A new type of first aid, for the mind.

Psychological First Aid (PFA) is about taking care of yourself – your thoughts, feelings and emotions when you have experienced stress, crisis or trauma – and then being there for family, friends and community when they are having difficulty coping.

Learn how to anticipate stress and crisis whenever possible and equip yourself with the skillset to practice self-care and to provide care for others during particularly challenging times. Unlike mental health first aid, which trains people to help someone during a mental health emergency, Red Cross Psychological First Aid teaches you how to build up resiliency to stress and establish coping strategies for stress and trauma.

CRC – Printable Psychological First-Aid Course Info

Learn Psychological First Aid Online – Independent Learning 

Two Psychological First Aid courses are available online to learn at your own pace: Self-Care and Caring for Others. In both these courses, learn the impact of stress, trauma, and grief while developing useful tools for handling difficult situations. These online courses are quick, accessible and practical, equipping you with skills you can use in daily life.

Complete both the Self-Care and Caring for Others courses for a well-rounded approach to psychological first aid and wellness. At the end of these courses, you will complete a knowledge evaluation and receive an electronic certificate of completion.

Online learning format
A note to participants: Learn at your own pace by working through the course materials independently online. You may leave the course at any time and resume where you left off. The duration will vary depending on the individual learner and their prior knowledge of the subject matter.  

Self-Care
In this course, which more than 6,000 people have completed, learn the effects of stress, loss, and trauma, with an emphasis on building and using a personal self-care plan.
Who is this course for? Anyone looking to build personal resiliency to stress.
Price: $20
Duration: 45 – 90 minutes
View course details

Caring for Others
In this course, learn how to recognize when a person is in distress and how to offer help without judgement or assumptions. More than 5,000 people have completed this course.
Who is this course for?  Anyone looking to develop the skills to help others cope with stress.
Price: $20
Duration: 45 – 90 minutes.
View course details

Psychological First Aid – Instructor-led Learning 

This course is designed for anyone seeking a certification in Psychological First Aid. This more substantive and flexible curriculum helps you gain a deeper understanding of the Red Cross Look, Listen, Link, Live model – this means having awareness that there is a problem, listening to yourself or others, and linking to resources in your community so you can live fully.

You’ll also learn Psychological First Aid using the principle of Do No Harm, which refers to the unintentional harm that may be caused to those who are meant to benefit from your intervention.

This course is provided as an in-person classroom format (12 hours) or as a blended online and in person classroom format (90 minutes online and seven hours in class). The time spent in class gives you and your fellow learners the opportunity to connect with the instructor, who will help you adapt the course to your needs and local context. The instructor guides all learners safely through the course material.  

This also gives you the opportunity to learn Psychological First Aid as a group, alongside peers and classmates, building upon one another’s ideas, questions, and examples.

The course uses case-based learning and includes the latest evidence from the international community.

Psychological First Aid Certification Course
This certification course teaches the effects of stress, loss, trauma and grief. It has an emphasis on self-care and personal protection, as well as on providing care for others.
Who is this course for? Anyone who wants to practice self-care, learn to care for others, and requires valid, work-place ready certification in this field.
Certification: In this course, earn a certification (valid for three years) in Psychological First Aid
Duration: 12 hours in-class OR 45-90 minutes online learning and 7 hours in-class
View course details