Sean Whiteley

Sean comes from a law enforcement family.  His father is a retired Lieutenant, and his stepmother is a former Chief of Police.  Sean comes to Premier First Responder after serving 21 years as a police officer in Orange County, California.  Sean worked in various assignments during his tenure as an officer and sergeant.  These assignments included Gangs, Field Training Officer, Terrorism Liaison Officer, and Field Training Coordinator.  Sean’s final position was supervising the Professional Standards Division (PSD) as a Sergeant and eventually as Acting Division Commander just before retiring.  In PSD, he learned the challenges of recruiting and retaining qualified employees.

Sean is a California POST-certified instructor who instructed in various subjects for his agency, including Emergency Driving, and Arrest and Control.  Sean has served as faculty at the Golden West College Police Academy as an Arrest and Control Instructor.  Sean also worked as adjunct faculty for the Golden West College Criminal Justice Department and as faculty in Criminal Justice for Chapman University at Brandman.  

In 2007, Sean was investigating a traffic collision when a motor vehicle struck him, resulting in a near-fatal event.  After multiple surgeries and a year of physical therapy, he could return to full duty.  While Sean’s body was ready, the psychological impact of a near-fatal event was ignored.  When Sean retired, he decided to address his mental health and wellness.  During his treatment program, Sean realized he could still actively support his partners in a different capacity, therapeutically.  Sean immediately returned to school, obtaining his master’s degree in clinical counseling with the goal of helping other first responders with their own mental health and wellness journey.    

Now, Sean is an associate clinical counselor and has developed expertise in addiction and trauma-informed therapy, fields he has been deeply immersed in for the past year. Sean provides Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART), a technique he skillfully incorporates into his sessions. He also draws from his knowledge of positive psychology, using it as a solid foundation for talk therapy. Sean's approach is not just compassionate and insightful, but also firmly evidence-based, ensuring the best possible outcomes for his clients.

In Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART), the goal is to keep the knowledge but lose the pain associated with traumatic experiences. It is similar to EMDR but faster and involves bilateral stimulation to open neural pathways and change memories. ART aims to remove associated negative emotions and sensations, providing relief after just 1–2 sessions. It can be effective for PTSI, anxiety, depression, and addiction.