
Psychological First Aid
Learn to Respond with Confidence in Times of Stress
Psychological First Aid (PFA) equips you with essential mental-health “first aid” skills: resilience, stress awareness, coping strategies, and compassionate care.
Developed by the Canadian Red Cross, this training helps individuals and communities respond to emotional challenges after stress, upheaval, crisis, or grief.
What’s the difference between mental health first aid and psychological first aid?
While mental health first aid programs teach how to help someone experiencing a mental health emergency, Red Cross Psychological First Aid is a resiliency-based program for everyone that offers prevention and coping strategies for dealing with different types of stress resulting from various types of trauma.
Unsure if this is the the course you need? Call, text, or email us; we can help.
Course Features
Boost Personal Resilience
Understand how stress, trauma, and grief affect the mind and body, and learn practical ways to cope.
Support Others Effectively
Learn how to listen without judgment, respond with empathy, and connect people to the help they need.
Flexible Delivery Formats
Choose between a full in-person course or a blended option that starts online and finishes in class.
Recognized Certification
Earn a 3-year Red Cross Psychological First Aid certification.
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“I never felt bored for a second. I’d recommend this place over and over again.”
— Grace B.
The Red Cross offers Standard First Aid courses either completely in person, or in a hybrid (“blended”) course, with instruction partially online and half in person.
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This two-day in-person course offers an interactive classroom experience where you will learn theory and practice skills with a qualified and engaging first aid instructor.
DURATION
12 hours of in-person instruction, spread over 2 days.
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The blended option combines online learning with in-class practice, offering flexibility for busy schedules. After registering, you will receive a unique PIN and password to access the Red Cross Learning Campus.
DURATIONComplete a series of online exercises lasting 45 - 90 minutes, then attend a one-day in-person course, typically about 7 hours.
Who Should Take Psychological First Aid?

FAQs about Psychological First Aid
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You’ll walk away with practical skills and tools you can use right away:
The difference between healthy and unhealthy stress
How trauma and loss affect people differently
Strategies for staying grounded during high-stress moments
How to create your own self-care plan
How to support others using the Red Cross “Look, Listen, Link, Live” model
Techniques for building community resilience and reducing stigma
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Digital certificates are issued after successful completion of the course.
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Certification is valid for 3 years and issued by the Canadian Red Cross
Book an Upcoming Course
No public courses are currently offered, however please let us know and we’ll reach out once we have enough people to run a course.
8 or more people? Group discounts available »