THE ACADEMY
for cops looking for a life worth living both in and out of uniform
How would your life change if you didn’t have to do it alone?
Because burnout and negativity are not part of your job description.
Community and Connection
We all need people in our corner. Interact with cops and experts who know what your life is really like in a confidential and supportive environment where everyone is rooting for you.
A Lifetime of Progress
Resources, lessons, and access to experts who will improve your mastery of relationships, mindset, parenting, leadership, health and wellness.
Stress Management & Resilience
Deepen your skillsets with mindfulness, meditation, self-awareness, journaling and other specialized trainings most cops are too afraid to try.
Work Life Balance
Learn skills that will help you maintain your focus and energy at work without draining you by the time you get home because your family needs you too!
What’s Waiting For You
Expert-led Webinars Every Month.
Curated guests that bring you actionable ideas about how you can grow in your development, connect with those most important to you, and thrive in our challenging careers.
Monthly Calls with
Garrett Te Slaa
Hop on these “officer hour” style calls with Garrett and get your questions answered in a low-key and encouraging environment. No topic is off limits and the rest of the community is there to help too.
Training Challenges
Every month we have challenges that help you unlock the deeper benefits of the month’s topic. Designed to provoke insight and thought, they’re easy to complete in your free time.
Private Community without Social Media
A place to connect, learn, share wins, ask questions, find support and connect with others who’ve done the same work and are looking for more. All without any need for a social media account.
24/7 Mobile Access to
All The Content
Whether you’re at home or your office is a detective desk or a patrol car, you can access all of the webinars, calls, community conversations and lessons right from your phone.
Replay and Resource Library
Every member gets immediate access to all of our past guest conversations, video content and other resources designed to help you on your path.
“I am building a world where first responders wake up inspired, feel confident at work, and go home safe knowing they’ve spent their time in a worthy cause.”
– Garrett Te Slaa
Whatever you’re dealing with, we promise you that other cops are dealing with it too. Finding support and friendship could be the greatest gift you ever give yourself.
Your job is more likely to kill you than a bullet:
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We are trained to treat everyone as a threat and then wonder why we’re on edge all the time.
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We are taught that we need to have all the answers, all the time and then when we don’t, we feel like a failure.
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We create cultures where we can’t talk about the hard things we see and do because we fear being seen as “weak” or “crazy.”
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Personal development is mocked and we’re encouraged to spend our lives just following orders.
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Toxic bosses and an old-school mentality keep us from having real work life balance.
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and on, and on, and on….
And then we wonder why…
- Our anger and rage feel out of control and always simmering beneath the surface.
- Normal social situations make us nervous and tense.
- We can’t seem to maintain a good relationship with our kids.
- Our spouse is resentful towards us and our career.
- We can’t seem to feel anything at all.
- We stop doing the things we used to love to do.
- We’re always on edge and have thoughts that scare us.
The average person experiences 2 – 4 traumatic events in their lives. An average law enforcement officer can expect to experience 400 – 600 traumatic events during their career.
No wonder you can’t talk to friends and family about what you’ve seen. We can’t expect them to understand. They won’t.
Some of the topics we cover
- Personal values
- Integrity
- Discipline
- Anger and aggression
- Goal setting
- Leadership
- Stress management
- Compassion fatigue
- Difficult emotions
- Mindfulness
- Marriage
- Trust issues
- Communication
- Financial planning
- Resilience
- Habits
- Parenting
- Isolation
- Anxiety
- PTSD & trauma
- Physical fitness
- Mental health
- Meditation
- Burnout
- Emotional IQ
- Gratitude
- Sleep hygiene
- Negative attitudes
- Cynicism and suspicion
- Loneliness
- Nutrition
- Self-awareness
About Me
In 2013, I was struggling with the negative effects of a career in law enforcement. The sleepless nights, constant stress, toxic bosses and the feeling of constantly being in danger had caught up to me. My body was stuck in a constant “fight or flight” response and I didn’t even realize it.
I had two young children and a beautiful wife at home and I was coming dangerously close to burning it all down.
As I began to untangle the web of stress, anxiety, trauma and broken relationships, I began sharing my story and what was working (and not working) for me. First, I started sharing at roll call briefings around my station. I got a lot of eye rolls when I talked about stuff like mindfulness, meditation, sleep hygiene, and stress management. But I also got a lot of guys who pulled me aside weeks later to let me know that it really helped them out.
I knew this stuff was working for me and others, but I still caught a lot of heat for trying something different. It seemed most cops just weren’t interested in self-development and they’d rather stick to their horrible coping habits, distract themselves endlessly talking about professional sports, complain about politics they couldn’t change, or gossip about partners like we were still in high school. To say I felt like an outcast would be an understatement.
In 2015, I started The Squad Room podcast. Like the roll call briefings, it was my effort to learn more and share with other cops who were interested in personal development topics. Not just our health, but also our leadership, our relationships, managing trauma, building quality friendships and so much more.
The show took off and it’s still the longest running law enforcement podcast today! But I kept hearing from listeners about how they felt as alone in their agencies as I did. They wanted to connect with like-minded people, deepen their relationships, and strengthen their development but they were surrounded by negative people. Plus, they struggled to connect with people outside the profession who just didn’t understand what they’ve been through and dealt with.
So that’s why I created The Academy. To build a place where we can all learn from each other, find support, connect deeply, laugh, and be part of something bigger than the gossip, negativity and distractions that we want to leave behind.
Garrett Te Slaa
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Active duty lieutenant for a Sheriff’s Office in California
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Creator of the BADGES Model of Mindfulness
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University of California at San Diego Law Enforcement Wellness teaching cadre member
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National speaker and trainer
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Master’s in Public Sector Management & Leadership
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Sherman Block Supervisory Leadership Institute graduate
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Contributing writer for Police One and Law Enforcement Today
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TEDx Talk “The Importance of Second Responders”
Testimonials
“Garrett is a credit to not only his agency, but law enforcement everywhere. His authenticity, transparency, and honesty are emblematic to what it SHOULD mean to be a police officer. Whether that involves the community at large or the individual officer’s personal life, Garrett provides insightful content that can be leveraged for good.”
“I want you to know that I consider you a mentor. Your guidance and your courage to self-examine yourself in full public view is an inspiration and a testament to your leadership and strength. I am able to say that as of today, I am in a good place with family, friends, health and career and I would be foolish not to attribute some of my successes to you.”
“I’ve ignored 13 years of feelings being a cop and it’s caught up to me recently. Thankfully there are dudes like you out there that have been beacons in my journey and for that I thank God and send my gratitude to you. Keep up the great work brother!”
FAQs
This is a first of it’s kind community for law enforcement personnel. If your question isn’t answered here, drop me an email at info@thesquadroom.net.
What is The Academy membership about?
The Academy is an online community tailored to the unique needs and challenges of law enforcement personnel. If you’re actively serving, former, or retired and you’re seeking deeper connections, support, and friendship while also diving deep into your own personal development, then this is the place for you.
What is the time commitment?
You can do as little or as much of the monthly programs as you want to do. Obviously, the benefits come from being engaged and committed to everything but we know that you lead a busy life as well and our curriculum is designed around working cops. If you participated in every call and activity throughout the month, you can expect to spend about 4 hours a month inside The Academy.
Who is eligible to join?
Any current, former, or retired sworn law enforcement officers, sworn corrections or custody professionals, or 911 dispatchers are eligible to join. It doesn’t matter if your service was at the local, state or federal level.
Can I be a member if I'm outside the U.S.?
Absolutely! Service anywhere is service. As long as you’re eligible (see FAQ above), it doesn’t matter where you’re joining from.
What kind of support can I expect in The Academy?
One of the hardest things about working in law enforcement is finding others who understand what you’ve been through, but who don’t also gossip and tear you down behind your back. It’s hard to be honest with our work partners for fear of being labeled as “weak” or getting ostracised from the group. The Academy is a supportive, non-judgmental community where everyone can share, learn, and grow together.
What are the membership options?
Memberships are offered in two forms – monthly and annually. The annual membership comes with a huge discount – 12 months for the price of 10. Yes, that’s right. Two months for FREE on an annual membership. Both memberships have a 30-day 100% money-back guarantee and you can cancel anytime.
Is this just group therapy?
No. Group calls are not therapy sessions. We spend our time together focusing on giving you actionable tactics and strategies you can use to create your life worth living both in and out of uniform. When we interact, it’s to share and connect, seek and lend support, and give and get encouragement from people who want the best for us.
Will my agency know I'm a member?
No. Your confidentiality and privacy are our top priority. We do not share specific member data with any partner agencies and we do not provide that info to any agency without a valid court order. All discussions within the group are private and only visible to fellow members. Every member also signs a pledge upon joining that they will honor the group’s rules on privacy.
What is the refund and guarantee policy?
We want you to be 100% confident in your experience in The Academy. We offer a 30-day no questions asked refund on both the monthly and annual memberships. Plus, you can cancel at anytime, no hassles and no questions asked. Just email memberships@thesquadroom.net