There are unique and hazardous stressors found in the law enforcement community that often put divisions between "sworn" and "non-sworn" individuals.  Many times this division can leave families and spouses divided because of a perceived lack of understanding between the two groups. 

The law enforcement occupation is often a misunderstood profession by the civilian community. Law enforcement officers often have lower marital satisfaction and higher divorce rates than the average population.  The law enforcement community creates a family unto itself.  The officer will share information in the police family, but does not share at home for fear of not being understood, and to avoid contaminating his or her home life with the "dirtiness" of police work.

Very often characteristics that make a "good cop" have a negative influence on other relationships.  The characteristics of policing are so ingrained (literally "on" 24 hours a day), that they can become part of the officer's personality and are perceived by others as a lack of sensitivity to the family.  The police officer is not insensitive to the family, but often feels isolated and unable to relate.  The officer's job depends on emotional detachment.  This detachment is taught and required; yet it is a difficult trait to turn off and on.  These conflicting characteristics inherent in police work can be difficullt to reconcile in a police officers' world view, work experience and family life.

Compassion Fatigue is a term coined for the condition that occurs sometimes in police officers after prolonged exposure to sad, negative, depressing, often horrible, situations.  The officer can seem "hard to reach" and seemingly difficult to engage.  The term Kevlar Skin, as referred to in the book by Laurie Lynn Drummond (see recommended readings" relates to this potential "toughening" of  the police officer towards emotional things in his or her life.  Police officers can also become affected by the random Adrenaline responses that can occur, at any point, on any day, in police work.  These interspursed adrenaline "highs" can reak havoc on the police officer emotionally and physiologically.

Working with Law Enforcement Officers and their families requires a special understanding of the environment in which they work, while also maintaining an understanding of what is required for individual and relationship growth.  With these reasons in mind, Dr. Lynn Winstead Mabe created Law Enforcement Counseling & Consulting Services as a place where police officers and their families can receive assistance from someone experienced in this field.