Tapping for First Responders: A Closeup with Samantha Sonnett

Most of us can’t even begin to imagine a life in which we face intense crises, emergencies, violence, and traumatic experiences one after the other, day after day, year after year without a break. But that’s the reality for frontline first responders working on the streets, who see and experience some of the toughest stuff out there on a daily basis.

For Samantha Sonnett, a 20-year NYPD veteran, these relentless pressures pushed her to the edge. After two decades on the job, she faced the all-too-common foe of burnout.

Journey with us as we uncover how Tapping became Samantha’s trusted go-to tool to regulate her nervous system and heal from burnout. Plus, learn about Samantha’s incredible work to help first responders around the country learn how to better take care of each other and themselves.

You can watch our full interview below.

But first, let’s meet Sam!

Meet Samantha Sonnett

Samantha Sonnett is a 20-year veteran of the NYPD. She specializes in counterterrorism, trains specialized units in chemical and biological warfare, and collaborates with the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Defense on HazMat & WMD response strategies.

Before joining the NYPD, Samantha served in the US Air Force Reserves. As a police officer, she worked as an investigator for the Domestic Violence Unit, with her advocacy leading to significant changes in NYC’s Strangulation laws. Additionally, she engaged with the United Nations on human trafficking and women’s rights issues alongside global leaders.

Samantha’s Journey From Burnout to Healing

After an initial period of feeling excited and energized by her job in the NYPD, Samantha noticed that she started to get tired. It’s a pattern she’s seen time and time again happen for almost everyone in the profession.

By the time Samantha hit her 10th year of service as a police officer on the streets of New York, she was fully burned out. The demands of being a first responder led her to experience mental and physical exhaustion, culminating in Post-Traumatic Stress Injury.

She would be at work for three days at a time, she never took time off, she couldn’t ever decompress… and it was weighing on her. She knew she needed a change.

Luckily a shift in her career to start in the counterterrorism department helped give her the reset she needed.

But it wasn’t as simple as that. Even though she was no longer on the streets experiencing intense situations one after the other, her body didn’t know how to calm down and feel safe. It didn’t know how to get out of the “fight-or-flight’ mode it had been stuck in for so long.

So, despite the stigma and blocks to doing so, she sought help.

Her first experience with conventional therapy was unfortunately a disaster. Her therapist asked her to journal about every single traumatic experience she’d had. She couldn’t do it.

As she told her therapist at the time: “Do you know how long it will take me to write about every single trauma from the last decade? I wouldn’t even know where to begin. It’s impossible.”

She tried her best, but it wasn’t working. It just made her feel worse.

That’s when she found a new therapist who taught her about how trauma is stored in the brain and body. And that’s when her true healing began.

She began to learn how to calm her nervous system down, and let it know it was OK to relax.

Her therapist introduced her to The Tapping Solution App, and it became one of her go-to tools to calm her nervous system.

Hear from Samantha herself: an exclusive interview

If you want to hear the rest of Samantha’s story, learn why she loves Tapping so much, and discover how she became a collaborator with The Tapping Solution App to bring FREE content to first responders, then watch our interview here:

Come Tap with Samantha in the App

We are so honored to be able to feature a collection of sessions led by and created in collaboration with Samantha Sonnett.

Only someone who’s been there, who’s lived and experienced the life of a first responder, can understand what it’s like.

Sam knows how impossible it can feel to decompress after a shift and be present at home.

She knows the toll burnout can take, and how it can feel like there’s never going to be a light at the end of the tunnel.

She knows how difficult it can be to rest at night when your brain and body are locked in fight-or-flight mode.

We are SO grateful Samantha helped us create sessions designed specifically for first responders, addressing the unique challenges they face in their day to day lives.

Our goal with these sessions was to provide first responders with tools they can use to support themselves anytime, anywhere they need it.

Here’s a sneak peak into the guided meditations we have in our First Responder Support Collection.

Note: As part of The Tapping Solution Foundation, these sessions are ALL FREE, ALL THE TIME.

Decompress after a shift, release stress and tension, and process the day so you can transition into whatever comes next feeling more grounded and at ease.

Get grounded and focused before a shift, so you can navigate the demands of the day and perform at your peak.

Reset and get ready to take on the rest of your shift with this powerful, short Tapping break.

Calm your nervous system, rest, and recover – so you can keep performing at your peak!

Release built-up stress so you can get the sleep you need to replenish your energy, strength, and focus.

If you are reading this on your phone, click the images above. If you’re on your computer, open the app on your phone and type the meditation title into the search bar.

Learn More About Samantha’s Work

After experiencing the power of healing her post-traumatic stress, regulating her nervous system, and learning tools to keep her in balance day in and day out, Samantha has been inspired to share these tools (like Tapping, meditation, deep breathing, and more) with as many people as possible.

In addition to creating these guided Tapping meditations for The Tapping Solution App, Sam is working hard to support the grassroots movements that are helping shape the landscape for first responders across the country.

As she shared,

“We, as the first responder community, need to teach each other:
#1. It’s okay to get support, and#2. This is how you do it, this is how you take back your power.”

Samantha is in the process of building a large-scale online platform dedicated to the health and wellness of first responders, members of the military, and their families.

More information about this incredible project can be found here: www.gettheguild.com

A Message for First Responders Who May Be Struggling

When asked what she’d tell fellow first responders who are out there, giving their all, and feeling the weight of it, Samantha had this message to share:

“You are not alone. The things you are experiencing do not mean that you are weak, and it’s completely normal. Whatever you are going through, it is okay. Meet yourself wherever you are, and try to build a better life and be open to different avenues in which to do that.“

I’ve been so inspired by the work Samantha has done and is continuing to do to shape the future for first responders, military members, and their loved ones everywhere.

She has my heartfelt gratitude for her service, and I consider myself lucky to know and learn from her.

Do you know a first responder?

Police Officer
Firefighter
Paramedic
Emergency medical technician (EMT)
Dispatcher

Share the link to this blog with them, and be sure to let them know that the sessions in our First Responder Support Collection are ALL free, ALL the time!