Resilient Minds - Building the Psychological Strength of Fire Fighters

  • October 22, 2026
  • 8:00am-5:00pm
  • FESTI - 2025 Courtneypark Dr East, Mississauga, ON L5T 1J3

Facilitated by Pauline Spiess

Back to Conference

The Resilient MindsTM 8-hour course contains four modules that were developed by fire fighters for fire fighters to increase the ability to:

• Recognize the effects of psychological stress/trauma in self and peers
• Understand trauma-informed practices
• Communicate with peers who may be struggling
• Using evidence-based trauma informed approach to respond, safely, and appropriately to distressed citizens
• Apply personal strategies for managing stress, mitigating trauma, and boosting resilience

What fire fighters are saying about our program:

“The facilitators created a safe, comfortable and interesting learning environment. We were impressed with the interactive capabilities of the Zoom classroom and the way it was incorporated into the course. They taught us coping skills such as the 4R Action Toolkit that we will be able to take into our careers and use to remain healthy for ourselves and our families. As members of the fire service, we would recommend this course to anyone involved in emergency response.”

– Fire Fighter recruits in Class 2021-01 (A Platoon), Whitby Fire & Emergency Services, Ontario

Pauline Spiess

Pauline is a mental health educator who specializes in training first responders to effectively support their own mental health and that of their peers through skill-building and education. She joined Toronto Fire Services in 2022 and is proud to advocate for the mental health and well-being of first responders.

Pauline holds a Master’s degree in Cognitive Science and Neuropsychology from the University of Lyon, France and is a Lead Trainer for the Resilient Minds program. Previously, as Program Manager, Pauline led the implementation and operationalization of Resilient Minds at CMHA Ontario, and has been heavily involved in both Francophone and Indigenous first responders-centered adaptations.

When she’s not at work, Pauline is likely hanging off a cliff (on purpose), chasing her next backcountry adventure, or spending quality time with her chosen and biological family in Toronto and abroad.