Elpis Counseling

Counseling

You will meet with Lea in-person, individually or as a couple. Typically weekly or bi-weekly, your 50- or 90-minute session time will be spent exploring your unique experience. Here, you will process your experience, learn how to reverse entrenched patterns where you get stuck, and reorganize your inner world. This therapeutic process mitigates the impact of traumatic stressors as a result of experiencing critical incidents. Longer session time is recommended when wounds are especially raw or need extra careful repair, or you just want to dive into restoring injuries at a faster pace.Individual (50 min.) $200
Individual (90 min) $300
Couple (50 min) $250
Couple (90 min) $375

Couples Workshop

Lea presents Hold Me Tight workshops for firefighter couples. Material is based on the work of Dr. Sue Johnson, creator of EFT therapy and author of the Hold Me Tight book. This is a 2-day non-residential workshop where skills are taught from a culturally competent lens, especially geared toward the unique challenges presented within fire service. A DEEP discount is offered to first responder couples. Please send an email with your request and contact information. We will schedule a call to discuss your agency’s needs, venue options, and Lea's availability, along with pay structure.Hourly, daily, and weekly rates available.

First Responder Training

Is your first responding agency looking for a roadmap to a comprehensive and culturally competent mental health program? Lea can help! She is currently the developer and coordinator of a highly effective MH program within a regional fire authority. Working collaboratively, Lea will partner with your agency to get your own mental health program started. Please send an email along with agency details and your contact information. We will schedule a call to discuss your agency’s needs and Lea's availability, along with pay structure.

Cover My Six:
A Comprehensive Guide to Firefighter Care

Whether you’re a firefighter or someone supporting those who hold the red line, Cover My Six is your go-to resource for practical strategies, mental health support, and resilience-building techniques. Written by Dr. Lea Sullivan, this book offers evidence-based guidance tailored to the unique challenges of the firefighting profession.In Cover My Six, you’ll discover:
✅ Proven strategies to manage stress and prevent burnout
✅ Insights on building a support system, both at work and at home
✅ Tools for improving mental and emotional resilience
✅ And much more to help you navigate the demands of the job with strength and clarity.This book is more than just information—it’s a roadmap to help you thrive in a career that demands the best of you every day. Cover My Six is here to support you, because when you take care of yourself, you’re better able to take care of others. Tailored. Tactical. Firehouse fluent.Order your copy today and start your journey to stronger mental health, preventative resilience, and lasting well-being.

• Buy Now

Cover My Six: The Playbook

This hands-on workbook is built specifically for firefighter peer support teams navigating the mental and emotional challenges of the job. Cover My Six — The Playbook positions peer support as the bridge between trauma exposure and formal mental health care, offering clear frameworks, practical exercises, and reflection tools for lasting impact.Inside, you’ll learn how to:
✅ Master tactical listening and resilient responding
✅ Navigate crisis response and mutual aid activation
✅ Recognize red flags for suicide risk and take action
✅ Handle confidentiality and leadership dynamics with care
✅ Gain leadership buy-in and strengthen cross-agency collaboration
✅ Build personal resilience and mental armor for sustained serviceThrough guided exercises, partner practices, and group discussions, your team will develop the skills to stay effective, connected, and well in the demanding fire service environment.Order your copy today and take the next step in caring for those who serve on the front lines.

• Buy Now

about lea

Get to know me

Dr. Lea Sullivan (pronounced “Lee”) is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Ph.D. in Psychology & Counseling, and author of the Cover My Six series—a set of resources dedicated to firefighter resilience, peer support, and relational health. She is a Certified Emotionally Focused Therapist (EFT), trained in Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) for trauma, and a National Board Certified Counselor (NCC).Lea’s work is rooted in both professional expertise and lived experience. Her published research focuses on attachment bonds and firefighter resilience, and as a Fire Service Director of Mental Wellness, she developed the nation's first attachment-based mental health program for firefighters. She has also served as a volunteer first responder chaplain, working with both the red and blue lines.With over a decade of experience working alongside first responders, Lea has created a trusted space where firefighters and their partners can heal from trauma, strengthen their relationships, and build lasting resilience. She blends science, trauma resolution, and fire service culture to help people feel safe, seen, and supported.

about the model

Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART)

I am trained in Basic Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) and currently working toward full certification in this model. I offer ART to clients who are carrying the weight of trauma and trauma-related emotional wounds.ART is a powerful, evidence-based approach to healing. Instead of revisiting every detail of painful experiences, ART uses guided eye movements and imagery to help the brain replace distressing memories with positive, self-chosen images. What makes this approach so remarkable is its efficiency—many clients experience significant relief in just one to four sessions.Because ART does not require you to disclose the details of your trauma, you remain in control throughout the process. My role is simply to guide and support you as your mind and body do the work of healing. This allows you to move forward without the risk of re-traumatization, making the journey to relief and restoration more accessible, compassionate, and effective.

• Learn More

about the model

Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)

I am a strengths-based therapist and whether meeting with an individual or couple, I will work with you using Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT). Rigorous studies have shown that 70 to 75 percent of couples who go through EFT recover from marital distress and 90 percent of couples have significantly improved (Johnson, Hunsley, Greenberg, & Schindler, 1999). The outcomes of EFT can be seen as the most positive and promising in the field of couple therapy.Additionally, EFT therapy for individuals and couples is the only model of therapy empirically showing a favorable impact on trauma symptoms beyond the three-year mark (Ganz et al., 2022; Halchuk et al., 2010; Johnson & Campbell, 2021). By comparison, cognitive behavioral approaches, have only shown favorable results up to 12 months post-treatment (van Dis et al., 2020). This lasting positive impact is especially vital for first responders who experience proximity and repeated exposure to critical incidents.

• Learn More