Introduction to Psychological First Aid

Psychological First Aid (PFA) training teaches skills to increase personal resilience and effectiveness when helping others. PFA aims to create and sustain an environment of safety, calm and comfort, connectedness, self-empowerment, and hope during emergency situations.

PFA skills can help you deal with ongoing stress and/or prepare to help others in a disaster. For more information see PFA Tip Sheet, PFA References and Resources, and Assembling a Disaster Supply Kit. 

Dr. McMahon teaches PFA classes tailored to a variety of different audiences including community first responders, business organizations, and professional first responders, These classes use materials that she developed together with other specialists, see Biographies of the Developers. 

To schedule a class in Psychological First Aid (PFA) through the San Francisco Department of Public Health, email phepr.dph.org or call  (415) 558-5991.

Read what Stress Health.org has to say about the 4 for Calm breathing technique taught in our PFA classes. Or hear what Brittany Shoot learned when she attended a PFA class for Neighborhood Emergency Response Teams.