Meet Dr. Bernard

Dr. Bernard is a Psychologist specializing in combat trauma, crisis intervention and triage, and the experience of moral injury among uniformed personnel. Her practice primarily serves U.S. Military service members, Veterans, and First Responders. She brings a decade of experience from the Department of Veterans Affairs, having served at four VA hospital duty stations before transitioning to the private sector.

Core Practice Areas

Dr. Bernard is recognized as a leading expert in moral injury, frequently serving as a guest lecturer, public speaker, and clinical provider. In 2018, she co‑founded the first moral injury group treatment program at the Syracuse VA.

Call‑Out Psychologist

As a call‑out psychologist, Dr. Bernard provides consultation and operator support during officer‑involved shootings, complex hostage and crisis negotiations, and line‑of‑duty deaths across New York.

Treatment Approach

Dr. Bernard provides treatment with the primary goal of returning individuals to a state of confidence and effectiveness so they can perform their duties at full capacity. She has extensive experience supporting on‑scene uniformed personnel following line‑of‑duty deaths, officer‑involved shootings, and both combat and non‑combat trauma.

Crisis Response and Negotiations

Dr. Bernard is a certified DCJS negotiator and an instructor for the New York Association of Hostage Negotiators. She has served as an active negotiation team member, instructor, and both remote and on‑scene consultant. Her expertise includes real‑time behavioral analysis and the development of communication strategies tailored to high‑risk situations.

Instructional Contributions: Basic, Advanced, and Kidnapping‑for‑Ransom Negotiations coursework.

Publications: Co‑author of the Pivot Model for negotiating with individuals exhibiting antisocial behaviors, featured in Tactical Edge Magazine.

Organizational Consultation

In addition to her work with frontline responders, Dr. Bernard offers expert consultation services to organizations.

Scope of Service: From one‑on‑one sessions with wellness directors and peer team leads to high‑level advisory support for administrative and executive leadership teams.

Approach: Includes administrative debriefs with command staff, communication protocols (when/how to engage personnel), and mental health triage for the organization

“How strange that we should ordinarily feel compelled to hide our wounds when we are all wounded!”

-M. Scott Peck