Navigating Safety and Community Trauma: Some Recommendations for Texas LPCs

In the first few weeks of 2026, our professional community has been shaken by a series of violent events that hit close to home, even when they occur across state lines. As Licensed Professional Counselors (LPCs) in Texas, we are not just observers of these events; we are the frontline responders to the ripple effects they create in our clients' lives and our own safety protocols.

Recent reports indicate a sharp increase in client anxiety, hypervigilance, and "vicarious trauma," specifically linked to high-profile violence and systemic instability. Here is a breakdown of the current landscape and suggested strategies for clinical management.

The Reality of Workplace Safety: Lessons from Florida

On January 19, 2026, the counseling community suffered a devastating loss when Rebecca White, a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Orlando, Florida, was fatally stabbed in her office by a former client. The attacker also injured a current patient before taking his own life.

How Clients are Presenting:

• Fear of Abandonment: Clients may express anxiety about their therapist’s safety or worry that "the system" is becoming too dangerous for help to remain available.

• Mirroring Trauma: Clients with histories of domestic violence or stalking may find this specific incident highly triggering, leading to increased paranoia.

Management Strategies:

• Audit Your Environment: Re-evaluate office safety. Do you have a secondary exit? Is there a panic button or a "code word" system with office-mates?

• Session Termination Protocols: Review how you handle "high-risk" terminations. In light of the Florida incident, consider conducting high-conflict endings via telehealth or in settings with increased security.

• Personal Safety Boundaries: It is appropriate to reinforce boundaries regarding after-hours contact and office arrivals.

Community Trauma and Systemic Friction: The Minneapolis Killings

Minneapolis has seen a surge in civil unrest following two recent fatal shootings by federal agents in just three weeks. Most recently, on January 24, 2026, Alex Jeffrey Pretti, an ICU nurse and U.S. citizen, was killed by Border Patrol agents during an immigration-related operation. This follows the January 7 killing of Renee Good by federal officers.

How Clients are Presenting:

• Acute Moral Injury: Clients—especially those in helping professions like nursing are reporting a sense of "moral injury" and deep distrust of authority.

• Hypervigilance: In Texas, where federal and state enforcement is highly visible, clients are reporting "scanning" behaviors and fear of being in public spaces where enforcement operations might occur.

Management Strategies:

• Validate the Distrust: Acknowledge the reality of systemic violence. Avoid "pathologizing" a client's fear of law enforcement when it is based on current, local, or national events.

• Grounding Techniques: Use somatic grounding to help clients manage the physiological "fight or flight" response triggered by news cycles.

Immigration-Related Violence and Apprehension

Nationwide, 2025 was recorded as the deadliest year for ICE detention in two decades, and 2026 is continuing this trend with multiple deaths already reported at facilities like Fort Bliss in El Paso. The "Operation Take Back America" initiative has increased the frequency of high-intensity apprehensions in residential areas.

How Clients are Presenting:

• Chronic Toxic Stress: For our immigrant and mixed-status families in Texas, the "anticipatory grief" of potential separation is causing significant sleep disturbances, digestive issues, and regression in children.

• Desensitization vs. Escalation: Some clients may appear "numb" (desensitized) to the violence, while others may experience sudden, explosive outbursts of anger or panic.

Management Strategies:

• Safety Planning: Help families create "continuity of care" plans that include mental health resources for children in the event of a family member's apprehension.

• Trauma-Informed Advocacy: As LPCs, with the client's consent, we can write "Support Letters" to school counselors or teachers. These letters explain that a child’s sudden "acting out" or "withdrawal" is a trauma response to community events, not a behavioral problem.

Moving Forward as Texas Clinicians

The Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council (TBHEC) reminds us that our primary duty is the safety of the public and ourselves. As we navigate these turbulent times, remember that self-care is a professional necessity, not a luxury.

...supervision matters!