Date

1-14-2026

Department

School of Behavioral Sciences

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Counselor Education and Supervision (PhD)

Chair

Eric Camden

Keywords

First Responder, Trauma, Intimacy, Burnout, Partner, Satisfaction

Disciplines

Counseling

Abstract

A shared understanding of this issue enables us to recognize the uniqueness of each individual’s experience, supported by the consistent commitment of trauma-saturated professionals. But what happens when these individuals become so accustomed to trauma that they can no longer recognize it as such? When their professional identity is inherently tied to continuous exposure to trauma, they may unconsciously adopt emotional distancing as a coping mechanism, which can appear to others as a fixed personality trait or lifestyle, even outside the workplace. This professional emotional distancing, often a consequence of growing burnout and trauma saturation, may negatively impact intimacy satisfaction. In turn, this can erode a vital source of self-care typically found in close personal relationships. This study, involving 225 first responders and utilizing instruments such as the LEC-5, Personal Assessment of Intimacy in Relationships (PAIR), ProQOL, and Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), aims to identify direct or indirect correlations between intimacy satisfaction and levels of trauma exposure, burnout, and trauma saturation.

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