Deana Kahle

Deana Kahle, M.S., LMFT (she/her), is a former cop wife turned cop shrink and the Executive Director of The Counseling Team International, an employee support services provider that delivers counseling, critical‑incident response, and wellness training to thousands of first responders and their families every month.

For more than 14 years, she has served as a first responder clinician, sitting with police, fire, EMS, and dispatch personnel in the aftermath of critical incidents and line‑of‑duty deaths while also teaching at basic and advanced officer trainings, peer support conferences, and leadership programs for both line‑level personnel and command staff.

After experiencing her own season of burnout fueled by repeated critical incidents and first responder suicides, Deana did the work to rebuild—personally and professionally—and now shares a clear, hopeful roadmap to wellness that fits the realities of the job rather than fighting against them. Her programs blend clinical expertise, deep cultural competence, and honest storytelling to help agencies reduce stigma, strengthen peer support and family systems, and create environments where the people who run toward crisis are equipped to thrive at work and at home.