Matt Lauglin

Public service has always been a way of life for Matt. At a young age, many within his family had military backgrounds or were first responders - law enforcement and fire service. Matt was destined to find his own career within the public service realm. After a couple years as a deputy sheriff in Madison, WI, he elected to make the transition to the fire service. Serving in his home community at the Sterling Fire Department in Northwestern Illinois – just West of Chicago. It was there his path was clearly defined. Working through the ranks, beginning as a firefighter/EMT, he was promoted to lieutenant after ten years. Two years after his first promotion, he attained the rank of Captain. A position he held until sustaining career ending injuries. After nearly twenty years of service and faced with the abrupt reality that he would no longer be helping others in their time of need as a firefighter, fortunate preplanning had already begun. The decision to go back to school and become a therapist was another example of his passion for helping others in their time of need. Thus, he transitioned from one helping profession to another. Implementing his love of psychology, along with personal and professional experience, he enjoys helping others to find their strength and resiliency through the power of psychotherapy.

Utilizing a person-centered approach to therapy, meeting the client where they are at, he works in a collaborative style with his client to find what works best for them in regard to working on their mental health. Through this process, Matt and his clients can deploy various interventions and skills to alleviate the wounds of trauma, decrease anxiety and depression, and once again, find the resiliency we all have within ourselves.

As a former deputy, long-time firefighter, IAFF local president, and CISD team member, Matt has dedicated his entire career promoting and supporting members of the first responder community. Earning a M.A. in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University, and an upcoming associate marriage and family therapist/professional clinical counselor title, he would like to continue to support all facets of mental health and the first responder community. Albeit through therapy, education, or advocacy, Matt wants to continue to give back to those that provided him so much through the years.