Embedded Files
- Overview
This workshop was delivered to the Buxton Mountain Rescue Team, a volunteer organisation providing emergency support across the north-west Peak District.
The session focused on developing practical skills to help rescuers recognise and regulate heightened emotional states in casualties and bystanders during callouts, situations where fear, panic, and distress can significantly increase risk.
“I liked how practical the tools we were taught.”
“I liked how practical the tools we were taught.”
2. The Challenge
2. The Challenge
Buxton Mountain Rescue operate in some of the most emotionally demanding conditions. Callouts occur year-round and frequently involve individuals experiencing intense emotional distress. This may stem from physical injury, disorientation in harsh weather, exposure, or being crag-fast on hazaardous terrain.
When emotions escalate, risk increases. Communication can break down, cooperation may reduce, and rescues can take longer, prolonging exposure to high-risk environments where time is critical and resources are limited.
In these situations, the ability to recognise and regulate heightened emotional states is not a “soft skill”; it is a core safety skill for both casualties and rescuers.
“It was a good length and very interesting and relevant, thank you.”
“It was a good length and very interesting and relevant, thank you.”
3. The Intervention
3. The Intervention
The workshop was structured into three core sections, blending theory, reflection, and practical application.
Understanding Panic
The session began with reflective discussions based on recent callouts, linking real experiences to psychological theory and research on the sympathetic nervous system.
Participants took part in an experiential exercise designed to simulate stress, allowing them to observe, first-hand, how even simple tasks deteriorate under pressure. This created a shared, practical understanding of how panic impacts cognition, communication, and decision-making.
Responding to Panic
Next, we focused on recognising emotional states and responding appropriately. A simple traffic-light model was introduced to help teams quickly assess emotional intensity and choose the right intervention:
Red
Indicators: Hyperventilation, freezing or overload, shivering, silence
Response: Grounding techniques, open body language, calm and steady voiceAmber
Indicators: Crying, fearful questioning, irritability or anger, able to answer simple questions
Response: Clear and simple instructions, breaking tasks into steps, offering autonomy and agencyGreen
Indicators: Coherent communication, responsiveness, ability to make decisions
Response: Monitor, maintain, and support
This framework gave rescuers a shared language and practical structure they could immediately apply during callouts.
Regulating Ourselves
Finally, we explored how emotions are contagious. A casualty’s panic can quickly affect rescuers, and equally, a calm rescuer can help stabilise a casualty.
We discussed the importance of monitoring our own emotional state, using positive body language, and breaking tasks into manageable steps to reduce overwhelm. These strategies help maintain clarity, coordination, and calm under pressure.
The session concluded with an open Q&A, allowing participants to explore scenarios beyond the formal content and relate the tools directly to their own experiences.
“A really valuable and positive session.”
“A really valuable and positive session.”
4. Measurable & Observable Impact
4. Measurable & Observable Impact
100% of respondents reported that:
The workshop was very useful
The content was highly relevant to their role
Participants particularly highlighted:
The practicality of the tools
The interactive, experiential nature of the session
The direct relevance to real callouts
“I wish we had had this training earlier, even when I was with the paramedics.”
“I wish we had had this training earlier, even when I was with the paramedics.”
Work With Expedition Psychology
Work With Expedition Psychology
If your organisation operates in high-pressure environments where people carry significant responsibility, emotion regulation is essential, not optional.
Whether you work in emergency services, healthcare, leadership, safeguarding, or high-stakes decision-making, these skills can be intentionally developed and embedded into practice.
Get in touch to explore how a tailored workshop could support your team.
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