Who Is Resilience Training For?

In a word, everyone! All of us benefit from greater resilience. Modern living presents extraordinary challenges for military service members, police, firefighters, athletes, parents, teachers, trainers, leaders, youth, employees, helping professionals, and those who are at risk for mental and medical disorders. Resilience training equips us with the principles and skills needed to adapt during the adversities that are becoming increasingly commonplace.

Resilience training is for anyone who wishes to become mentally stronger and more effective—those who are already mentally strong, and those who recognize a need for greater strength. It is for those who are at risk for mental disorders because of genes, difficult family environments, or exposure to combat, rape, abuse, terrorism, domestic violence, and other forms of potentially overwhelming stress. Resilience training is especially useful for:

• Emergency responders (such as military service members, police, firefighters, search and rescue teams, emergency medical personnel, public safety and construction workers, sanitation and communication experts and engineers, and other disaster workers) and those who support them (such as mental health professionals, pastoral counselors/chaplains, peer counselors, leaders, trainers, loved ones, and friends)
• Others who work in combat zones, including contractors and government employees.
• People who are recovering from depression, trauma, anxiety, addictions, or other stress-related conditions.

You certainly don’t have to be a mental health professional to master resilience skills.