-incident education and planning

  • Defusing (an immediate group check-in within hours of an incident)

  • Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD)—a 7-phase group intervention to promote healing

  • One-on-one support, follow-up care, and referrals when needed

CISM helps first responders process and recover from incidents like:

  • Line-of-duty serious injuries, deaths or suicides

  • Mass casualty events or natural disasters

  • Incidents involving children, media attention, or failed rescues

  • Traumatic loss of colleagues, civilians, or patients

CISM reduces long-term trauma, improves morale, and supports first responder mental health—both individually and at the team level.

  • Testimonials

    “When I was the colonel of the Vermont State Police, I brought Lori Gurney on as clinical support to the wellness program. After my retirement from the VSP I went on to lead four other criminal justice organizations—three of the four reeling from internal moral injury. I engaged Lori to assist at each of the organizations. Without fail Lori was able to make the situations better by engaging with staff at meaningful and personal level. Lori merging her talents with Beth Jacobs creates a support network that is badly needed by first responders."

    COL. (RET.) JAMES W. BAKER
    JW Leadership Consulting, LLC

  • Testimonials

    “I’ve had the privilege of working closely with both Beth Jacobs and Lori Gurney for many years. Their dedication to the wellbeing of first responders across Vermont and New England is exceptional.

    Beth's work providing education and EMDR therapy to first responders since 2016 reflects a deep understanding of the culture, demands, and challenges faced by those in public safety.

    Lori’s expertise in CISM instruction and peer support development has strengthened the foundation of responder wellness throughout the region. 

    Beth and Lori bring a level of understanding of the profession that is normally reserved for those who do the job day to day. Together, they bring a rare combination of professionalism, compassion, and practical experience.”

    PRESCOTT NADEAU

    Chief, Hinesburg Fire Department

  • Testimonials

    “Lori Gurney exemplifies integrity, professionalism, and compassion in every aspect of her work. Her expertise was instrumental in creating our department’s Peer Support Team, and her prompt response to critical incidents highlights her unwavering dedication to both individual clients and the department as a whole.”

    GREG SHELDON
    Retired Chief

Ready to build a stronger, more resilient team?

We’re here to help you build a team that’s prepared, supported, and never left to carry the weight of critical incidents alone.

Whether you’re just starting to explore peer support or ready to strengthen your response systems, we’ll meet you where you are.