Elite Mental Toughness® Training
Resilience and Psychological Performance Training for High-Stress Organizations
Elite Mental Toughness® (EMT) is a structured training program designed to strengthen psychological flexibility, emotional regulation, and performance under pressure in real-world operational environments.
Developed and delivered by
Dr. Yvette Curtis, PsyD, LPC, MAC
Developer of Elite Mental Toughness® | EMDRIA-Approved Consultant
High-stress professions place sustained cognitive and emotional demands on personnel. Without effective resilience skills, individuals may experience reduced decision clarity, emotional fatigue, and relationship strain.
Elite Mental Toughness® (EMT) is a structured resilience training program designed to strengthen psychological flexibility and mental performance in high-stress operational environments.
EMT is an evidence-informed resilience training developed by Dr. Yvette Curtis, PsyD, LPC, MAC, designed for individuals and teams operating under sustained psychological and operational pressure. Originally developed through doctoral research and expert consultation with senior military leaders, EMT equips participants with practical skills to strengthen mental resilience, emotional regulation, decision-making under stress, and psychological flexibility. Training is delivered directly by Dr. Curtis through live in-person or virtual programs for military units, first responders, and high-stress professional teams nationwide and internationally.
Available nationwide and internationally | In-person or virtual training
Why Organizations Choose Elite Mental Toughness®
Organizations choose EMT because it focuses on practical psychological skills that can be applied immediately in operational environments.
performance under sustained pressure
emotional regulation and cognitive flexibility
values-driven decision making
relationship effectiveness under stress
psychological recovery and stress management
The training is designed to strengthen individual performance, team functioning, and long-term psychological resilience.
This approach supports upstream risk reduction, including factors associated with burnout, isolation, and suicidal ideation, without requiring personnel to engage in traditional prevention models.
Research Foundation
Elite Mental Toughness® was developed through doctoral research conducted by Dr. Yvette Curtis, incorporating expert input from senior military leaders and subject-matter experts in resilience and suicide prevention.
Research findings demonstrated statistically significant differences in participant ratings:
Within the study sample:
EMT: 87.5%
Standard training: 64%
p = .0096
Cohen’s d = 2.53
Participants also rated EMT as highly applicable to operational environments.
The program integrates research from:
psychological flexibility science
trauma and resilience research
performance psychology
military resilience frameworks
Who This Training Serves
Elite Mental Toughness® is designed for organizations whose personnel operate under sustained psychological and operational demands.
Common training audiences include:
• Military units and installations
• First responders and tactical teams
• Behavioral health and treatment organizations
• Leadership teams in high-stress professions
• Universities and performance programs
• Corporate high-performance teams
Training Formats
Elite Mental Toughness® is delivered in flexible formats based on operational needs.
Accelerated Intensive Training
~8 hours of training delivered across 2 consecutive days
Distributed Training
~8 hours delivered across two or four weeks
Example models include:
• 4 hours per day across two days
• 4 hours per week across two weeks
• 2 hours per week across four weeks
This flexibility allows organizations to integrate the training into operational schedules.
Training Objectives
Participants will learn to:
• Recognize cognitive and emotional responses to stress
• Apply psychological flexibility skills during challenging situations
• Strengthen resilience across key life domains
• Improve communication and relational awareness
• Maintain values-driven decision making under pressure
Organizational Outcomes
Organizations implementing EMT commonly seek improvements in:
stress regulation under pressure
cognitive flexibility in decision making
resilience and recovery
communication and team functioning
leadership performance under stress
reduction in risk factors associated with burnout, isolation, and suicidal ideation
Training includes pre- and post-program outcome surveys available to help organizations evaluate participant learning and program impact.
Participant & Expert Feedback
Participant Feedback
"It put in perspective how distracting thoughts and feelings can be. I learned how to acknowledge thoughts without giving them power."
— Military Participant
"The activities helped me look at situations differently and understand my reactions better."
— Program Participant
"The relationship analysis exercise was extremely helpful for understanding negative communication patterns."
— Residential Treatment Participant
Expert Feedback
"Elite Mental Toughness moves the needle away from suicidal ideation."
— Air Force Officer, Expert Panel
"If you can save one life it is worth it, and I believe this program will save many."
— Senior Military Officer, Expert Panel
Training Investment
Elite Mental Toughness® Organizational Training is structured for military units, first responders, and high-stress teams seeking practical resilience and performance training.
Live Unit Training
Starting at $10,000 USD per unit
(up to 60 participants)
Includes:
✔ 2 half-day live training delivery (~8 hours total)
✔ Live skills-based instruction delivered directly by Dr. Curtis
✔ Participant training materials
✔ Pre- and post-program training evaluation tools
✔ Leadership implementation consultation
Additional training blocks or expanded implementation quoted separately.
Travel, lodging, and per diem covered by host unit or billed separately.
Host unit provides administrative support for participant check-in, material distribution, and survey collection.
Additional Training Options
• Standard Unit Training
• Extended Training
• Installation-Wide Training
Custom training proposals available.
Delivery Options
Available in the following formats:
✔ In-person training (nationwide and international)
✔ Virtual live training for distributed teams
✔ Multi-session implementation models
Download Training Overview
Request Training Information
Organizations interested in bringing Elite Mental Toughness® training to their personnel may request additional information or schedule a consultation below.
Elite Mental Toughness® is an educational training program. It is not therapy, counseling, or clinical treatment, and it is not a substitute for professional mental health services.
Request Elite Mental Toughness® Training Program Information
During our information brief we will review:
• Your organization’s training goals and operational needs
• Appropriate EMT training formats (intensive, multi-session, or distributed delivery)
• Scheduling, logistics, and location (in-person or virtual)
• Program investment and next steps for implementation
This call is informational and exploratory. No commitment is required. If the training is a good fit for your organization, we will outline the next steps for scheduling and implementation.
Training Availability
Elite Mental Toughness® training is available:
✔ In-person nationwide and internationally
✔ Virtual training for distributed teams and organizations
Questions Before Training Brief?
You may contact us at:
contact@traumarecoveryinstitute.org