Where First Responders Come for Support
Real support for the people who carry the weight
We are a team of two licensed clinicians dedicated to supporting first responders, military members, veterans, and their families, grounded in both professional expertise and lived experience.
Kelli is a retired firefighter and Licensed Professional Counselor who brings a lifetime of firsthand experience as a third-generation first responder. Jolene Obermeyer, LPCC, has nearly 20 years of experience and has worked alongside law enforcement and EMS as a Co-Responder, with deep roots in a law enforcement family.
Together, we combine clinical training with real-world insight to provide practical support that helps individuals build resilience, restore balance, and move forward with strength.
The Team Behind the Support
Kelli Norden-Gilchrist - Firefighter (Ret.), LPC, NCC (CO)
Kelli is a retired career firefighter, a licensed professional counselor and a board-certified clinician. She has a Master's degree in clinical counseling from the University of Northern Colorado.
Kelli is a third-generation first-responder and "grew up in the firehouse and intensive care unit" as the daughter of a retired fire department truck captain and an I.C.U. nurse.
Kelli has been surrounded by emergency responders and helping professionals her entire life. She understands the need for practical skills at work and at home to achieve balance and hopefully increase resilience while serving in this career.
Jolene Obermeyer - LPCC
Jolene is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor with nearly 20 years of experience supporting individuals and families through crisis, trauma, and complex life challenges. She earned her master’s degree from the University of Colorado Denver and has built her career around serving those often overlooked in their struggles. Much of her work has focused on youth and families, helping them build resilience and navigate some of life’s most difficult moments.
Her approach is deeply shaped by real-world experience. As a Co-Responder with the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office Crisis Response Team, Jolene worked alongside law enforcement and EMS, responding directly to mental health calls in the field. Raised in a law enforcement family with both parents serving as Denver Police Officers, she understands the culture, pressure, and unspoken weight carried by first responders—not as an outsider, but through lived experience she brings into every aspect of her work.
Who We Work With
We work with first responders, the people who support them, and the agencies they serve. Our work is designed specifically for the realities of responder life — long shifts, cumulative stress, high-pressure decisions, and the emotional weight that often comes with the job.
Through our R.E.C.E.S.S. program (Resilience Education & Coordination to Establish a Sustainable Support System), we support individuals, families, teams, and entire departments in building stronger, more sustainable systems of care.
We help:
• First responders navigating burnout, trauma, or cumulative stress
• Departments looking to strengthen peer support and team cohesion
• Leadership teams working to create healthier, sustainable cultures
• Families who want to understand/support the responder in their life
• Agencies seeking practical, real-world strategies that work in the field
Our approach isn’t built from theory alone. It comes from lived experience, cultural understanding, and a deep respect for the work responders do daily. Everything we offer is practical, evidence-informed, and designed to support resilience both on the job and at home.
What Makes Our Team Different
Our work is built on lived experience—not just clinical training. We understand the culture, pressure, and emotional weight of responder work because many of us have lived it, not just studied it.
We provide practical, real-world support that fits the job—tools for long shifts, strategies for both work and home, and approaches that respect the resilience already within the responder community.
What sets us apart is the combination of firsthand experience, trauma-informed care, and a deep understanding of how cumulative stress impacts overall well-being. We focus on lasting resilience, stronger peer support, and sustainable wellness.
We don’t just talk about resilience. We help build it to last.🔥
