404-919-8873
Capt. Michael Drew, PhD
Licensed Professional Counselor
Serving Georgia and Florida
First Responders
I highly recommend Michael Drew. He is a competent, caring counselor who understands the mental health needs of his fellow First Responders.
-Captain Robert Fix, City of Batavia Fire
Michael is always thinking ahead. Always the innovator. Always trying to improve things.
-Edward Spence, American Red Cross
Meet Capt. Michael Drew
Whether you work in a hospital, firehouse, or police station, you are committed to serving your community. Our civic duty can leave us feeling depleted because we expend all of our energy serving others. I’m here for you because I understand the work you do. I'm a former Firefighter Captain, Investigator, and EMT. You deserve to work with someone who understands the unique challenges you face. Let's work together to map out your future goals.
Practice Areas
Proactive mental health strategies to support you throughout your career:
01
Stress Reduction
We work in some of the most dangerous environments of any profession. But most of us feel guilty for taking time to work on stress reduction. Individual counseling involves identifying what works best for you and implementing it to manage stress. Going to an EMS conference or a professional trade show is not the same thing as going on vacation!
02
As First Responders, we often ignore our own needs, because we are always so focused on everyone else's needs. While this mindset is what brings us to the helping professions, we often struggle to give ourselves that same level of compassion. After all, it's easier to give help than to receive it right? You need and deserve time for self-care strategic planning.
03
Personal Boundaries
Given the nature of our work, we often get called into work early, and get held over late, due to unforeseen emergencies. These unexpected interruptions though expected, can be difficult to manage, especially in our interpersonal relationships. This is an area that you address in therapy to improve your quality of life both at work and at home.
04
Healthy Outlets
Most of our duties involve teamwork. This is where we live and breathe. Group therapy is one effective way to promote mental health by setting aside time to share your story with others in a similar team setting. You are able to give and receive genuine reflections while working toward your goals together in a shared and supportive environment.
05
Communicating Needs
Most of us find it difficult to express our needs because we want to shelter our loved ones from the realities of our work. But this assumes that loved ones can't handle it, when in fact, many want and need us to share with them. Family therapy provides a safe space to address these needs by working toward honest and effective communication.
06
Career Goals and Planning
Want to begin by exploring and identifying your long and short-term goals? Having a framework that you can use when pursuing your professional interests can be an exciting place to begin the therapeutic process. Making the most of your skills and abilities makes you happier, fulfilled, and more valuable to your department and community.