Enhancing Communication Skills to Manage Dispatcher Stress
The SRT Project and Commonwealth Police Legacy have joined forces to present this PROACTIVE course designed to equip participants with essential tools and strategies for stress management.
This training goes beyond conventional methods by offering proactive techniques to reduce stress before it reaches overwhelming levels for both the mind and body.
What You’ll Learn
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Foundations of Stress and Communication
In Foundations of Stress and Communication, we will review how your brain and body interact to manage stress and shape communication. We’ll review the Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS), which activates your stress response, and the Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS), which helps restore calm. We’ll examine the amygdala (your brain’s alarm system) and the Reticular Activating System (RAS), which acts as a filter to help you focus on what’s most important.
We’ll also introduce the Prefrontal Cortex (PFC), your brain’s command center for decision-making, clarity, and effective communication. This chapter sets the stage for understanding how these systems work together, giving you the tools to communicate clearly and confidently under pressure.
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Communication with You
Communication with You, we’ll focus on the most important conversation you have—the one with yourself. While your inner voice can sometimes guide you, it often turns critical, repeating thoughts that drain your energy, dampen your mood, and hold you back from living your fullest life. In this chapter, we’ll identify patterns of negative self-talk and explore how they influence your emotions and interactions with others.
You’ll learn practical tools to shift from critical inner dialogue to empowering self-communication, helping you regulate your emotions and foster a positive mindset. By the end of this chapter, you’ll not only improve how you communicate with others but also strengthen your ability to stay calm, confident, and in control during high-pressure situations.
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Communication with Others
In Communication with Others, you will explore that stress often clouds our ability to communicate clearly, leading us to default to blaming or defensive language. Phrases like “You always do this!” or “You never listen!” can trigger defensiveness, escalating tension and pushing conversations into a combative space.
In this chapter, we’ll explore how to regain control by focusing on your breath. Taking a moment to pause and breathe allows you to center yourself and reset the conversation toward clarity and collaboration.
By the end of this chapter, you’ll be equipped with practical tools to communicate with confidence, manage stress, and strengthen your connections with colleagues—all while maintaining the calm and clarity necessary for effective teamwork in high-pressure situations.
Meet Your Instructor
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Eileen
For over two decades, Eileen has been helping people stress less within our community. More than twelve years ago, she opened Beverly Hypnosis and Wellness Center. Since then, she has been helping people overcome their challenges, feel better, and achieve their goals.
Seven years ago, Eileen's passion for stress management took a new form with the founding of the SRT Project, a stress management training initiative designed specifically for first responders. The project was born out of a transformative private session with an exhausted and anxious police officer who had received no stress management training. This encounter inspired Eileen to develop a comprehensive program that incorporates techniques such as mindfulness, resilience building, and stress reduction. Since then, the SRT Project has been instrumental in helping hundreds of first responders effectively manage their stress and improve their mental health.
