Struggle Well: Posttraumatic Growth for Firefighters

May 27, 2025

Firefighters find themselves facing any number of scenarios when the tones go off. Seeing tragic events unfold on a monthly, weekly, or even daily basis can lead to long-term challenges such as post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, substance misuse, and depression. But these experiences can be the beginning of something extraordinary – posttraumatic growth (PTG). PTG reveals that struggle can be transformative, forging strength, profound wisdom, and renewed purpose.

Struggle Well, a PTG-based program delivered through the Boulder Crest Foundation, is a peer-led, science-backed training designed for those exposed to trauma on a regular basis. Struggle Well is a proactive approach to equip first responders with the skills needed to process stress and trauma, rather than allowing it to accumulate overtime. Program lengths are flexible to fit the busy schedules of volunteer first responders, including a 1-day foundational session, 2-day intensive workshops, and 5-day comprehensive programs.

To learn more about the Struggle Well program or to bring a training to your department or region, visit https://bouldercrest.org/program/struggle-well/ or click here to read a one-page overview.