The Emotional PPE Project

Frontline Trauma Support

At SoulGround: The Unfolding Place, we know that many frontline workers carry experiences they were never truly given space to process.

Healthcare workers, first responders, crisis staff, teachers, and helping professionals often spend years caring for others while quietly holding trauma, grief, burnout, moral injury, and nervous system overwhelm inside themselves.

The EPPE Project is our way of giving something back.

Through a limited number of community-supported therapy spaces, we offer short-term trauma-focused support for frontline workers. These sessions are designed to help participants begin untangling the impact of specific experiences while reconnecting with themselves outside of survival mode.

River Dowdy, LPC originally developed this work during the COVID era using a trauma-focused framework blending Developmental Transformations (DvT), expressive arts, and narrative healing through the lens of the Hero’s Journey. Many participants described the work as deeply grounding, connective, and transformative.

Some clients use EPPE as a brief chapter of support. Others continue into ongoing therapy, groups, or community care afterward.

Current offerings may include:

Up ro 6 free sessions
Sliding scale
Vrtual or In-person
Expressive and Creative Arts help nervous systems
Group with people who get it

 FAQs

  • EPPE is intended for frontline and helping professionals who have experienced chronic stress, trauma exposure, burnout, moral injury, crisis response, or caregiving strain through their work.

    Examples may include:

    Nurses (RN, LPN, CNA)

    Physicians and residents

    EMTs and paramedics

    Respiratory therapists

    Hospital and clinic staff

    Mental health professionals

    Substance use counselors

    Social workers and case managers

    Crisis line workers

    Direct support professionals (DSPs)

    Caregivers and home health workers

    Teachers and school staff

    Child welfare workers

    First responders

    Firefighters and law enforcement

    Hospice and palliative care workers

    Public health workers

    Veterinary and animal rescue staff

    Community outreach workers

    Mutual aid and nonprofit workers

  • The 6-session EPPE offering is designed as a focused healing container centered on trauma or overwhelming experiences connected to frontline, caregiving, crisis-response, healthcare, or helping-professional roles. This may include acute events, cumulative stress, burnout, moral injury, grief, compassion fatigue, or prolonged nervous system activation related to the work you do.

  • EPPE services are intended to focus specifically on experiences connected to your frontline or helping-professional role rather than serving as general ongoing therapy. After completing the EPPE program, participants may choose to continue therapy with the same provider through standard private-pay services. Reduced-rate options or sliding scale availability may be offered in some circumstances based on provider availability and financial need.

We've got you.

If you are unsure whether this offering is for you, we welcome you to reach out. Many people working in care, crisis, education, or community support carry more than they realize.