Dr. Deborah Danner is a licensed clinical counselor, professor of counseling, and trauma specialist dedicated to supporting the mental health and resilience of first responders and their families. Dr. Danner brings both extensive clinical expertise and academic leadership to her work in trauma-informed education and mental health training.

She is especially passionate about supporting first responders and their families due to her own personal connection to the profession. Having family members who have served in the military and worked as first responders, she understands firsthand the unique pressures, sacrifices, and emotional demands these careers place on individuals and their loved ones. This personal perspective, combined with her professional expertise as a clinician and educator, allows her to approach this work with both deep respect for the culture of first responder communities and a practical understanding of the challenges families often face.

She serves as a professor of counseling, where she teaches graduate-level courses in trauma counseling, family systems, and group counseling. Her work focuses on helping future clinicians understand the complex psychological impact of trauma, high-stress careers, and critical incidents.

In addition to her academic role, she is a licensed counselor with extensive specialized certifications in trauma treatment and first responder counseling. She has training in numerous trauma-informed approaches and has worked with individuals experiencing the effects of cumulative trauma, critical incidents, and chronic occupational stress. She works with first responders, their families, military service members, and veterans.

Through the Danner Badge & Shield Wellness Center, she provides mental health education, resilience training, and wellness programming specifically designed for police officers, firefighters, EMS personnel, military members, and their families. Her training programs focus on helping first responders understand the psychological impact of their work, build resilience, recognize signs of burnout and trauma, and strengthen family support systems.

Dr. Danner is passionate about bridging the gap between mental health science and the unique culture of first responder professions. Her goal is to equip first responders, leaders, and families with practical tools to maintain psychological strength, improve communication, and sustain long and healthy careers in high-risk professions.