Brian Knowler

Brian is a survivor of PTSD. In 2004, as the first police officer at a collision scene, he watched helplessly as a close friend died in his arms. Brian never properly processed the events of that night until hitting bottom both professionally and personally in 2012. But PTSD doesn't define him. It's something that he has, not something that he IS. Brian has been a police officer for 17 years, with service in Investigations, Operations, Incident Command and Emergency Management, Media Relations, Recruiting, and Legal Services. He is also a retired lawyer, still fully accredited to practice in the Province of Ontario. His court robes hang on the wall of his office next to his body armour. Since his PTSD diagnosis in 2012, he has become a passionate advocate for helping others going through the same struggles, especially in the emergency, justice, and human services fields. He has spoken extensively to first responder groups, and at colleges, universities, and non-profits. A practice run with his wife Cathy (Knowler Consulting) offers multiple programs on dealing with trauma, resiliency, psychological first aid, and post-traumatic growth. Brian holds certifications in critical incident stress debriefing, mental health crisis intervention, and suicide prevention. Brian blogs frequently on mental health issues concerning first responders and in March 2016, Brian published his first book 'On the Other Side of Broken - One Cop's Battle With the Demons of PTSD' in both paper and electronic formats. He has been frequently consulted by media sources across Canada as an expert on PTSD in the law enforcement world. Brian is married and has two sons who still think cops are cool. He is actively involved in his community as a member of the Board of Directors of Chatham-Kent Children’s Services and as chair of the Chatham-Kent Shop With a Cop! Committee. Brian proudly sits on the Peer Advisory Board of Badge of Life Canada, an organization dedicated to furthering PTSD advocacy, research, and acceptance.