About Us
Stephanie Conn
Craig Deardorff
Craig Deardorff
Licensed Psychologist & Owner
NOT Accepting New Clients
Licensed in OR & WA
Craig Deardorff
Craig Deardorff
Craig Deardorff
Licensed Independent Social Worker
NOT Accepting New Clients
Licensed in OR & WA
Chelsea Sathoff
Craig Deardorff
Chelsea Sathoff
Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Accepting New Clients
Licensed in OR & WA
chelsea@firstresponderpsychology.com
Chris Hoover
Carlea Schlie
Chelsea Sathoff
Licensed Professional Counselor
Not Accepting New Clients
Licensed in OR
About Stephanie
Experience
I began my career as a dispatcher/call-taker for police, fire, & ambulance service. I became a police officer, a member of the Critical Incident Stress Management and Peer Support Team. There, I gained valuable experience helping fellow first responders with their reactions to traumatic events, as well as the day-to-day wear and tear of the job.
My dad was an officer for almost 40 years so I grew up a policeman's daughter. This experience helps me understand what it's like to be affected by the police member's work.
I've also been happily married to a retired officer for 25 years (and counting!). Again, this gives me another perspective, another source of understanding.
Training & Education
I believe experience as a first responder and my work with them has been my greatest teacher. But I have also formally prepared to assist first responders to be mentally healthy. I earned a PhD in Counseling Psychology and an M.S. in Criminal Justice. I trained in EMDR, the recommended treatment for trauma and am trained in the Acute Stress Adaptive Protocol (ASAP, an EMDR-based peer support intervention). I studied factors that influenced officers' ability to cope with traumatic stress, factors that helped officers maintain work-life balance, and the decision-making processes of seasoned first responders regarding leaving the job. I've studied the work of others to better my understanding of the impact of the work to prepare compelling arguments for better services and coverage for mental injuries from the job. I am Board Certified in Police and Public Safety Psychology by the American Board of Professional Psychology. I am also a HeartMath Certified Practitioner, which allows me to use biofeedback to help first responders recalibrate their nervous systems after chronic stress and trauma.
Why Me?
My heart is in my work. When I was an officer and peer support team member, I found a shortage of mental health providers who understood the unique nature of the work. I realized my greatest contribution would be to fill this gap. I've taught other providers what I know about the first responder culture but there's no substitute for experience. I get it. I've had many roles in the last 27+ years in the profession: dispatcher/call-taker, victim services, police officer, and clinician. I've also had the benefit of decades of personal roles: daughter, wife, and friend of officers. All of these experiences have given me a well-rounded understanding of the impact of the work.
I accept Kaiser, Regence BCBS, Moda, Providence, Optum, PacificSource, Aetna, First Choice, Canopy, ESI, and worker's compensation benefits. I offer services to first responders & agencies. I am licensed in OR & WA.
About Craig
Experience
My professional experience has spanned both the fire service and the mental health field. On the fire side, I did 7 seasons in wildland on handcrews, rappel and short-haul crews throughout the PNW. I also put in 5 years as a volunteer with 3 years as a resident for a rural district outside of Kennewick, WA. As for mental health, I have provided both conventional counseling as well as crisis counseling to children, adolescents, and adults. From 2019-2021, I was able to merge the two sides as I rode along with Spokane Fire Department as a ‘co-deployed’ first responder. In that role, I got a strong sense of the increasing level of difficulty some of the calls entail as I responded alongside a Spokane Fire paramedic to try to resolve emergency behavioral health calls. Many of these calls were resolved in conjunction with Spokane Police Department. These experiences have been fortified by multiple ride-alongs with various police agencies in the Portland-Salem metro area.
Education and Training
I am a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker in OR and WA. I received my Master of Social Work degree through Louisiana State University in 2019. Much of my clinical training is crisis and trauma focused. I am trained in EMDR through EMDRIA and the peer support Acute Stress Adaptive Protocol (ASAP). I am an Emergency Responder and Public Safety Certified Clinician. Much of my clinical approach is rooted in psychodynamic, existential, and Jungian theories as well as Cognitive Behavior Therapy.
Why Me?
Throughout my pursuit of a fire service career, I strove to determine what it would take to be a good firefighter. I was blessed to have received incredible advice from the phenomenal mentors who spent time with me as I navigated my path. Oddly enough, it was this that lead me to see my calling in a different light. I began to see the value in mentorship, in helping someone else get dialed in, and being there for someone going through hard times. It is my hope in my role here to carry on that legacy with all first responders by providing a confidential, structured, and efficient approach.
I accept Kaiser, Moda, Providence, Blue Cross Blue Shield, First Choice Health, Canopy, ESI, and worker's compensation benefits. I offer services to first responders.
About Chelsea
Experience
I have over eight years of experience working as a mental health therapist. I utilize various evidence-based approaches, including cognitive behavioral therapy and acceptance and commitment therapy to help my clients address problems and work toward tangible and meaningful positive change.
I am in the final stages of being certified as an Emergency Responder and Public Safety Clinician following many hours of training and ride-alongs to improve my understanding of public safety culture and stressors. I am also training in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy.
Education & Experience
I earned a Master of Social Work degree from University of California in 2015. My interest in supporting military members and their families led to my research study, titled Alcohol Use Among Active Duty Military Personnel.
Why Me?
I am married to a police officer and veteran of the US Navy. I have supported my husband through multiple deployments and through law enforcement related stressors, including a critical incident. As a police officer’s spouse, I have an understanding of the toll that law enforcement related stress can take on the family.
I am licensed in OR and WA. I am in Canopy & ESI EAP, Kaiser, Aetna, Providence, Regence BCBS, First Choice Health, and Moda. I am available Tuesday through Friday.
I offer services to first responders and their spouses/ partners.
About Chris
Experience
My experience includes 16 years in law enforcement and an additional 8 years of counseling experience. Over that time, I have worked diligently to bridge my clinical background with my law enforcement career. I was fortunate to be a part of a progressive team of law enforcement professionals who were committed to developing an effective peer support team in the county where I serve and through that experience, I have developed strongly held beliefs about the importance of building sustainable, innovative peer teams. I have seen the effectiveness of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) with first responders and veterans firsthand and want to do my part to educate, raise awareness, and utilize this effective tool for combatting trauma. I am an EMDR Certified Therapist with EMDRIA.
Education & Training
I have a Master’s Degree in Counseling and Human Resource Development from South Dakota State University and moved to Oregon in 2006. I received my counseling license (LPC) in 2012 and am also a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor III (CADCIII) with the State of Oregon. My clinical approach is rooted in the theoretical models of Existential/Humanistic, Cognitive-Behavioral, and Solution Focused Therapy. I utilize Motivational Interviewing as the framework for most of my clinical interactions and choose a strength-based coaching approach in therapy. I have also been trained in Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM), Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST), and the peer support model of EMDR-- Acute Stress Adaptive Protocol (ASAP).
Why Me?
After college, I moved to the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota and became acutely aware of the importance of understanding the culture of those you serve. First responders have a culture and I utilize therapeutic interventions relevant to that culture. I understand how stress injury from the job can change our brains/behavior and believe those injuries can heal with the right approach. First responders and veterans are resilient; we do not have to suffer in silence. I am passionate about helping individuals find a sense of renewed purpose, encourage mindful movement outside of the therapy walls, and challenge individuals to intentionally forge strength and resilience in all contexts of life. When I am not working, I enjoy skateboarding with my children and spending quality time with my spouse. I am also a kettlebell sport athlete, ultrarunner, and fly fisherman.
I accept Blue Cross Blue Shield, Providence, Kaiser, PacificSource, First Choice Health, Aetna and Moda. I also accept Canopy & ESI EAP. I offer services to first responders.
About Carlea
I was born and raised in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Growing up within a law enforcement family, I knew that no matter what I ended up doing in life I primarily wanted to give back to my community by supporting people. I attended New Mexico State University focusing my studies within healthcare. I began my career in healthcare working alongside law enforcement as a victim advocate and assisting with the sexual assault nurse examiners unit.
In 2018, I relocated to the Pacific Northwest with my husband and our children. Though the days are not as sunny as I was used to living in New Mexico, I love the changing seasons and picturesque landscape. A majority of my experience is in outpatient clinical settings as a Certified Medical Assistant and Phlebotomist.